Hamilton Air Force Base

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Hamilton Army Airfield, CA - 1937

Hamilton Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force Base located along the northern shore of San Francisco Bay California.

Hamilton AFB was named for First Lieutenant Lloyd Andrew Hamilton of the 17th Aero Squadron, awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for heroism at Varssonaore, Belgium, in leading a low level bombing attack on a German airdrome 30 miles behind enemy lines on August 13, 1918.

Thirteen days later Hamilton died in action near Lagnecourt, France.

1 Origins
2 Pre-World War II Use
3 World War II
4 Postwar Use
5 Closure
6 Hamilton Today
7 External links

[edit] Origins

Construction of Hamiltion Field began about July 1, 1932, with the airfield being originally designed to accommodate four bomb squadrons and their personnel.

Captain Don Hutchins of the Army Air Corps reported on duty as the first commanding officer of the new field on June 25, 1933, and Captain John M. Davies' 70th Service Squadron arrived that December as the first squadron assigned to the base.

On December 4, 1934, the 7th Bombardment Group arrived to take station, having been transferred up from March Field. The new base was designated that year as General Headquarters of the 1st Pursuit Wing.

The Hamilton Field Station Complement replaced the 70th Service Squadron on March 1, 1935. The original construction program was completed on May 12, 1935, at which time the field was ceremonially handed over to Brigadier General Henry 'Hap' Arnold, commanding the First Wing, by Governor Merriam of California.

[edit] Pre-World War II Use

Hamilton was originally designed as a bomber installation. In 1933, the first planes assigned to Hamilton were B-10 and B-12 bombers, followed by the amphibious reconnaissance aircraft of the 88th Observation Squadron.

The B-12 bombers housed at Hamilton Field were phased out in 1937 and were replaced with Douglas B-18 Bolos. The B-18, a standard two engine short range bomber, was capable of airlifting combat equipped troops en masse, an important advance in combat techniques at the time.

The next step forward in bomber technology was the development of the Boeing B-17, a four engine airplane that was bigger, faster, and heavier than any previous bomber and required a longer and stronger runway to operate.

Because the runway at Hamilton Field was not adequate for the B-17, the larger planes had to go elsewhere. Hamilton then became a fighter base and the new home of the 10th Pursuit Wing, which transferred from Moffett Field. The arrival of the 10th Wing with P-36 and P-40 pursuit aircraft and their crews caused crowding at the base and initiated the first of many housing problems. Rows of frame barracks began to spring up on the base as Hamilton expanded to meet its new role as an important West Coast air training facility.

[edit] World War II

On March 31, 1941, the base was reassigned to the Fourth Air Force, and it was later that year that a flight of twelve B-17s left Hamilton Field for Hickam Field in Hawaii, which lay next to the naval base known as Pearl Harbor. Flying all through the night, the bombers arrived over Oahu on the morning of December 7, 1941, and faced an unusual welcome. The B-17s had arrived over Oahu during the Japanese air attack which triggered American entry into World War II.

Back in California, Hamilton Field was rapidly expanded to a wartime status, with construction of additional barracks, mess halls, administration buildings, warehouses, Link trainer buildings, schools, hospital and other structures.

Hamiliton AAF was used as an initial training base for newly-formed fighter groups. The following units trained at Hamilton:

Group	Assigned Dates	Aircraft Type
20th FG	September 1940	P-40 "Warhawk"
35th FG	10 September 1940 - 5 December 1941	P-40 "Warhawk"
14th FG	10 January 1941 - 10 June 1941	P-38 "Lightning"
51st FG	15 January 1941 - 20 June 1942	P-40 "Warhawk"
54th FG	15 January 1941 - 20 June 1942	P-40 "Warhawk"
55th FG	15 January 1941 - 21 May 1942	P-38 "Lightning"
14th FG	7 February 1941 - 16 July 1942	P-38 "Lightning"
35th FG	9 December 1941 - 12 January 1942	P-40 "Warhawk"
64th TCG	1 February 1942 - 8 June 1942	C-47 "Skytrain"
78th FG	May 1942 - November 1942	P-38 "Lightning"
328th FG	10 July 1942 - 31 March 1944	P-39 "Airacobra"
329th FG	10 July 1942 - 13 July 1942	P-38 "Lightning"
354th FG	10 November 1942 - 18 January 1943	P-39 "Airacobra"
357th FG	1 December 1942 - 4 March 1943	P-51 "Mustang"
363rd RG	1 March 1943 - August 1943	P-39 "Airacobra"
367th FG	15 July 1943 - 11 October 1943	P-38 "Lightning"
369th FG	1 August 1943 - 5 November 1943	P-40 "Warhawk"
372nd FG	28 October 1943 - 7 December 1943	P-40 "Warhawk"
478rd FG	1 December 1943 - 12 December 1943	P-39 "Airacobra"

[edit] Postwar Use

In the postwar era, Hamilton Air Force Base was modified to accommodate jet aircraft. In 1959 the runways were upgraded to accommodate F-101 and F-104 operations. The base went through a series of command redesignations during this period. It was assigned to the Continental Air Forces in 1945, to the Air Defense Command in 1951, to the Aerospace Defense Command in 1968, and as its usefulness waned, to the Air Force Reserve in 1973.

[edit] 78th Fighter Wing

On 24 September 1948 the 78th Fighter Wing was activated at Hamilton AFB. Until the wing was deactivated in 1969 the 78th went through several designations.

78th Fighter Wing 1948 - 1950

84th Fighter Squadron (Jet) 24 Nov 1948 - 6 19 Jan 1950

Flew P/F-51, F-84

78th Fighter-Interceptor Wing 1950 - 1952

84th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron 20 Jan 1950 - 6 Feb 1952

Flew F-51, F-84, F-89

78th Fighter Wing (Air Defense) 1956 - 1969

84th Fighter Interceptor Squadron 18 Oct 1956 - 1 Feb 1961

Flew F-86 (1956-58), F-89 (1956-59), F-101 (1959-61), F-102 (1957-60), F-104 (1958-60), F-106 (1959-60)

83d Fighter Interceptor Squadron 1 Feb 1961 - 1 Jul 1963
84th Fighter Interceptor Squadron 1 Feb 1961 - 1 Dec 1969

Flew F-101 (1961-68), F-106 (1968-69)

The 78th Fighter Wing was inactivated on 31 December 1969. It was awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for the period 1 July 1968 through 30 June 1969.

[edit] 1st Fighter Wing (Air Defense)

The 1st Fighter Wing was based at Hamilton from 13 December 1969 through 30 September 1970, tranferring from Selfridge AFB Michigan. It's operational squadron was the 84th Fighter Interceptor Squadron 31 Dec 1969 - 31 Sep 1970, flying the F-106.

The 1st FW was resesignated the 1st Tactical Fighter wing on 1 October 1970 and transferred to MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.

With the departure of the 1st FW, the 84th Fighter Interceptor Squadron operated at Hamiltion until 30 August 1973 under the Aerospace Defense Commands 26 Air Division.

The 84th FIS was reassigned to Castle Air Force Base near Merced California on 1 September 1973, effectivley ending the air defense role of Hamilton.

[edit] NORAD

On 1 April 1966, in addition to reactivating the Fourth Air Force, U.S. Air Force, the Headquarters Western NORAD Region (North American Air Defense Command) was activated at Hamilton AFB. This headquarters was not only responsible for the aerospace defense of 11 western states, but also controlled defense forces in two western Canadian provinces. NORAD was a joint U.S. Air Force/Royal Canadian Air Force (Canadian Forces after Feb. 1968) organization. The new Western NORAD Region command combined the 25th, 26th and 27th NORAD Divisions, which were headquartered at McChord AFB Washington, Corvallis Oregon, and Luke AFB Arizona, respectively. West coast radar stations were under the command of headquarters at Hamilton AFB. Data was fed to the NORAD SAGE Combat Center (SCC-5) blockhouse at HAFB via the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) system. Headquarters Western NORAD Region was deactivated at Hamilton Air Force Base on 31 December, 1969

[edit] 349th Military Airlift Wing (USAFR)

The Air Force Reserve 349th Military Airlift Wing was stationed at Hamilton AFB from 27 June 1949 through 25 July 1969 with the exception of a brief period during 1951/52.

Groups/Squadrons attached were:

349th Airlift Group 27 Jun 1949 - 14 Apr 1959
8649th Replacement Squadron 20 Aug 1954 - 6 Feb 1956

97th Airlift Squadron 14 Apr 1959 - 11 Feb 1963
312th Airlift Squadron 14 Apr 1959 - 11 Feb 1963
313th Airlift Squadron 14 Apr 1959 - 11 Feb 1963
314th Airlift Squadron 14 Apr 1959 - 11 Feb 1963

733d Airlift Squadron 28 Oct - 28 Nov 1962
67th Airlift Squadron 1 Aug 1968 - 1 Jun 1969

938th Airlift Group 11 Feb 1963 - 25 Jul 1969
939th Airlift Group 11 Feb 1963 - 25 Jul 1969
940th Airlift Group 11 Feb 1963 - 26 Jan 1968
941st Airlift Group 11 Feb 1963 - 25 Jul 1969

Aircraft flown by the 349th MAW were: C-46 Commando (1949 - 1954); Beechcraft Model 18, C-47 Skytrain (1956 - 1956); C-119 Flying Boxcar (1956 - 1957); C-124 Globemaster II (1958 - 1968) and C-141 Starlifter (1965 - 1969)

Assigned to the U. S. Air Force Reserve, the 349th Wing was ordered to active service three times. During the Korean War, the Wing was called up and then inactivated, its personnel used as fillers in other wings.

During the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, the wing served a month on active duty. The third mobilization followed the North Korean seizure of the USS Pueblo and lasted well over a year, during which time the wing airlifted vital cargo to the Far East, Southeast Asia, and points in Europe and the Middle East.

The wing flew its own aircraft until becoming an associate wing in 1969, after witch it flew aircraft of the regular units with which it was associated.

On 25 July 1969 the 349th MAW was transferred to Travis AFB as part of the phaseout of Hamilton AFB.

[edit] Closure

Hamilton Air Force Base was decommissioned in 1974. The airfield was transferred to the Army as Hamilton Army Airfield, the housing to the Navy & a 411-acre parcel to the General Services Administration (GSA) for public sale.

The Pacific Strike Team of the Coast Guard occupied two of the historic hangars. The GSA public sale occurred in 1985, and the 1988 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) closed the facility.

[edit] Hamilton Today

Extensive aviation facilities remain, including a wide 8,000 ft long runway, a smaller crosswind runway, numerous dispersal parking pads, extensive ramp areas, and nine large hangars.

Controversy over future civilian use had developed between those supporting its adaptation into a major civilian airport, those bitterly opposed to its continued use as an airfield at all, and those holding varying intermediate degrees of opinion.

Today, many of the old buildings are intact, including a large number of decrepit looking wooden barracks apparently left over from the World War II era.

Many structures have been removed and replaced with a housing subdivision known as Hamilton Landing. The historic old main hangars are somewhat intact. Some are now offices, using the shell of the original hangar but completely rebuilt inside, and others are empty shells.

Several other old AAF/AFB buildings are intact, and either awaiting destruction, or renovation.