Arizona World War II Army Airfields
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Arizona World War II Army Airfields
|
|
|---|---|
| Part of World War II | |
 Locations of major World War II USAAF Airfields in Arizona |
|
| Type | Army Airfields |
| Built | 1940-1944 |
| In use | 1940-Present |
| Controlled by | United States Army Air Forces |
| Garrison | Army Air Force Training Command |
During World War II, Arizona was a major United States Army Air Force (USAAF) training center for pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers.
The USAAF established Thirteen major airfields under the command of Fourth Air Force, headquartered at Hamilton Army Airfield, California between 1942 and 1945, along with several minor auxillary fields and airsrips.
The mission of these bases primarily was wartime training of aircrews by Army Air Forces Training Command (A precursor to the current-day USAF Air Education and Training Command).
It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields. Many were converted into municipal airports, some were returned to agriculture and several were retained as United States Air Force installations and were front-line bases during the Cold War. Hundreds of the temporary buildings that were used survive today, and are being used for other purposes.
Contents |
[edit] Major Airfields
- Ajo AAF, 5 miles north of Ajo.
- Now: Eric Marcus Municipal Airport (P01).
- Coolidge AAF, 6 miles southeast of Coolidge.
- Now: Coolidge Municipal Airport (P08).
- Dateland AAF, 40 miles west of Yuma.
- Now: Airfield closed and abandoned.
- Davis-Monthan Field, 5 miles southeast of Tuscon.
- Douglas AAF, 8 miles north-northwest of Douglas.
- Now: Douglas Municipal Airport (IATA: DGL, ICAO: KDGL, FAA LID: DGL)
- Gila Bend AAF, 3 miles southeast of Gila Bend.
- Hereford AAF, 2 miles west-southwest of Hereford.
- Now: Airfield closed and abandoned.
- Kingman AAF, 7 miles northeast of Kingman.
- Thunderbird Field (USAAF Contract School), 2 miles northwest of Glendale
- Now: Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management (Non flying facility)
- Luke Field, 20 miles northwest of Phoenix.
- Now:
Luke Air Force Base.
- Marana AAF, 7 miles northwest of Marana.
- Now: Pinal Airpark.
- Williams Field, 10 miles east of Chandler
- Was: Williams Air Force Base (1947-1993)
- Now: Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. (1993-Present)
- Now: Ford Motor Co-AZ Proving Grd Airport (P17)
- Yuma AAF, 4 miles south of Yuma.
- Was: Vincent Air Force Base (1951-1959)
- Now:
Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.
[edit] Known Secondary Facilities
Forrest Aux AF #2 (6 mi west-northwest of Douglas) · Gila Bend Aux AF #1 (15 mi southwest of Gila Bend) · Gila Bend Aux AF #2 (18 mi south-southwest of Gila Bend) · Gila Bend Aux AF #3 (8 mi west-southwest of Gila Bend) · Earnest Love Field (8 mi north-northeast of Prescott) · Luguna Landing Strip (6 mi northeast of Luguna) · McNeal Aux AF #1 (Douglas) · Safford Field (6 mi east-northeast of Safford) · Sahuarita Field (2 mi east of Sahuarita) · Sky Harbor Apt (2 mi east of Phoenix) · Tucson Memorial Apt (6 mi south of Tucson) · Winslow Municipal Apt (2 mi southwest of Winslow)
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129.
- Thole, Lou (1999), Forgotten Fields of America : World War II Bases and Training, Then and Now - Vol. 2. Pictorial Histories Pub . ISBN 1575100517
[edit] External links
|
||||||||||||||||||
