Arizona World War II Army Airfields

Arizona World War II Army Airfields
Douglas AAF Hereford AAF Falcon AAF Kingman AAF Yucca AAF Luke AAF Ajo AAF Gila Bend AFAF Marana AAF Ryan AAF Thunderbird #1 Thunderbird #2 Yuma AAF Dateland AAF Coolidge AAF Williams AAF Winslow MAP Tucson MAP Davis–Monthan AAF Map Of Arizona World War II Army Airfields
Type	Army Airfields
Site history
Built	1940-1944
In use	1940-Present

During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Arizona for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers.

Most of these airfields were under the command of Fourth Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (A predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command). However, the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC); Air Transport Command (ATC) or Troop Carrier Command) commanded a significant number of airfields in a support roles.

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.

Major Airfields

Air Transport Command

Coolidge Army Air Field, 6 miles (9.7 km) southeast of Coolidge

Now: Coolidge Municipal Airport (IATA: P08)

Winslow Municipal Airport, Winslow

Now: Winslow-Lindbergh Regional Airport (IATA: INW, ICAO: KINW)

Fourth Air Force

Davis-Monthan Field, Tucson

32nd Air Base Squadron / 32nd Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron; 20 April 1941-1 April 1944

233rd Army Air Force Base Unit (Combat Crew Training Station, Very Heavy)(Second AF); 1 April 1944-16 November 1945

Now:

Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.

Air Technical Service Command

Tucson Army Air Field, Tucson

Joint Use USAAF/Civil Airport

Now: Tucson International Airport (IATA: TUS, ICAO: KTUS)and

Tucson Air National Guard Base, home to the 162d Fighter Wing, Arizona Air National Guard

Army Air Forces Training Command

Douglas Army Air Field, 8 miles (13 km) north-northwest of Douglas

Army Air Forces Advanced Flying School (Two Engine) / Army Air Forces Pilot School (Advanced, Two Engine) (West Coast AAF Training Center); October 1942-23 October 1945

461st Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron; 1 November 1942-30 April 1944

3014th Army Air Force Base Unit; 1 May 1944-1 November 1945

Now: Douglas Municipal Airport
(IATA: DGL, ICAO: KDGL, FAA LID: DGL)

Hereford Army Air Field, two miles west-southwest of Hereford

Auxiliary of Douglas Army Air Field

Now: Airfield closed and abandoned

Falcon Field Army Air Field, Mesa

Western Flight Training Center

Now: Falcon Field Airport (IATA: FFZ, ICAO: KFFZ)

Kingman Army Air Field, 7 miles (11 km) northeast of Kingman

Army Air Forces Gunnery School/Army Air Forces Flexible Gunnery School; 4 August 1942-30 June 1945

460th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron; 26 December 1942-30 April 1944

3018th Army Air Forces Base Unit; 1 May 1944-30 June 1945

Now: Kingman Airport and Industrial Park (IATA: IGM, ICAO: KIGM)

Yucca Army Air Field, one mile west of Yucca

Sub-base of Kingman Army Air Field

Now: Ford Motor Co-AZ Proving Grd Airport (P17)

Luke Field, Glendale

Air Corps Advanced Flying School(Single Engine)/Army Air Forces Advanced Flying School (Single Engine)/AAF Pilot School (Advanced, Single Engine); 20 May 1941-4 July 1946

66th Air Base Squadron/66th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron; 15 June 1941-30 April 1944

3028th Army Air Forces Base Unit; 1 May 1944-30 November 1946

Now:

Luke Air Force Base

Ajo Army Air Field, five miles north of Ajo

Army Air Forces Advanced Flying School, Fixed Gunnery; 29 August 1942-15 Dec ember 1945

472nd Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron; 29 August 1942-30 April 1944

3011th Army Air Forces Base Unit; 1 May 1944-15 December 1945

Now: Eric Marcus Municipal Airport (P01)

Gila Bend Army Air Field, three miles southeast of Gila Bend

Sub-base of Luke Army Airfield

492nd Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron; 25 January 1943-30 April 1944

3029th Army Air Forces Base Unit; 1 May 1944-15 January 1945

Now:

Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Field

Army Air Forces Western Flying Training Command

Marana Army Air Field, 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Marana

Army Air Forces Basic Flying School / Army Air Forces Pilot School (Basic); 8 July 1942-15 September 1945

389th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron; 8 August 1942-30 April 1944

3024th Army Air Forces Base Unit; 1 May 1944-1 November 1945

Now: Pinal Airpark (IATA: MZJ, ICAO: KMZJ)

Ryan Field, Tucson

Contract Primary Flying Training; 25 June 1942-September 1944

11th Army Air Forces Flying Training Detachment (Primary); 10 July 1942-30 April 1944

3049th Army Air Forces Base Unit; 1 May 1944-September 1944

Today: Ryan Field Airport (IATA: RYN, ICAO: KRYN)

Thunderbird Field No. 1, Glendale

Contract Primary Flying Training; 12 July 1941-1 May 1945

Air Corps Training Detachment/6th Army Air Forces Flying Training Detachment (Primary); 12 July 1941-30 April 1944

3040th Army Air Forces Base Unit; 1 May 1944-27 June 1945

Now: Thunderbird School of Global Management (Non flying facility)

Thunderbird Field No 2, Scottsdale

Contract Primary Flying Training; 24 June 1942-16 October 1944

12th Army Air Forces Flying Training Detachment (Primary); 10 July 1942-30 April 1944

3048th Army Air Forces Base Unit; 1 May 1944-16 October 1944

Now: Scottsdale Airport (IATA: SCF, ICAO: KSDL)

Williams Air Force Base, 10 miles (16 km) east of Chandler

Army Air Forces Advanced Flying School (Two Engine)/Army Air Forces Pilot School (Advanced, Two Engine); 26 June 1941-1 June 1948

89th Air Base Squadron/89th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron; 4 December 1941-30 April 1944

3010th Army Air Forces Base Unit/3010th Air Force Base Unit; 1 May 1944-28 August 1948

Was Williams Air Force Base (1947-1993)

Now: Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (IATA: AZA, ICAO: KIWA)

Yuma Army Air Field, 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Yuma

AAF Advanced Flying School (Single Engine)/AAF Pilot School(Advanced Single Engine)/AAF Flexible Gunnery School/AAF Radar Observer School; September 1942-1 November 1945

403rd Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron; September 1942-30 April 1944

3036th Army Air Forces Base Unit; 1 May 1944-1 November 1945

Was: Vincent Air Force Base (1951-1959)

Now:

Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.

Dateland Army Air Field, 40 miles East of Yuma

Sub-base of Yuma Army Air Field

Now: Air Field closed and abandoned.

Known Secondary Facilities

Ernest Love Field 34°39′16″N 112°22′33″W / 34.65444°N 112.37583°W / 34.65444; -112.37583

(8 mi (13 km) north-northeast of Prescott); USAAF Limited Usage

Laguna Army Airfield 32°51′36″N 114°23′48″W / 32.86000°N 114.39667°W / 32.86000; -114.39667

(6 mi (9.7 km) northeast of the Laguna Diversion Dam); USAAF Limited Usage

Sahuarita Flight Strip 31°58′12″N 110°55′12″W / 31.97000°N 110.92000°W / 31.97000; -110.92000 (2 mi (3.2 km) east of Sahuarita); Aux to Davis-Monthan AAF

References

Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
Thole, Lou (1999), Forgotten Fields of America : World War II Bases and Training, Then and Now - Vol. 2. Pictorial Histories Pub . ISBN 1-57510-051-7
Military Airfields in World War II - Arizona

External links

Arizona in World War II

Arizona during World War II

People	John Brown, Jr. Thomas Claw Jack Fujimoto Harry K. Fukuhara Ira Hayes Satoshi Hirayama Friedrich Guggenberger Gordon Hirabayashi Philip Johnston Robert Taylor Jones Allen Dale June Yosh Kawano John F. Kennedy Yuriko Kikuchi Hans-Werner Kraus Peter MacDonald Doris Matsui August Maus Pat Morita Joe Morris, Sr. Michi Nishiura Isamu Noguchi Vincent Okamoto Ken Ota Miye Ota Kazuo Otani Sidney Preston Osborn Roy I. Sano Hideo Sasaki Reiko Sato Shinkichi Tajiri Miiko Taka Nao Takasugi Ronald Phillip Tanaka A. Wallace Tashima Hisako Terasaki Paul Terasaki Jürgen Wattenberg Hisaye Yamamoto Wakako Yamauchi Kenichi Zenimura

Airfields	Ajo Army Airfield Coolidge Army Airfield Dateland Army Airfield Davis-Monthan Army Airfield Douglas Army Airfield Ernest A. Love Field Falcon Army Airfield Gila Bend Army Airfield Hereford Army Airfield Kingman Army Airfield Laguna Army Airfield Luke Army Airfield Marana Army Airfield Ryan Army Airfield Sahuarita Flight Strip Thunderbird Field No. 1 Thunderbird Field No. 2 Williams Army Airfield Yucca Army Airfield Yuma Army Airfield

Ground training and storage	Camp Bouse Camp Horn Camp Hyder Camp Laguna Desert Training Center Gila Bend Gunnery Range Fort Huachuca Navajo Ordnance Depot Sahuarita Bombing & Gunnery Range Yuma Proving Ground

Internment camps	Catalina Honor Camp Gila River War Relocation Center Leupp Isolation Center Mayer Assembly Center Parker Dam Reception Center Poston War Relocation Center

Prisoner of war camps	Camp Continental Camp Florence Camp Pima Camp Papago Park

See also	American Theater Arizona World War II Army Airfields Bushmasters Castle Hot Springs Great Papago Escape Machita Incident Nevada during World War II New Mexico during World War II Phoenix Massacre Thunder Birds USS Arizona

Arizona World War II Army Airfields

Major Airfields

Known Secondary Facilities

See also

References

External links