Summary
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (AAF) established numerous airfields in Oklahoma for training pilots and aircrews of AAF fighters and bombers or as major maintenance and supply centers.
Oklahoma World War II Army Airfields | |
|---|---|
| Part of World War II | |
  Altus AAF Chickasha AAF Enid AAF Frederick AAF Hatbox AAF Miami MAP Mustang AAF Ponca City MAP Tinker AAF Ardmore AAF Muskogee AAF Will Rogers MAP Woodward AAF Tulsa MAP class=notpageimage| Map Of Oklahoma World War II Army Airfields | |
| Type | Army Airfields |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1940–1944 |
| In use | 1940–present |
Most of these airfields were under the command of Third 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 other AAF commands, including Second Air Force, Air Technical Service Command (ATSC) and Air Transport Command (ATC) commanded 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 edit
Army Air Forces Training Command
- Altus Army Airfield, Altus
- AAF Central Flying Training Command
- 2508th Army Air Forces Base Unit
- Now:
Altus Air Force Base
- Chickasha Field, Chickasha
- AAF Central Flying Training Command
- 2549th Army Air Forces Base Unit
- Now: Chickasha Municipal Airport (IATA: CHK, ICAO: KCHK)
- Cimarron Army Airfield, Cimmaron
- AAF Central Flying Training Command
- 2508th Army Air Forces Base Unit
- Now: Clarence E. Page Municipal Airport (IATA: RCE, ICAO: KRCE)
- Enid Army Airfield, Enid
- AAF Central Flying Training Command
- 2518th Army Air Forces Base Unit
- Now: Vance Air Force Base
- Frederick Army Airfield, Frederick
- AAF Central Flying Training Command
- 2520th Army Air Forces Base Unit
- Now: Frederick Municipal Airport (IATA: FDR, ICAO: KFDR)
- Hatbox Army Airfield, Muskogee
- AAF Central Flying Training Command
- 2557th Army Air Forces Base Unit
- Later: Hatbox Field (Closed)
- Miami Municipal Airport, Miami
- AAF Central Flying Training Command
- 2556th Army Air Forces Base Unit
- Now: Miami Municipal Airport (IATA: MIO, ICAO: KMIO)
- Mustang Field, El Reno
- Central Flying Training Command
- 2554th Army Air Forces Base Unit
- Now: El Reno Regional Airport (IATA: RQO, ICAO: KRQO)
- Ponca City Airport, Ponca City
- Central Flying Training Command
- 323d Army Air Forces Flying Training Detachment
- Now: Ponca City Regional Airport (IATA: PNC, ICAO: KPNC)
Air Technical Service Command
- Tinker Field, Oklahoma City
- 4136th Army Air Force Base Unit
- Now: Tinker Air Force Base
Second Air Force
- Ardmore Army Airfield, Ardmore
- 222d Army Air Forces Base Unit
- Later: Ardmore Air Force Base (IATA: ADM, ICAO: KADM)
- Now: Ardmore Municipal Airport
Third Air Force
- Muskogee Army Airfield, Muskogee
- 349th Army Air Forces Base Unit
- Now: Davis Field
- Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma City
- Joint Use USAAF/Civil Airport
- 348th Army Air Forces Base Unit
- Now Will Rogers World Airport (IATA: OKC, ICAO: KOKC)
- and Will Rogers Air National Guard Base
- Woodward AAF
- Second Air Force until 1944
- Sub-field of Will Rogers Field
- 354th Army Air Forces Base Unit
- Now: West Woodward Airport (IATA: WWR, ICAO: KWWR)
Air Transport Command
- Tulsa Municipal Airport, Tulsa
- 582d Army Air Forces Base Unit
- Now: Tulsa International Airport
- and Tulsa Air National Guard Base (IATA: TUL, ICAO: KTUL)
Note: The former Clinton-Sherman Air Force Base, now Clinton-Sherman Industrial Airpark, was originally Naval Air Station Clinton as acquired by the U. S. Navy in 1942. NAS Clinton was closed at the end of World War II and turned over to the City of Clinton. It was on 15 September 1954 that the USAF leased the former NAS Clinton site from the City of Clinton to be used as an Air Force Base.
References edit
- Maurer, Maurer (ed.), Air Force Combat Units of World War II [1], Office of Air Force History, Washington, D.C., 1961 (reprint 1983) ISBN 0-912799-02-1.
- Military Airfields in World War II - Oklahoma