Barracks: The History behind those names (Part 2)
By
Dr. Nowa Omoigui
US AIR FORCE
Last week we discussed the historical background behind names of Army Barracks in the US Military. This week we shall review some examples of United States AirForce Bases (AFB) that are named after individuals. Let us begin with some overseas Air Force bases.
GUAM
Andersen AFB on the island of Guam was named after Brigadier General James Roy Andersen, Chief of Staff to Lt. Gen. Millard F. Harmon, Commanding General of the Army Air Forces in the Pacific Ocean Areas. On 25 February 1945, a B-24 Liberator carrying Harmon and Andersen took off from Guam, headed for Washington DC, but disappeared and has never been found. Brigadier Andersen originally went to Hawaii in 1944 as Chief of Staff, Headquarters, Army Air Forces, Pacific Ocean Areas but in January 1945 organized the move of the headquarters to Guam. Depot Field, a nearby B-29 aircraft depot and maintenance base was later renamed Harmon Field in honor of General Harmon.
PANAMA
Howard AFB in Panama was originally known as Bruja Point Air Base, but was renamed in honor of Major Charles H. Howard of the U.S. Army Air Corps who flew in Panama during the period 1926-1929. He was part of General Henry "Hap" Arnold's crew on his famed flight of B-10 bombers to Alaska in 1934. Major Howard died in an air crash on Oct. 25, 1936.
Continental US Bases
ALABAMA
MAXWELL AFB was originally called Wright Field (in memory of Orville Wright who established a flying school there in 1910), but renamed in 1922 after 2/Lt William C. Maxwell, native of Atmore, Alabama who was killed in an air crash in the Philippines.
ALASKA
EIELSON AFB was named after Carl Ben Eielson, a famous arctic pioneer and aviator.
ELMENDORF AFB was named after Hugh Merle Elmendorf. He pioneered high altitude formation flying tactics during the 1920s and early 1930s and wrote several academic papers on the subject. A superb gunner and expert in deflection shooting, Hugh Elmendorf commanded the 19th Pursuit Squadron from 1922-1924 and won the Army Air Corps gunnery competition in 1927. On April 12, 1930, Captain Elmendorf and other P-12 pilots of the 95th Pursuit Squadron set an unofficial world record at that time for altitude formation flying.
ARIZONA
LUKE AFB was named after Medal of Honor recipient, Lt. Frank Luke, Jr, an indigene of Phoenix. Luke single handedly destroyed 18 aircraft in 17 days in 1918 over France during WW1
DAVIS-MONTHAN AFB was named after Lt. Samuel Davis who died in an aircrash at Carlstrom Field, Florida in 1921 and Lt. Oscar Monthan who died in a crash near Honolulu in 1924.
CALIFORNIA
BEALE AFB was named after General Edward F. Beale who first suggested the use of camels - hence the US Army Camel Corps - for military transportation in the South West
EDWARDS AFB, CA was renamed in 1949 after Captain Glen Edwards, an indigene of California, who was killed during a test flight of an experimental bomber in 1948
McCLELLAN AFB was named after Major Hezekiah McClellan, a pioneering explorer who helped chart Alaskan air routes. He was killed during a flight test in 1936
ONIZUKA AIR STATION is now defunct. It was named after Lt. Col. Ellison Onizuka who died on the Challenger Shuttle in 1986
TRAVIS AFB was renamed after Brigadier Robert F. Travis who was killed in a B29 crash on the runway in that base in 1950.
VANDENBERG AFB was named after General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, a World War 2 Hero and the second US Air Force Chief of Staff.
COLORADO
PETERSON AFB was named after Lt. Edward J. Peterson, from Colorado, who died in an aircrash of an F4 Lockheed aircraft in 1942
DELAWARE
DOVER AFB is named after the State capital of Delaware
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
BOLLING AFB, DC was named after soldier-lawyer Colonel Raynal Bolling, pioneer of Army Aviation, one time Commander of the 102nd Rescue Squadron; head of the "Bolling Commission" of 1917. He was the first high-ranking officer killed in WW1 by German officers while driving near the front lines in Amiens, France.
FLORIDA
EGLIN AFB was named after Lt. Col. Frederick Eglin killed in 1937 in an aircrash near Annistion, Alabama
HURLBURT FIELD was named after Lt. Donald W. Hulburt, killed in an aircrash at Eglin AFB in 1943
MacDILL AFB was named after Colonel Leslie MacDill who died in an airplane crash on 9th November, 1938, in Washington D.C. The accident occurred several minutes after his take off from Bolling Field in a BC-1 aircraft. He was one of aviation’s early pioneers.
PATRICK AFB was named after Major Gen. Mason M. Patrick, Head of the Army Air Service from 1921-27.
TYNDALL AFB was named after Lt. Frank Frank B. Tyndall, killed in an aircrash near Mooresville, North Carolina, in 1930
GEORGIA
MOODY AFB was named after Major George Putnam Moody, an indigene of Georgia who died in an aircrash in Wichita, KS in 1941.
ROBINS AFB was named after Brig Gen Augustine Warner Robins, former Chief of the Air Corps Materiel Division
HAWAII
HICKAM AFB was named after Lt. Col. Horace Hickam, who died in an air crash in 1934
ILLINOIS
SCOTT AFB was named after Army Corporal Frank S. Scott who was killed in an aircrash at College Park, Maryland, on 28 September 1912. He was the first enlisted fatality in Signal Corps Aviation in 1912.
KANSAS
McCONNELL AFB was named after the two of the three "Flying McConnell Brothers" from Wichita who enlisted in the Army Air Corps during WW2
LOUISIANA
BARKSDALE AFB was named after Lt. Eugene Hoy Barksdale, a veteran of WW1 who died while flight testing in 1926
MASSACHUSETTS
HANSCOM AFB was named after Laurence G. Hanscom who died in an air crash in 1941
MARYLAND
ANDREWS AFB was named in honor of Lt. Gen Frank M. Andrews, World War 2 Commander of European operations for all Army Air Forces. He was killed in an aircrash in 1943
MICHIGAN
SELFRIDGE Air National Guard Base was named after Lt. Thomas E. Selfridge, the first victim of an aircraft accident
MISSISSIPPI
KEESLER AFB was named after 2/Lt. Samuel Reeves Keesler, Jr. a native of Mississippi who died in action in France during WW1
MISSOURI
WHITEMAN AFB was named after 2/Lt. George A. Whiteman, first military pilot to die in combat in WW2, who, incidentally was an indigene of the area
MONTANA
MALMSTROM AFB was named after Colonel Einar Axel Malmstrom who was killed in a T-33 crash very near the base
NEBRASKA
OFFUTT AFB was named after Lt. Jarvis Jennes Offutt, a native of Omaha killed in an aircrash during WW1
NEVADA
NELLIS AFB was named after Lt. William Nellis, a native killed in WW2 combat in 1944 over Luxembourg
NEW JERSEY
McGUIRE AFB was named after Major General Thomas B. Mcguire, Jr., an indigene of New Jersey who won a medal of honor in WW2
NEW MEXICO
CANNON AFB was named after General John K. Cannon, a national leader in the development of airpower
HOLLOMAN AFB was named after Colonel George V. Holloman, a pioneer in guided missile research
KIRTLAND AFB was named after Colonel Roy C. Kirtland, one of the early military aviators
NORTH CAROLINA
POPE AFB was named after Lt. Harley Halbert Pope, killed in 1919 in an aircrash into the Cape Fear river nearby
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AFB was named after Lt. Seymour Johnson, an indigene of Goldsboro who died in an air accident in Maryland in 1941
OHIO
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB was named after Wilbur Wright (aviation pioneer) and Lt. Frank Patterson, a victim of an aircrash at the airfield
OKLAHOMA
TINKER AFB was named after Air Force Maj Gen. Clarence Tinker, indigene of Oklahoma, killed during a bomber raid on Wake Island in WW2
VANCE AFB was named after Lt. Col. Leon R. Vance, WW2 medal of Honor recipient who used to live in the town the Base is located
SOUTH CAROLINA
SHAW AFB was named after Lt. Ervin Davis Shaw (an indigene of the area) who was shot down over France in WW1
SOUTH DAKOTA
ELLSWORTH AFB was named after Brig Gen Richard Ellsworth, who died in an RB-36 air crash in NewFoundland in 1953
TENNESSEE
Arnold AFB was named after US Air Force Five Star General Henry "Hap" Arnold, a pioneer aviator
TEXAS
BROOKS AFB was named after Cadet Sidney Brooks, Jr. first person from San Antonio to die in WW1
DYESS AFB was named after Lt. Col. William Edwin Dyess, WW2 Hero who died in an air crash unrelated to combat in California in 1943
GOODFELLOW AFB was named after Lt. John GoodFellow, Jr. an indigene of the area who died in France in a crash in 1918 during WW1
LACKLAND AFB was named after Brig Gen Frank D. Lackland, one time Commandant of Kelly Field Flying School.
LAUGHLIN AFB was named after Lt. Jack Thomas Laughlin, first indigenous Pilot of the area to die in WW2
RANDOLPH AFB was named after Captain William Randolph, killed on take off from Gorham Field, Texas in 1930.
SHEPPARD AFB was named after US Senator Morris Sheppard, one time Chairman of the Senate Military Affairs Committee
UTAH
HILL AFB was named after Major Ployer P. Hill who died in a B-17 crash at Wrigh-Patterson AFB in 1935
VIRGINIA
LANGLEY AFB was named after Samuel Pierpont Langley, aviation pioneer and one time Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
WASHINGTON
FAIRCHILD AFB was named after General Muir S. Fairchild, indigene of Bellingham in Washington State and one time Vice Chief of the US Air Force
McCHORD AFB was named after Colonel William C. McChord who died in an aircrash near Richmond in Virginia in 1937
WYOMING
F.E. WARREN AFB was named after Francis E. Warren, US Civil War Medal of Honor winner and first Governor of Wyoming
TO BE CONTINUED