Mississippi World War II Army Airfields

Mississippi World War II Army Airfields
Part of World War II
Type	Army Airfields
Built	1940-1944
In use	1940-present

During World War II, the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Mississippi for antisubmarine defense in the Gulf of Mexico and for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers.

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 the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC); Air Transport Command (ATC) or Troop Carrier Command operated 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

Army Air Forces Training Command Columbus Army Airfield, Columbus, Mississippi Southeast Training Center, 1941 Eastern Flying Training Command 30th (Advanced Twin-Engine) Flying Training Wing Now: Columbus Air Force Base Fletcher Army Airfield, Clarksdale 2154th Air Base Unit Contract Flying School: Clarksdale School of Aviation Now: Fletcher Field Greenwood Army Airfield, Greenwood Eastern Flying Training Command Army Air Forces Flying School (Basic) 7th Basic Flying Training Group Reassigned to Air Transport Command (1945) Now: Greenwood-Leflore Airport Greenville Army Airfield, Greenville, Mississippi Southeast Training Center, 1941 Army Air Forces Pilot Training School (Basic) 74th Army Air Force Base Unit Assigned to Air Technical Service Command, (1945-1946) Was: Greenville Air Force Base (1950-1965) Contract Flying School* (1950-1953) 3505th Pilot Training Wing (Basic, Single-Engine) (1953-1960) Technical Training Center (1960-1965) Now: Mid Delta Regional Airport Gulfport Army Airfield, Gulfport Headquarters, Eastern Technical Training Command Joint use with Third Air Force (1944-1945) Reopened as Gulfport Air Force Base (1951-1958) Headquarters, Technical Training Air Force also Contract Flying School Now: Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport Also Mississippi Air National Guard Base

Army Air Forces Training Command Jackson Army Air Base, Jackson Contract Flying School: Mississippi Institute of Aeronautics 35th Army Air Force Base Unit Assigned to Third Air Force (1944-1945) Now: Hawkins Field Also Mississippi Air National Guard Base Keesler Army Airfield, Biloxi Western Technical Training Command Basic Training and Technical Training Center Now: Keesler Air Force Base Cleveland Army Airfield, Cleveland Eastern Flying Training Command Contract Flying School: Cleveland School of Aviation Now: Cleveland Municipal Airport Third Air Force Key Field, Meridian 39th Army Air Force Base Unit Now: Meridian Regional Airport Also Mississippi Air National Guard Base Laurel Army Airfield, Laurel 473d Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron Assigned to Air Technical Service Command, (1944-1946) Now: Hesler-Noble Field Hattiesburg Army Airfield, Hattiesburg 39th Army Air Force Base Unit Assigned to Air Technical Service Command, (1942-1945) Now: Hattiesburg Bobby L. Chain Municipal Airport Troop Carrier Command Grenada Army Airfield, Grenada 443d Air Force Base Unit (I TCC) Now: Grenada Municipal Airport

.* Greenville was designated as an "Air Base" by Air Training Command while operated as private contractor-operated training facilities in the 1950s.

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
• Military Airfields in World War II - Mississippi

External links

	United States Air Force portal
	Military of the United States portal