History Harlingen Air Force Base

1 history

1.1 world war ii
1.2 cold war
1.3 current uses

history
world war ii

with outbreak of world war ii in europe in september 1940, u.s. government saw need expedite military readiness. create military airfield in harlingen. city voted $105,000 bond issue acquire 960 acres leased war department 24 years , upon field constructed. fifteen farmhouses , buildings on site removed, 1 building left in place become field office. col john r. morgan became first commanding officer of harlingen aerial gunnery school arriving in august 1941 assume assignment. hold appointment duration of world war ii. on june 30, 1941 contract let morgan , zachary, el paso , laredo builders, start military airfield construction. mission of harlingen army airfield train aerial gunners. school received first assigned cadre in august 1941. primary mission, initial student load of 600, of training aerial gunnery students in five-week (extended 6 weeks in 1943) training program. on 48,000 soldiers trained until school, 1 of 3 such types in country, closed in 1945. assigned aaf gulf coast training center flexible gunnery school, 78th service group being designated first host organization @ new airfield.

by mid-september 1941 airfield , base @ harlingen 30 percent complete. mid-october work half-finished, field complete. in november steel water tower loom on base many years swung place. december saw steelwork on 2 hangars , control towers under way.

the airfield consisted of 2 parallel 6000-foot runways aligned north/south, , 2 5,200-foot diagonal runways aligned ne/sw , nw/se. large parking ramp , several aircraft hangars constructed along support base of warehouses, dormatories, fire station, water towers , number of support buildings constructed of wood , tar paper on concrete blocks. auxiliary airfield @ port isabel, texas constructed support training , flight operations @ harlingen. training conducted in both air-to-air & air-to-surface gunnery. air-to-air training used variety of aircraft, including at-6 texans, bt-13 valiants, p-63 kingcobras, b-17 flying fortresses , b-24 liberators. ground-based training, number of facilities available, including moving target ranges , number of gunnery simulators. first class of aerial gunners graduated gunnery school in january 1942.

on 8 january 1943, war department constituted , activated 79th flying training wing (flexible gunnery) @ harlingen , assigned aaf eastern flying training command. gunnery practice carried out having student fire @ sleeve target towed at-6. students taught strafing techniques. series of shop silhouettes installed offshore near south padre island, , students fired @ these water targets b-34 , at-6 aircraft. planes utilized training , transportation @ harlingen army air field vultee bt-13 valiant, bell p-39 airacobra, bell p-63 kingcobra, beech c-45h expeditor, lockheed a-29 hudson, lockheed b-34 ventura, martin b-26 marauder, north american b-25 mitchell, douglas c-47 skytrain, north american at-6 texan trainer, , consolidated b-24 liberator.

in 1944, harlingen began training b-29 superfortress gunners. received practically same training other aircraft, @ end of year few of them began receive training in b-24s modified addition of central fire control turrets make them more b-29s. among training devices used in instruction manipulation trainer—12 towers arranged resemble formation of planes. towers ranged in height 10 40 feet, each equipped 2 nose, 2 tail, 2 ring sighting, , 4 blister positions. students in these positions faced simulated attacks pt-13 , pt-17 aircraft, fired camera guns @ attacking fighters.

the combat of world war ii ended in august 1945. need gunners no longer existed. time estimated 48,000 men call gunnery school alma mater. school , field phased out. 79th conducted flexible gunnery training until 1 october 1945. on 12 october harlingen became temporary separation center men stationed there. 5 january 1946 made public base declared surplus. such fourth , last of such bases in area deactivated, moore field, brownsville army airfield, , laguna madre sub-base of harlingen had been listed deactivation. @ time harlingen had total of 5,000 men split evenly between trainees , permanent personnel. harlingen army airfield inactivated 1 february 1946, facility turned on war assets administration on 5 february surplus property.

with airfield s closure, of well-constructed barracks sold or donated. citrus center of texas a&i university acquired , moved of them weslaco campus in 1947. one-story barracks sold hansen family in weslaco , transformed home @ 801 oklahoma street. grace lutheran church of harlingen took 2 of them , moved them corner of jackson , 10th street. 1 became sanctuary , second 1 parish hall. in 1948 1 two-story barracks purchased molder family trucked north business 77. here transformed popular green gables restaurant , lounge, famed steaks.

cold war

with outbreak of korean war on 25 june 25, 1950, city fathers of harlingen looked utilize mothballed army air force airfield facilities. pointed out u.s. congress former harlingen army air field , facility designed accommodate 6,500 trainees , @ peak operation carried maximum load of 9,000 trainees. in addition, 200 federal housing units, still intact , livable, had been constructed adjacent base’s main entrance. statement congress went on state field equipped 5 concrete runways, each on 1 mile in length. intact , in usable condition, including runway lights, control tower, landing lights, 3 large hangars , machine shop building. house armed services committee, acting under national defense program, appropriated $15 million reactivation of harlingen army air field u.s. air force installation. later $12 million price tag attached field’s rehabilitation. work started in 1952.

harlingen reactivated on 17 march 1952 united states air force , placed under auspices of air training command (atc), renamed harlingen air force base , placed under operational control of 3610th observer training wing (atc) part of observer training program. training conducted convair t-29 aircraft. on 1 september 1953, atc established multi-engine pilot training school @ harlingen , realigned observer training program converting primary observer training primary-basic course , providing advanced instruction in basic course. under new program, every graduate of primary-basic training qualified aircraft navigator. effective 15 november 1956, hq usaf directed term navigator substituted in cases observer or aircraft observer. directive resulted in re-designation of 3610th observer training wing 3610th navigator training wing.

in october 1959, atc directed mather afb, california move primary-basic navigator training harlingen afb 1962. training had relocated mather take on keesler afb s electronic warfare officer (ewo) training 1963.

early in 1960, air force authorized atc discontinue pilot , navigator preflight courses @ lackland afb, texas. pilot preflight training became responsibility of primary training bases, , navigator preflight moved navigator schools. new navigator preflight training programs went effect @ harlingen on 6 april.

in march 1961, during budget message congress, president john f. kennedy announced department of defense close 73 military installations (70 stateside), including harlingen afb, texas, atc base on list. harlingen entered last group of students navigator training on 9 august. point on, james connally afb, texas, provided undergraduate navigator training.

in march 1962, dining halls consolidated base staffing diminished, , base hospital announced change dispensary status. base hosted last conference, corrosion control meeting, in april gym, library, , military clothing sales store closed doors. undergraduate navigator training @ harlingen afb ended on 6 june 1962 graduation of class 62-22n. 3610th navigator training wing , subordinate units discontinued on 1 july. @ same time, air training command placed harlingen afb on inactive status.

current uses

it took several years before permanent uses found harlingen air force base facilities. first make major use of base’s support facilities marine military academy (mma), nonprofit educational institution incorporated in april 1963. first classes commenced september 1965. offers college preparatory course, grades 8 through 12, elements traditional u.s. marine corps. enrollment has grown on 400. while occupying vacant barracks , other base support buildings, school on years has upgraded , modernized old structures , erected numerous new ones. site of original plaster working model of renowned iwo jima memorial portraying marines , navy corpsman raising american flag on mt. suribachi. nearby iwo jima memorial museum.

in 1968 confederate air force, called commemorative air force, moved mid-valley airport near mercedes, texas northwest side of field , called area rebel field . there maintained headquarters, museum , world war ii aircraft collection in 3 large buildings , several small ones. conducted well-attended annual air shows many years @ field. in 1991 caf relocated former world war ii airfield @ midland international airport, near midland, texas.

before commercial aviation came site, field given name harlingen industrial airport. in late 1970, field became rio grande valley international airport , later renamed valley international airport. city’s airport, harvey richards field @ palm valley, subsequently closed. valley international airport has long handled more passenger traffic other valley airport. new passenger terminal sits between former military hangars 41 , 38.

part of southwest portion of harlingen air force base used city establish rio grande valley regional museum.

the valley international airport field’s major user , has area’s highest passenger boarding total. 1 of numerous major current occupants of field united launch alliance, formerly part of lockheed martin, fabricating among other things sections of atlas v rocket. fedex freight , united parcel service utilize airport gateway valley.

today, airport has been redeveloped, few air force hangars remaining on large, world-war ii-era parking ramp. world war ii street network of former training base evident in aerial photographs, modern, newer buildings having been constructed along them.

on march 6, 2005, texas historical commission events marker dedicated in front of harlingen arts , heritage museum, once site of base swimming pool , stockade. marker commemorates both harlingen army air field , harlingen air force base.