wright-patterson field history

8/8/2019 Wright-Patterson Field History

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/wright-patterson-field-history 1/59

WADC/WADD Digital Collection at the Galvin Library, IIT

From Huffman Prairie To The Moon

The History of Wright-Patterson Air force Base

From Huffman Prairie To The Moon - was divided into twelve parts due to

the large size of the document. At the beginning and end of each division we

have included a page to facilitate access to the other parts. In addition we

have provided a link to the entire report. In order to save it, you should right-

click on it and choose save target as. This is considered the best way to

provide digital access to this document.

To go back to the previous part of this document, click here

This document, along with WADC/WADD technical reports, and furtherResearch materials are available from Wright Air Development Center

Digital Collection at the Galvin Library, Illinois Institute of Technology at:

http://www.gl.iit.edu/wadc

http://www.gl.iit.edu/wadc/History/huffman/H-part07.pdf


http://www.gl.iit.edu/wadc/index.html





WRIGHTFIELD1927-1934..................................................................2 04

STATE -OF-THE -ART ,927 .................................................................... ,204

TheBirdofPurudise ...................................................................... ,207

EARLY WRlGHT FIELD DEVELOPMENTS. ...................................................... .209

Attack Airplanes ......................................................................... ,210

Bombardment Airplanes ................................................................... .2 12

Transport Airplanes ........................................................................ 216

Observation Airplanes ..................................................................... ,218

PursuitAirplanes..........................................................................22 0

PhotographicAirplanes.....................................................................22 2

TrainingAirplanes.........................................................................22 2

WRIGHT FIELD CONTRIBUTIONS TO WORLD W AR II 1935-1945 ............................ ,223

PRlNClPAL DEVELOPMENTS. ................................................................ ,224

AttackAirplanes ........................................................................ ..22 4

Autogiros and Helicopters .................................................................. ,224

Bombardment Airplanes .................................................................. ..22 5

Transport Airplanes. . .................................................................... ..23 6

Observation Airplanes ................................................................... ...23 9

PursuitAirplanes..........................................................................24 I

TrainingAirplanes.........................................................................24 7

POST-WAR CONTRIBUTIONS TO AVIATION 1946-1951 ...................................... ,249

VII. PATTERSON FIELD 1931-1948 ,257

THE PATTERSON NAME ..........................

A LOGISTICS HERITAGE. .........................

THE DEPRESS ION YEARS . ........................

FAD ACTIVITIES DURING THE 1930s ..............

WORLDWARII ....................................

MAJOR ORGA NIZATIO NS. ...........................

MILITARY TRAINING PROGRAMS. ....................

C,“,LlAN TRAINING PROGRAMS .....................ASSISTING WITH THE CREATION OF NEW DEPOTS ......

COMMAN D ASSK NMEN TS ..........................

PATTERSON FIELD AND THE END OF THE WAR ...

......

......

......

......

............

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......

......... ,258

......... ,259

.......... 262

......... ,264

.......... 266

......... ,278

......... ,279

......... ,281......... ,284

......... ,285

......... ,289

VIII. WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE 1948-1982. ,293

THE 2750TH AIR BAS E WING. .........

WRIGHT-PATTERSON IN THE 1950s ....

ATlMEOFTRANSITION .................

THE 2750TH ABW SUPPORTMISSION ......

ASSOC IATE ORGANIZATIONS ............

A DECA DE OF GROWTH. ................

ACTlVlTlES ...........................

DISASTERS ...........................

WRIGHT-PATTERSON IN THE 1960s. ...

ASSOC IATE ORGANIZATIONS ............

GROWTH.. ...........................

ACTIVITIES ...........................

D lSASTERS ...........................

..........

..........

..........

..........

..........

..........

..........

..........

..........

..........

..........

..........

..........

..........

..........

..........

..........

..........

..........

......... ,295

......... ,298

... .298

........ ..30 2

... ,305

........ ..30 7

......... .3ll

......... ,313

........ -313

........ ..315

........ ..318

........ -320

......... ,323



WRIGHT-PATTERSONINTHE1970s.........................................................32 4

ASSOCIATEORCANlZATIONS ............................................................... ..32 8

GROWTH.. ............................................................................... ,330

ACTIVITIES ............................................................................... ,333

DISASTERS .............................................................................. ..33 7

THE~~~OSANDBEYOND...................................................................~~ 0

IX. AIR FORCE LOGISTICS COMMAND ..................................................... ,348

THE EARLY YEA RS ....................................................................... ,349

THEBEGINNINGS...........................................................................34 9

SUPPLYBETWEENTHEWARS.................................................................34 9

MAINTENANCE IN THE 1920s AND 1930s ....................................................... ,351

EXPERIMENTAL ENGINEERING .............................................................. .352

THE WAR YEARS ......................................................................... ,352

AFRAMEWORKFORSUPPORT................................................................35 2

THEMACHINERYOFSUPPLY.................................................................35 4

THE WORKHORSE OF THE ARMY AIR FORCES .................................................. .356

THEPOSTWARINTERLUDE................................................................35 8

DISMANTLING THE MACH INERY OF WAR. ..................................................... .35X

SUPPORTING THE PEAC ETIME AIR FORCE ..................................................... ,359

THE ARSENAL OF THE AIR FORCE. ........................................................... ,359

THECHALLENGEOFTHECOLDWAR.. ................................................. ..36 1

THE LOGISTICIANS‘ RESPONSE .............................................................. ,361

THE NEW SHAPE OF LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT ................................................ ,362

LOGISTICS ON A TIGHT BUDGET ............................................................. ,363

THE CREATION OF THE AIR FORCE LOGISTICS COMMAN D ....................................... ,364

LOGISTICSINTHE1960s...................................................................36 6

BASE BUILDUP IN SOUTHEAST ASIA .......................................................... ,366

SPECIAL TEAMS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA ......................................................... ,366

THE ELIMINATION OF FIELD UNITS. .......................................................... ,367

DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMAND’S DATA SYSTEM S ........................................... ,368

MODERNIZINGTHECOMMAND...........................................................36 8

DETERRENCE AND AUSTERITY .............................................................. .368

REHABILITATING THE DEPOTS. .............................................................. ,369

THE TECHNOLOGY REPAIR CENTERS ......................................................... ,369

DATAPROCESSING..........................................................................37 0

SPACELOGISTICS...........................................................................37 0

THEVIEWFROMl980........................................................................37 0

X. THE AERONAUTICAL SYSTEMS DIVISION .............................................. ,373

PRELUDE1903-1947 .....................................................

THE CAS E OF THE B-29 SUPERF ORTRE SS ....................................FORMING THE WRIGHT AIR DEVELOPME NT CENTER 1944-1955. .......

THE EXPE RIENC E OF GENER AL DYNA MICS’ CONVAIR D IVISION ................

MARKING THE NEW DIRECTION 1954-1959 .............................

PLANNINGFORANEWCOMMAND ....................................

CREATING THE WRIGHT AIR DEVEL OPME NT DIVISION ........................

THE AERONAUTICAL SYSTEM S DIVISION. .............................

THE CASE OF THE EXPERIMENTAL VEHICLES ................................

INTRODUCING TOTAL PACK AGE PROCUREMENT ......................

THE C-SA EXPERIENCE ...................................................

x

......

......

......

......

......

......

......



VIII. WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB 1948-1982

On January 13, 194% Wright Field and F%tterson Fieldwere merged into a single installation and designated

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.’ The mime change coin-

cided with the renaming of numerous Air Force l ields as

bases. and ended a long succession of designations appl ied

to the Dayton instal lat ions. Wright-ktterson was assigned

to Hq Air Mater iel Comma nd (AMC), and received operat-

ing support from the 4OGiJth Air Force Base Unit.

By September 194X, Wright-Patterson AFB was ready

to display both i ts pr ide and i ts succe ss. A gala Air F orce

Day celebration was held on September IX in cornrnetnora-

t ion of the f i rst bir thday of the autonomous U.S. Air Force.

Technological advances in Air Force weapons and equip-

men t were highlighted during the day-long open house oothe Area B f l ightline.* Some l50,OCO spectators attended

the celebration.

On central display was the Strategic Air Commdnd ’s

new Consol idated-Vultee B-36 Peacemaker six-engine

bomber. Attendees also enjoyed f l ight demonstrations by

the AMC Fl ight Test Division and the l62nd Fighter Squad-ron of the Ohio National Guard. A huge six- foot bir thday

cake was cut and semed in celebration of the Air Force’s

fi rst ml iversxy.~

The message conveyed by the Air Force D ay open house

was that the Air Mater iel Comm and, through i ts Wright-

Patterson AFB off ices and laborator ies and personnel sta-

t ioocd around the world, would play a key role in making

the new Air Force a valuable instrument for international

Operation VITTLES , more popular ly known as the

Berlin Air l if t , was the f i rst event of global import to aftkct

the newly-designated base and a signi f icant chal lenge to the

effectiveness of the Air Mater iel Comm and. Wright-F%tter-sooemployees, both mi l i tary andcivi lian, played an impor-

tatt role in the succes s of this operation.

On June 22, 194X, a Soviet- imposed rai l and highway

blockade of Wes t Ber lin isolated the American, Br i t ish, and

French occupied zones of the ci ty, including more than two

*As pan of the cwsol idated base. Wright Field became kn own as Area B. Wright-Patterson. The south end oS Patterson Field,including Hq Air Mater iel Comma nd and the off icers’ br ick quarters b ecame known as Area A. The north end of Patterson Field.including the forma Fair field Air Depo t, became known as Area C.

29 3

http://www.gl.iit.edu/wadc/History/Huffman/p293.html



million Ciemudn citizens. U.S. response to the Berlin crisis

demonstrated to the world the ingenuity and flexibility ofthe U.S. Air Force and called attention to the intense

logis tics planning necessary to maintain a long-term aerialsupply line. Over a fifteen-month period, from June 26,

1948 to September 30, 1949, Operation VITTLES airlifted

more than two million tons of food, fuel, and supplies intoWest Berlin.

Hq AMC at Wright-Patte rson was responsible for

providing the parts and supplies necessary to mainiain theAir Force fleet involved in the airlift. The only transport

airplanes available at the beginning of Operation VITTLESwere twin-engine C.47~. AMC’s first priorit y was to super-

vise the transfer of the Air Force’s larger and faster four-

engine C-54 transports to Germany. The second priority

became to ship sufficient spare parts to Europe to keep theC-S4s in operation.

As the blockade continued, a priority requisition system

was established between AMC Headquarters and the airlift

nerve center at Rhein-Main Air Base in West Germany.Daily cables were received at Wright-Fhtterson, ma”y as

long as 20 teletyped pages with 20 items to the page, lis ting

the pxts weeded to keep the cargo transports airworthy.Orders were disseminated to the various AMC depots.

given highest priority, and filled immediately for air ship-

tnent to Gemuwy. With the support of Hq AMC personnel,the airlif t’s round-the-clock schedule u’as sustained, win-terrupted by maintenance or parts delays .’

Although the Soviet surface blockade was finally liftedin May 1949, the airlift continued an additional four

months to allow reserve stocks in Berlin to reach s&facto-ry levels and assure that the international politica l situation

was clarified. By the time the tiwdl flight was completed in

September 1949, Wright-Pa tterson AFB had laid a firmfoundation for its enduring role in the history of the modem

United States Air Force.

THE 2750TH AIR BASE WING

Base operating support for Wright-Pa tterson AFB was

initia lly furnished by the 4000th A ir Force Base Unit,which had provided support for F%terson Field prior to the

merger On August 28, 194X, the4OOOthand its subordinate

units were redesignated as Hq and Hq Sq 2750th Air ForceBase. ’ The following year, on October 4, 1949, the 2750th

Air Force Base was redesignated as Hq and Hq Sq 2750th

Air Base Wing, The “Hq” and -Hq Sq” were subsequentlydeleted, leading to the modern designation for Wright-

titterson’s base operating unit, the 2750th Air Base Wing.

In addition to directing the Wing’s support operations,the Wing Commander also served as the Base Cotnmander.

This dual position of Commanding Oflice r of the 27SOth

Air Base Wing and WPA FB was filled by Brig. Gen. Joseph

T. Morris, former Commander of Wright F ield and sub%-quently of the Air Force Technical Base. Gcneml Morris

was a masterplarmer, with an impressive breadth of vision.

He served Wright-Pa tterson and its antecedents in a lead-ership capacity from J uly 1945 until August lY.52. A con-

temporary of General Morris described him as the “archi-

tect” of Wright-F’atterson AFB, having skillfully guided theinstallation from a wartime to a peacetime configuration

and from the age of propeller aircraft into the era of jetaircraft and missiles.

For his meritorious services, General Morris was pop”-

lady recogn ized as the “Father of Wright-Patterson AK

Force Base.” The 2750th A ir Base Wing Headquarters

building (Building IO, Area C) was named in honor ofGeneral Morris during formal memorial~u.tion ceremonies

on August 28, 1981.

http://www.gl.iit.edu/wadc/History/Huffman/p295topright.html

http://www.gl.iit.edu/wadc/History/Huffman/p295topleft.html



BRIG. GEN. JOSEPH T. MORRIS

Joseph Theodore Morris was born in Punxsutawney,

Pcnmylw.nia, Apri l 17, 1894. He graduated from PansyI-

mania State College with a Bachelor of Science degree in

1917.

Enl isting in Februay 1918, Morris was commissioned

June 13, 1918, as a second l iwtcnant of Air Service in the

National Army and became a radio off icer w i th the First

Rovis ioml Wing at Mineola, l .ong Is land, New York.

In 1931, he entered the Air Corps Engineering Schcal a t

Wright Field, Ohio, and graduated the following June. He

returned to Dayton next in I941 ~ as Assistant Chief of the

Maintenance Div is ion of the Air Sewice Comm and at Pa-

terson Field, Ohio.

In July 1943, Morris was appointed Commande r of the

8th Air Force Service Comm and in England. The fol lowing

January he became Chief of Maintenance for the U.S.

Strategic Air Forces in the Europan theater. In Februay

1945, he assumed comm and of the 12th Air F orce Service

Comm and in I taly. After the war ended in Europe, he

tztumed to Ohio once more, this t ime as Comm ander of

Wright Field. He served subscqwntly as Commanding

Off icer of the AAF T echnical Base, Dayton, Ohio, from

December I945 to December 1947, of the Air Force Tech-

nical Base from Dcccm bzr 1947 to January 1948. and of

Wright-&tenon Air Force Base from January 13, I948 toMarch 28, 1952.

Brigadier Genc w.1 Morris r&red from the Air Force on

July 3 I , 1953. Upon ret i rement he returned to Dayton from

Spkane Air Force Depot, his Ias1assignment. He served as

Vice President of Uni ted Aircraft Products, Inc., unti l

1959. General Morris resided in Fairbom from I959 until

his death, on May 21, 1980, in the USAF Medical Center,

Wright-htterson. He was buried at Arl ington National

Cemetery on May 27, 1980.

296

http://www.gl.iit.edu/wadc/History/Huffman/p296bottom.html





27SOTH AIR BASE WING EMBLEM

The official emblem of today’s 275Otb Air B ase Wing

was adopted in April 1969 and bean the Wing’s mott o,

‘Strength Thmugh Suppat.* ’ The emblem is symbol ic of

the Wing and bars the Air Force colors, golden yellow and

ultramaine blue. Ultramaine blue denotes the sky , theprimary theater of Air Force operations. Yellow denotes the

sun and the excellence of personnel in assigned du ties. Thevintage airplane, a Wright Flyer, is indicative of the heritage

of aviation at Wright-F%tterson AFB, which the Wing has

supported s ince 1948. Wright-Fxterson is known as the

birthplace of militay aviation and the 2750th has been

assigned to no other air base. The sty lized aircraft on the

shield represent m&em-day weapon system s. The center

prt ion-math cone or shock wave&notes the aemspace

mission of the uni t . The Lamp of Knowledge represents the

research imparted by p+xsonnel of the Wing.

291


http://www.gl.iit.edu/wadc/History/Huffman/p297top.html



WRIGHT-PA TTERSON IN THE 1950s

A TIME OF TRANSITION

Air Force blue uniforms were on order as the Air Forceentered the l9SOs. but olive dmh and fatigue green were to

continue as the predominant uniforms for another threeyears. On June 21,1950, the Air Force was back in combat,

this time in South Korea.The A ir Force was better prepared for this contlic t than

it had been for World War II, though not hy much, Most ofits 20,000 aircraft were of World War 11 vintage, and a

significant percentage of these, especially combat aircraft,

were in storage. Congressional emphasisover the previous

three years had been on reducing military expenses, and

according ly, acquisition of new airplanes came very low on

the list of priorities. Although the Far East Air Forces

(FEAF) in South Korea and Japan had a variety of fightersand bombers in its combat flee, only one model, the F-80,

WiS it Jet.

Support aspects of the conflict in Korea rested heavily

on the Air Materiel Commdnd at Wright-!%tterwn. To meetimmediate demands, aircraft in storage were overhauled,

modilied, and sent into action. By November l9SO. just afew months after the start of the war, AMC depots had

modified and reconditioned more than 400 aircraft for use

in the Fa East. But whe the Air Force really needed was

thousands of aircraft that incorporated the latest develop-

mats in technology, delivered to the front as fast as possi-

ble. Congress approptiated $10 billion to buy new air-planes, and AMC was tasked with setting goals for the

industria l effort, scheduling indust rial output, and evaluat-

ing the impact of aircraft programs on basic national re-sources. As the result of significant efforts at Wright -&tter-

son, new airpLmes at the front hy the end of the Korean

conflict on July 21, 1953, included the F-84 Thunderjet and

the F-86 Sabre, both capable of engaging and defeatingCommunist MiG aircraf t in aerial combat.

The flow of supplies to Korea was ably managed byAMC, a difficul t assignment under the best of circum-





stances. The long pipeline to the Far East called for ext raor-

dinary efforts in maintaining an effective and reliable log is-

tical support system.As the Korean Wdr was prolonged, Air Force activities

expanded on a global basis. Activitie s at Wright-Patte rson

reflected this expansion. Prob lems confrontin& the Base

Commander pyramided as the pace of base functions esca-latcd to nea11ywartime levels, A significant increase in the

milita ry and civi lian work force took place as new organic-tions were added to the base and greater work loads werelcvicd on all dcpatmcnts. The addition of personnel in turn

compounded the chronic family housin& shortage that thebase had faced throughout the 1940s.

To meet an expanded mission , the Ground Controlled

Approach (GCA ) on the Area C flightline accelerated to 24.hour operations due to the increased amount of Hying. The

Air Base Chaplain’s office monitored a clothing drive for

the aid of Korean war victim s. Korean War wounded a~-rived at the Wright-F ’dttcrson hospital for treatment. A spe-

cial blood donor center was operated at WP AFB during the

crisis to meet the demand for blood. The Ai r Rcscrve

Training Branch, established to continue the military train-ing of reserve officers in civilian life, was deactivated; its

activ ities had ceased almost entirely as resene officers were

recalled to active scrvicc.’In December 1950, the Air Materiel Command was

designated the sole procuring activ ity within the Depart-

ment of the Air Force. Under the impetus of wartimesupport and zmxunent, its role became mammoth. Its

work force grew from 93,600 in 194X to 137,000 in 1951,

and reached 224,OCQby the late 1950s. Fiscal year expa-ditures during the Korean conflict further rcflcctcd the

extent of the overall log istics mission: $I .7 billion in 1950;

$3.6 billion in l9Sl; $8. I billion in 1952; and$lO.5 billion

in 1953.’AMC began to decentralize its rnany functions in the

early 1950s. Gen. Edwin W. Rawlings, AMC Commander,

initiated the decentralization process in edrly lY52. Underhis direction, Hq AMC’s primary mission shifted from

operations to program mmagement and field commanders

of the various Ai r Materiel Areas became responsible forselected aspects of supply, maintemmce, and procurement.

The respective depots were also specialized to handle spe-

cific commodities and given exclusive responsibility forcomputing requirements, purchasing, receiving, storing,

shipping, and maintaining the paticular items assigned to

them. Once rclievcd of the voluminous load of paperwork

these processes nvolved, Hq AMC was able to concentrateon the tnost important phase of procurement-purchasing

complex and expensive aerial weapon systems and the

required supporting subsystems.The 2750th Air Base Wing, as the base support organi-

zation at WPA FB, assisted in moving many of the AMC

divis ions to outlying areas. The work load of each compo-nent of the 2750th Ai r Bask Wing was affected in some

manner by this major effort. The civil ian personnel branchcarried the heaviest load. It was responsible for processin&

all paperwork involved in the transfer of employees and

their positions to fifteen AMC installat ions throughout theUnited States. An Employee U tilization Section dealt with

specia l problems in connection with the deccotnlization

program. An Out-Service Placement sub-unit assisted peo-

ple who were unable to transfer w ith their positions andcould not be reassigned at WPAFB. A Transportation sub-

unit arranged travel of employees and their dependents to

the new locations and transportation of household goods.’By 1957, the decentralization process vas complctc and the

new arrangement was working well.

In July 1954, AMC acquired i ts first computer, aRemington Rmd UNIVAC, signaling a new age in the field

of logistics. The complex work of computing logistics

requirements was soon automated, allowing supply, main-tenancc, and procurement information to be integrated

quickly and accurately, in ways previously unimaginable.

Although decentralization and automation of AMC

were dominant themes during the early 1950s. perhaps themost signiticant change in the command structure was the

sepdntion of the rese&ch and development function of

AMC into a distinct R & D command.Research and development was one of three pil lars of

AMC’s World War 11antccedcnt organization, the Materiel

Division, and dated from the early expcrimcntal work atMcCook Field.* In the closing stages of World War ll, it




had become increasin~lv armament th& science and tech-, . .

nology would determine America’s future air supremacy

and consequently the nation’s security.

The research program of the Air Materiel Commandwx by nature, largely oriented toward development of new

and improved equipment, and hence toward serv ice and

production engineering. This meant that more often thannot, basic research took second place to applied resarch.

The inherent danger was that, over a period of time, thetechnological base so crucial to future military superioritywould suffer.

Mindful of this dangerous tendency, Air Force Chief of

Staff Cien. Hoyt S . Vandenberg appointed a spec ial com-

mittee of the USAF Scientific Advisory Board in 1949. Itsmission was to conduct a series of studies into the current

capability and future requirements of the Air Force research

and development progmm. This committee, under thechairmanship of Dr. Louis N. Ridenow, recommended that

research and development be divorced from production

engineering and placed in a separate command.





The Air Force agreed, and proceeded to establish such a

command, drawn from elements of AMC. The Air Re-

search and Development Command (ARDC), created inI950 and activated in April 1951, became responsible for

all research and development engineering on aircra ft and

aeronautical equipment. ARDC was thus the direct antece-

dent of today’s Air Force Systems Command (AFSC).The laboratories in Area B were reorganized on April 2,

1951, to form the Wright A ir Development Center(WADC), the largest of ten research and development en-ten under ARDC. WADC was composed of four elements

drawn from the Air Materiel Command: the Engineering,l%ight Test. and All-Weather Flying Divisions, and the

OSficeof Air Research. The twelve laboratories under their

jurisdiction were responsible for supervising the develop-

ment of most weapon sys tans. airborne components,

ground equipment, and materia ls.”In June 1951, ARDC relocated its hadquarters from

Wright-htterson to Baltimore, Maryland. The Wright Air

Development Center functions in Area B, however, re-

mained essentially the same.

A major accomplishment of AKDC during the 1950swas the introduction of the concept of weapon systems-as

opposed to indiv idual development efforts-to the aao-nautica l industry. and the application of the broader

“systems”concept to the production process. An important

corollary of the systems concept was coordinating theefforts of the various Air Force commands mvolved in

planning and using a given system. Selected agencies with-

in AMC, especially. had to be represented in the pLumin&and production stages.

The answer to this challenge ws the creation of joint

project offices (JPOsL each concentrating in the develop-

mew and production of a specific weapon system. Anindividual JPO drew highly qualified people from ARDC,

AMC, and the command which would ultimate ly use the

weapon being dwclopcd (e.g., Strategic Air Command,Tactical Air CommandI. The txsk of the.joint pmject office

was to manage tbc development and production phases of a

weapon system, integrating all aspects oS the project anddealing with problems that arose. Joint pmject ol’ticcs thus

bridged the technological gap betwccn ARDC engineering

and AMC procurmncnt.In September lYS3, AMC was assigned responsib ility

for devel<>ping support plax for all Air Fo rce we+pon

systems. Thcsc plans were vital to the continumg support

and maintenance of.weapon systems once they were opera-tiowdl. Accordingly, joint project offices were superseded

hy what vex known as wcapon systems project oftices

(WSPOsVIn January lYSX, ARDC moved from Baltimore to its

present hadquarters at Andrew Air Force Base. D.C., and

in I961 w&s rcdcsignated as the Air Force Systems Com-mand. The continuing story of research and development

and weapon systems acquiiition conducted at Wright-Pat-

terson by AFSC and its prcdccesso rs is contained in Chap-ter X, The Aeronautical Systems Division.




THE 275OTH ABW SUPPORT MISSION

The mission of the 2750th Air Base Wing in the 1950s

and succeeding decades was to provide servic es and sup-

port to the many associate/tenant organizations located atWright-F?itterson AFB, and to provide limited services to

other governmental agencies and components of the De-

partment of Defense located off-base. This support encon

passed the operation and maintenance of the base’s air-fields, aircraft, buildings and grounds, communications

systems, automotive equipment, supply facil ities and medi-

cal facilit ies, and the housing, messing, and training ofmilitary personnel. The Directorate of Base Air Installa -

tions (forerunner of today’s 2750th Civi l EngineeringSquadron) was an essential pat of this support system,

responsible for the care and maintcnancc of the base’s many

buildings, surfaced areas, railroads, and utili ty plants,

comprising a multi-m illion-do llar houxkeeping operation.It monitored the work of numerous private contractors, as

well as penonnel attxhcd to a rcsidcn t office of the Army

Corps of Engineers.

In addition to these day-to-day responsibilities, theWing maintained a national Air Force records staging arca

oo base during the early 1950s. Known as the Air Force

Records Center, WPAFB, this center was responsible forthe accession , temporary storage, service , and disposition

of noncurrcot and infrequently-referenced records for the

base and certain tenant and command headquarters“rga”mtl”“s.*

Later in the decade, the 2750th ABW also assumed

responsibility for managing the worldwide distribution ofUSAF publications and forms, as well as continental U.S.

commodity management of administrat ive publications and

blank forms. Responsibility for these mission objectives

was transferred to Wright-Patterson oo June 8, 1958, from

Shelby Air Force Depot at Wilkins Air Force Station, Ohio.Storage and distribution of these publications and fomx

was contracted out to a firm in the Washington, D.C. area.

The Flight Training Branch of the 2750th ABW wasresponsib ic f&assuring a high degree of Hying proHciency

among pilots assigned to Wright-Patterson. To fulfi ll its

mission, the Branch conducted extensive training programs

in instrument flight, jet transition Hight, and conventionaltransition High,.

The Area B (Wrigh t) and Area C (Patterson) flightlines

vex busy places duting the 1950s. Area C, espec~dily,became very active with the advent of more advanced jet

aircraft. Annual takeoff and landing operations on the two

landing ficlds by I959 rivaled in number the commercialmownentsofNcw York ’s International Airport at idlewild .

*The center was discontinued at WPAF B on February IO, ,953.

302


http://www.gl.iit.edu/wadc/History/Huffman/p302middle.html



The AreaC Hightline logged 139,276 takeoffs and landings

that year, and Area B 44,699. (Area B was closed to jet

aircraft operations on February 27, 1958.)To ensure,mail delive ry during the 1951 national rail

strike, the 2750th Air Base Wing initiated administrative

flights linking Wright-Patterson (Hq AMC) and Wash-

ington, D.C. (Hq USAF). T his shuttle service proved sosatisfac tory that it was continued and became known as the

“Kittyhawk” Right. In November 1952. the shuttle’s schcd-

ule was extended to six days a week. with ten dedicatedcrews.”

In July 1951, all base Hying activities, with the cxcep-

[ion of the Base lnstmmcnt School, were consolidated inArea B. In turn, WADC‘s Flight Test Division was trans.

fcrrcd to Area C. The longer and heavier Patterson runways

were better suited for the types of aircraft used by the FlightTest Division. Using the Area C facilities also eliminated

the inherent danger of mishaps occurring in the housingareas adjacent to the Area B Hightline.

In connection with the move, all aircraft operationsactivities wcrc moved from Building 206, Area C, to Build-

ing 8. Area B. Certain rooms of the FAD0 Hotel were also

occupied by WADC offices.* The only Base aircraft lefton the Patterson side of the base were two B-175. twelve

C-47s, and one C-54 used for adminis trative flights and

instrument training.Two AMC courier nights, known as the Dixieland and

the Alamo, were inaugurated at Wright -Wttcrson on Oc-

tober 6, 1952, to provide m ilitary air courier service for

AMC pcrsonnrl on official business. The Rights wcrc alsoused to expedite ma il service between Hq AMC and outly-

ing Air Materiel A reas. The Dixieland departed on Mon-

day, Wcdncsday, and Friday for points east and south, andthe Alamo departed on the same days for points west and

south. Beginning in 1954, weekly passenger-cargo flights

wcrc also made between Wright-Patterson and BrookleyAFB. Alabama.

In July 1953, the Arca C control tower was shut down

temporarily for rehabilitation. A modem FRC- I9 consolewas installed in the tower and the approach control was

moved from the tower to the new radar traffic control room

in Building 206. Normal control of air traffic was resumedon August 16. Transmitters for the tower were located in

‘Building 199. with rccciv crs off Sand Hill Koad. east of the

Hightline.” The installation of UHF equipment broadened

the facil ities available in the tower, and the new equipmentproved easier to operate.

During 1954. Wright-Patterson joined other Air Force

bases in establishing a special jet transition program for itspilots. using F-80 and T-33 typz aircraft to carry out the

program. Ground school instructors from the WPA FB

Flight Training Branch completed the jet indoctrinationcourse at Craig AFB. Alabama, and opened the ground

school phase of the WP AFB jet program on July 27. The

Pilot Transition Branch was eventually transfcrrcd from themain Training Branch located in Arca C to Wright Field

Operations in Building 8, Area B, and the remainder of this

vita l program continued from that locale.

A new era opened at Wright-Patterson in 1954 with the

creation of the Logistics Airlift (LOGAIR) system. AMChad long been convinced of the need for an efficient air

transportation network to support its logistics distribution

operations. Airlift capability was recognized as a key factorin constructing a modem system of logistics management

capable of global mobilization.Mercury Service, as the AMC airlift system was first

known, was approved in February 1954 as a scheduled

airlif t within the continental United States (CONUS). Its

purpose was two-fold: to move materiel quickly toCONUS-based operational units, and to shuttle materiel

between the AMC air depots. Aircraft and serwccs tosupport this system were contracted from civilian airlines,

much as they had been in emergency situations during

World War II, Korea, and the Berlin Airlift.

‘The FAD0 Hotel served as transient pilot quarters. SeeChapter 111.Fairtirld Air Depot, for details.

303

-




Mercury Service was composed of eastern and western

trunks, operated by Capital Air lines of Nashvi l le, Ten-

nessee, and the American Export and Import Compan y of

Miami, Florida, respectively. Wright-Patterson AFB was

included in the Eastern Z one, which consisted of f ive-day-

a-week round-tr ip service from Kel ly AFB. Texas, to Tin-

ker AFB, Oklahoma; Wright-Patterson AFB; Olmsted

AFB, Pennsylvania; Westover AFB, Massa chusetts;

Robins AFB, Georgia; and Brookley AFB, Alabama. The

Western Zone provided f l ights from Kel ly to Tinker; Hi l l

AFB, Utah; Travis AFB, Cal i fornia; Norton AFB, Cal i for-

nia (Rag stop only) ; and McChord AFB, Washington.”

Ini t ial contracts under LOGA IR, as i t became known in

August 1954, expired on October 31, l954.* A second

phase began in November and included a new transconti-

nental operation. Dai ly service wa s establ ished from the

principal Air Materiel Areas to aerial ports of emb arkation

for transport to overseas destinations.” The transcontinen-

tal operation was conducted by Resort Air lines, whi le the

eastern and western trunks were retained by the or iginal

contractors. Twin-engine C-46 and four-engine C-54 air-

craft were used throughout the syste m.

Prior ity within the LOGAIR system was placed on

transporting i tems that were urgently needed or which

would represent signi f icant savings, such as aircraft en-

gines and spare parts. LO GAIR also provided a means of

movin& some sensitive i tems, su ch as hazardous mater ials,

that civil ian airlines were not allowed to carry.

Dur ing the last few mo nths of 1954 and the f i rst hal f of

1955. the young air li f t system grew impressively. One year

after the beginning of LOGA IR, the number of route mi les

flown and amount of tonnage transported had doubled, and

a year later had doubled again. Operations had increased to

round-the-clock, seven days a week at key locations.

As service expanded, other Air Force comma nds also

negotiated for use of LOGAIR service, including the Strate-

gic Air Command, the Air Defense Comm and, and the Air

Research and Development Comm and. LOGA IR’s capaci-

ty for rapid respon se and flexibility soon establishe d the

system as an essential element in America’s combat

readiness.**

On September 9, 1957, the Air Traff ic Control Division

of the Civi l Aeronautics Administration (CAA) accepted

operational respon sibility for controlling air traffic within a

x-airport area, including WPA FB. This organization,

designated Dayton RAPCON (radar approach control) ,

handled civil ian and military air traffic for Wright-P atterson

*Since American Air lines also used the Mercury designation for part of i ts f leet, the AMC Counci l changed the name of i ts system toLQGAIR.

“Today, Wright-Bxterson AFB and the f ive AFLC Air Logistics Cen ters (at Hi l l AFB, Utah; Kel ly AFB, Texas ; McClel lan AFB,Cal i fornia; Robins AFB. Georgia; and Tinker AFB , Oklahoma) scwe as hubs for the MGA IR syste m. Contracted by Mi l i tary Air l if tComma nd and operated by AFLC , MGA IR in a typical year Hits more than 12 mi l lion mi les and transports m ore than 121,000 tonsof mater iel .




AFB. Cl inton Countv AFB. and the Davton. Swinefield.

and Richm ond (Indiana) m unicipal airports.

Also dur ing 1957, Wright-Patterson, with WAD C assis-

tance, furnished mater iel support and services to the Strate-

gic Air Comman d for I I Boeing B-52 Stratofortress com-

bat-mission airplanes. As RED SCRAMB LE heavy

bombers com mitted to ini tial-phase missions, these aircraft

had to be maintained in combat-ready status. In November

1957, WPAFB provided support and services to f ive Stratc-

gic Air Comma nd Boein& KC-135 Stratotanker airplanes

dur ing Operation SUN RU N, a transcontinental speed and

effectiveness test. I i

ASSOCIATE ORGANIZATIONS

As the host organization at WPA FB, the 2750th Air

Base Wing provided support services for a wide range of

associate, or tenant, organizations dur ing the 1950s.

Then a s today, the largest organizations on base were

Hq Air Matcr icl Comma nd (predecessor of the Air Force

Logistics Comma nd), located in Bui lding 262, Area A; and

the Wright A ir Development Center (predecessor of the

Aeronautical System s Division), located in Bui lding 14,

Arca B.*

The Air Force Insti tute ofTechnology, the AirTechnical

Intel ligence Center (antccedcnt of today’s Foreign Tcch-

nology Division), and the USAF O rientation Group were

also located at Wright-Patterson. The Air Force Technical

Museu m, which had been closed since World W ar II,

reopened its doors to the public in Building X9, Area C , in

1954. In 1956. i t off ic ially became the Air Force M useum.

Lorkheed F-104 Startiphterr were Run” hy the 54th Fi#“rr-t”terrep

tur Squadron . assigned L” Wright-Patterson frum 1955 to t%o.

Other major associate organizations on Wright-Patter-

son dur ing the post-war 1940s and into the 1950s were:

1914th Airways and Air Commu nications Service

Squadron

2046th Airways and Air Commun ications Service

Squadron

6th Weather Group ( formerly Hq 1st Air Weather

Squadron)

66lst Air Force Band

2750th USAF Hospital2702nd Explosive Ordnance Disposal Squadron

(formerly 1st EODS)

1350th Photo Squadron (MATS)

4602nd Air lntcll i~encc Services Squadron

3079th Aviation Depot Wing

5th Distr ict Off ice of Special Investigations

7th Group. Ohio Wing. Civil Air Patrol

779th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Armed Fo rces Technical Information Agency

In addit ion to providing support services, the Wing

exercised adm inistrative control over the USAF O rientation

Group and command jur isdiction over the 66lst Air Force

Band and the 2750th USAF Hospital .

Four major assoc iate organizations joined the Wright-Patterson family between 1951 and 1959:

97th Fighter-tnterce ptor Squadron

(Air Dcfcnse Command )

3500th USAF Recrui t ing Wing

(Air Training Command)

58th Air Division (Air Defense Command)

4043rd Strategic Wing (Strategic Air Command)

The Y7th Fighter- Interceptor Squadron (FIS) was a

component of the Eastern Air Defense Force. It arr ived at

Wright-Patterson on January 8, 1951, as part of the Air

Defense Comm and’s program to provide aer ial defense for

al l industrial areas of the United States. The squadron was

equipped with F-86D Sabre all-weather interceptor jet air-

c raft, and was placed under the operational control of the

56th Fighter Wing at Scl fridge AFB, Michigan. This

marked the f i rst t ime in the long history of Wright-Patterson

that an Air Fo rce lighter squadron had been based here.

The 97th moved i ts aircraft into new operations faci l it ies

constructed for them at the north end of Area C in De-

cember 1952 ( location of the WPAFB Aero Club and Bldgs.

I51 and 152.) The squadron maintained a 24.hour state of

alert readiness . Four aircraft loaded with live amm unition,

and their crew s, were stationed near the end of the Patterson

Rghtl ine, ready to scramble within f ive minutes.

The squadron also occupied Buildings 1445-1451 in the

Sherwood Area as well as portions of Building 206 (base

operations) and Building 146 (the air cargo terminal).

In August 1955, the 97th FIS was redesignated the 56th

Fighter- Interceptor Squadron. The squadron’s speci f ic mis-

sion was to provide air defense for the heavi ly populated and

industrial areas of the greatcr M iami Valley, which included

Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, andTennessee. From mid-summer

of 1958, the squadron f lew F-104 Start ighter airplanes. On

March I, 1960, the 56th FIS , with a strength of 3M) assigned

*In late 1959, WAD C undcnvent reorganization and from 1959 unti l 1961 was known as the Wright Air Drvelopmcnt Divismn(WADD) .

30 5











in September 1955 ofthe

58th Air Division (Air Defcnsc Command). Air defense

was composed of four functions: detect, identify, intercept,and destroy. The 58th Air Divis ion, upon rcccipt of ground

observation and radar information, was responsible for

transmitting “scramble” messages to appropriate fighter-intcrccptor squadrons, Air National Guard components.

and Navy units; and tar@ information to Army anti-air-

craft artillery organizations. The 58th was designated as the

control center for the air defense forces in I I states of theEastern Air Defense Region. * *

An arm of the Eastern Air Defense Force, headquar-

tered at Stewart AFB, New Yo rk, the 58th Air Division wasactivated at WP AFB on September 8, 1955, with an autho-

rized personnel strength of 75 officers, 24 airmen, and I4

civilians. It was one of four such divisions activated. Build-ings 1419, 1420, and 1421 in the Sherwood Area of

WPAFB were modified for use as headquarters for the newdivision.

The 58th remained at Wright-Pat terson for three years.

On August 11, 195X, both the 58th Air D ivision and the

associated 4717th Ground Observer Squadron were inact i~vated here.

USAF directives issued in early 1958 led to the signingof a joint tenancy agreement between the Air Materiel

Command and the Strategic Air Command (SAC ) for the

support of SAC units at WPAFB. The location of a SACB-52 st rategic wing at Wright-Patterson was part of the SAC

dispersal program initiated in 1958 to decentralize large

concentrations of bomber aircraft and thus make SAC bases

less attractive targets for enemy missiles. Under thisUSAF-mandated program, not more than I5 aircraft were

to be stationed at each of 33 locations. A 5549 million

construction bil l was passed by the House of Reprcsen-

tatives authorizing construction at 29 locations, including$22.6 m illion for facilities at Wright-Patterson.

Because of tight security requirements for stratcgtc air

operations and the &sting layout of Wright-Pat terson. itwas decided that facilities for the new strategic wing would

be constmcted as a separate complex in Area C. The project

started in August 1958 and was completed by mid-1960.The 4043rd Strategic Wing was activated at Wright -

Patterson on Apr il I, 1959. Major components were the

42nd Bombardment Squadron and the 922nd Air RefuelingSquadron (assigned cffcct ive December IY59).” On Scp-

tember 15, 1959, the 66th Aviation Depot Squadron was

also assigned to the 4043rd. Effective October I, 1959,

four additional units were designated and organized atWPAFB and assigned to the 4043rd Strategic Wing:

4043rd Armament and Electronics MaintcnanccSCpZh”

4043rd Organizational Maintenance Squadron4043rd Field Maintenance Squadron4043rd Support Squadron

The lint KC-135 refueling aircraft was delivered onFebruary 29, 1960. On June 15, 1960, the 42nd Bombard-

mcnt Squadron moved it s B-52!% in combat-ready status to

Wright-Patterson from the I I th Bomb Wing. Altus AFB;

Oklahoma and the SAC B-52 strategic wing became fullyowrational.

Hq 4043rd strategic Wing ,SAC,, Build ing ‘mo, Area c. ‘The 4043rd

wds the taqeat tactical associate organicrtion to join WPAFB during

the 1950s. Its majorrnmponentsae rethe4Znd Bomba rdmentSqu ad-

rol l and the YZZ”d Air Refuel ing Squadron.

‘Prior to that time, rccmiting for the Air Force had been a joint responsibility of the Air Force and the Ammy.

**The Eastern Air Defense Region encompassed he statesof Alabama. Georgia. Illinois. Indiana, Kentucky. Mississippi, NorrhCarolina, Ohio, Tennessee,Virginia, and West Virginia.

30 6








A DECADE OF GROWTH

The face of Wright-Patterson was altered significan tly

during the decade of the 195Os, as new facilities wereconstructed and wartime structures were modified to meet

current needs.

A major facet of the new construction program wasadditional housing and community facilities for base per-

sonnel. Providing adequate quarters for military and civil-

!a” workers at the base had been a persistent problem

throughout World War II and during the early post-war

years. With the swift upturn in defense requirements during

Korea, the housing shortage became critical.Housing on base could accommodate only a small per-

centage of the military families assigned to Wright-Patter-

son. Hundreds of officers and enlisted personnel legally

entitled to government-furnished quarters were forced to

commute from areas around the base, some from as far

away as Cincinnati. Many were still living in temporary

wartime barracks and in hastily-built substandard housing

in local communities adjacent to the base.These conditions precipitated an in-depth study of the

problem, which in turn led to a coordinated military /civil-ian housing drive. Conferences initiated by the Base Com-

mander between civil, governmental, and military officials

explored several proposed programs designed to provide

more housing for the Wright-Patterson area. Extensive pub-

licity campaigns were carried out, urging home and apart-

ment owncrs to make their units available to base person-nel. and builders were urged to begin construction

programs to alleviate the critical housing shortage. Col-

leges in the area were requested to provide additional spacefor unmarried personnel.‘h

Real relief in the area of family housing did not come,

however , until 1953, with completion of the 2,000.unit

Pdge Manor Housing Development (named in honor ofBrig. Gen. Edwin Randolph Page). Plans for the con-

struc tion of Page Manor were drawn up in 1949 and 1950

under authorization of the Wherry-Spence Amendment tothe National Housing Act (August 1949). which permitted

the Federal Housing Administration to insure privately-financed housing on or near military installations.

Groundbreaking ceremonies for the new complex, lo-

cated on the south side of Airway Road in Mad Rive rTownship adjacent to Area B, were held July 12, 1951. On

October 29, 1952, Brig. Gcn. C. Pratt Brown, W PAF B

Commander, cut the ribbon during opening ceremonies forthe first 1,000 un its of Page Manor. The second 1,000 un its

were completed and occupied in 1953. The Page Manor

development represented a major step forward in the effortto retain critically needed specialists and highly skilled

technicians at Wright-Wtterson.*

*Page Manor was privately owned from its completion in 1953 until August 15, 1960, when the entire complex, consisting of 103. I7acres.waspurchasedby the A ir Forceat acostof %18,876.154.33. The 2750th Ai r BaseWing acquired urisdictional and operationalresponsibility effective October I. 1960.

307




WOOD CITY PICNIC AREA





tober 15, 1953, the Hq 2750th Base Medical Group, as it

was then known, was redesignated the 2750th United States

Air Force Hospital. Construction of the hospital was com-pleted in June 1956, at a cost of just over $5 million.

In 1957, Warehouse 209 in Area C was remodeled to

provide a new Base Exchange store. A new chapel in WoodCity was completed and occupied during late 1959.

A significan t amount of non-housing construction oc-

curred during the 1950s to accommodate operational needs

of the base. On the Patterson flightline, Runway 5L23R wasextended in 1957. In Area B, major additions were made to

facdltles of the Armament Lab and the Materials Lab. A

Propelle r Control and Fatigue Research Building , the FuelSystems Components Test Building , a Rocket Test Lahora-

tory, the Compass Testing Building, and the Microwave

Building were constructed. The Gas Dynamics ResearchBuilding was accepted in 1959. Also near the end of the

decade, the Universal Dynamic Sight and Computer Test

Faci lity was completed and planning was begun for severalnew buildings to house the Air Force Institute of

Technology.One project that drew considerable attention during this

time was constmction of the Nuclear Engineering Test

Elcil ity in Area B. This facility, which originally was to be

a small Materials Laboratory nuclear reactor, grew farbeyond expectations. The initial concept envisioned a 100.

kilowatt capacity materials test reactor. When the require-

ments of other WADC organizations besides the MaterialsLab were interjected, however, the facil ity was scaled up to

IO megawatts. In 1956, the project was removed from the

Materials Lab and placed under the Directorate of Research

for ARDC. Construction of the final facility, with a capacityof 20 megawatts and the capability to accommodate a full-scale jet engine, was begun in 1958. The building was the

seventh largest of its kind in the United States, and was

HADDEN PARK

Hadden park was dedicated on September 19.1953, astribute to the servicesof Mr. WillianHadden. Mr. H&&tbegan his careerasa non-commissionedofficer inchvgedutilities at Wilbur Wright Field in 1917. In later yewsHadden servedas Chief of Maintenance in the Direetoraieof Base Air Installations. Prior to his retirement in 1952,~Mr. Hadden was nstrumental in developing this p&k area;

In 1958, the decision o build an operational complexonthe north sideof Area C to house he 4043rd Strateg icWmg,(SAC ) equired the abandonmentof Hadden Park. Dissatis -fied that the park should be lost permanently, Brig. Gen.John D. Howe, BaseCommander, establisheda Joint Wel-fare Long-Range RecreationalCouncil to develop another~larger site or the park. A tract of land locatedon 4t~acresforest and grasslandbetween National and Zink Roads Wasselectedasasite. TherelocatedHzddenPwasdedicatedon June 3, 1960.

In the early 19705, time and change again caght upwith the park when the land wasappropriated for the c?#t.ptruction of the 3oOunit Woodhmd Hil ls how&g are&.

Again, an even arger, more permanent site was &aside.Sixty-five acres of land adjacent ,to Woodland Hills was

deveiopcd into a modem park facility featuring hiking,, rails. picnic areas; sport and’other facilit ies. Work beganon the site in Augti%k972, and w conducte&almostentirely on B self+eIp basis.

Official ~dedi&ii ~cw$no&zr for new Ha&lee pBrkwere held in ,Au@sr, 1976, with Base Commander Gel,Rane,E. Lueker.@e$ding. Ha&n Pa& continueS oday esB s&feed nelixation and recreation for all Wrigh t-F%@&&a, AFl’ftiilies.’

31”





completed and accepted in 1960?” (Internal facili ties were

not completed in full until late 1965 .)Construction of facilities to house new associate or

tenant organizations assigned to Wright-Patte rson was an-

other major facet of the overall construction program during

the 1950s. During 195 I and 1952, buildings were erected atthe north end of the Area C flightline (on the present site of

the WP AFB Aero Club) in anticipation of the arriva l of the

97th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. Personnel of the 97thmoved into their new facilit ies in December 1952.

On October 13, 1954, the base acquired 465 acres of

land on its northeastern boundary. This property was valuedat $74,300, and lay along the Mad R iver adjacent to the

Area C Very Heavy Bomber runway, near the site of the

former village of Osbom. This area was admirably suitedfor strategic air operations and soon became the home of the

4043rd Strategic Wing (SAC).

Between August 1958 and the mid-1960s, an entirely

separate complex was created for the 4043rd. at a cost ofmore than $25 million. The construction required that the

land be leveled and subgraded, and that the Mad R iver be

widened at that point. The decision to build on the northside of Area C also required the relocation of the Fairborn,

Ohio, sewage and waste treatment plant and a base recrea-

tional area known as Hadden Pa rk.When complete, this area became known as the West

Ramp. It is home today of the 4950th Test Wing (AFSC).

ACTIVITIES

A wide variety of events and activities occurred atWright-Patte rson AFB during the 1950% only a few of

which can be mentioned here.In February 1951, new work schedules were imple-

mented to help ease traffic congestion surrounding the base

during peak rush hours. Under this plan, the first contingentof employees arrived for work beginning at 7:30 a.m.,

followed by second and third shifts at X:00 and 8:30 a.m.,

respectively.

On Apr il 16, 1952, an officia l change of address was

registered for the base, from Wright-Patterson Air Force

Base, Dayton, Ohio, to Wright-Patte rson A ir Force Base,

Ohio.On August 13, 1953, aircraft from Dover, Delaware,

and from Andrew AFB, D.C., were evacuated to Wtight-

Patterson to escape hurricane damage. In September, thebase again provided haven for aircraft from Moody and

Tynddll AFB during Hurricane Florence.On July I, 1954, a Class “B” printing plant was char-

tered on base, with fixed capita l assets of $168,174 and

working capital of $200,000. The WPAFB Printing Plan t,

formerly in the WPAFB budget, commenced operatmn as acomponent of the Air Force Printing Service.

The Wright-Patte rson Non-Commissioned Officers

(NCO) Academy was established in 1955, and provided aconcentrated four-week course in Icadership, management

principles, problem solving, oral and written communica-

tions, military justice, world conditions, drill, and com-mand. Each month, 25 non-commissioned officers were

selected from the 2750th Air Base Wing and base tenant

organizations to attend the academy. The academy receivedofficia l accreditation on December 11, 1957.”

The 661st Air Force Band was an active part of base life

in the 1950s. Organized on Patterson Field in 1942 as the361 st Army Air Forces Band, it was redesignated two years

later as the 66 1st Army Band. It became the 66 I st Air Force

Band in 1947. In addition to its normal on-base duties

(participating in and providing music for milita ry forma-tions and other appropriate ceremonies), the band also

presented concerts each week at schools and other locations

throughout the Dayton and southern Ohio area.*

*Today the band, a component of Hq AFLC , makes more than 600 appearances and travels more than SO.ooO miles each year maccompl ishing its mission. If is popularly known as the “Band of Flight.”

http://www.gl.iit.edu/wadc/History/Huffman/p310bottomright.html

http://www.gl.iit.edu/wadc/History/Huffman/p311bottomleft.html



On July I, 1958, the 2750th USAF Hospital was re-

designated the United States Air Force Hospital, Wright-Patterscn Air Force Base. The hospital remained under the

jurisdiction of the 2750th Air Base Wing.

The 2750th Air Base Wing also maintained respon-

sibi lity for the base news publications. During the 1950sthese house organs wae The Post Scripr newspaper and

Wingspread magazine. W ingspread began publication in

September 1956. A commercial publication, it was sup-ported by commercial advertising, and was planned to meet

the publicity needs of not only the 2750th Ai r Base Wing,

but all tenant organizations on base, and civi lian as well asmilitary employees. One of the many special events that

received coverage in the 1950s was the 50th anniversary of

powered flight, observed in December 1953.The Annual American Radio Relay League “Field Day”

exercises were held on the Hilltop Area of Area B at Wright -

Patterson on June 19-20, 1954. Military Amateur Radio

System (MARS) members and radio amateurs of Hq AMC,WPAFB, and WADC participated in the event. The exer-

cises were designed to test the capabilities of MARS radio

stations operating in the field under conditions approximat-ing those encountered during an actual emergency. During

the two-day event, the group made radio contact with other

amateur radio stations in all 48 states and in the CanadianAmateur Radio Dis trict, some of which were beyond the

Arctic Circle. They also worked stations in Alaska, Puerto

Rico, and North Africa . The success of the exercises led tothe formation of an officia l WPAFB MARS and Amateur

Radio Club. The goals of the club included participating in

subsequent contests and field exercises and providing back-

up communications during actua l emergencies in theDayton area.*

A number of traditions in community service wereinitiated at Wright-Patterson during the 1950s. Many of

these projects became annual events, and provided a firm

foundation for Wright-Patterson’s continuing commitmentto community service and involvement.

Annual observance of Air Force Day was initiated in1948. During the 1950s. the event was celebrated as pat ofa combined Armed Forces Day held each May. The celebra-

tion was traditionally an open house in Area B, featuring

static displays of aircraft and including participation by theArmy, the Navy, Civil Air Patrol, the Ohio National Guard,

the Civ il Defense Organization, and the Air NationalGuard.

Base participation in Annual Fire Shows and later FireExpos dates from 1952, when the base first became in-

volved in National Fire Prevention Week.Wright-Patterson began its active involvement in the

National Aircraf t Show at Cox Municipa l Airport in 1953.

For many years, WPAFB served as the staging base for‘aircraf t in the show. The base also provided logist ical

support for participating armed services organizations,

providing housing and messing facilities for personnel,

procuring, storing, and dispensing fuels, lubricants, andother items required in suppo rt of the airshow , and placing

Its maintenance facilitie s and services “on call ” for emer-gency duty.

‘The MARS designation today stands for Mi l i tary Aff i l iate Radio System and is a component of the 2046th Commun ications Group atWPA FB. The pr imary mission of MARS is to supplement normal Air Force communications channels and provide a back-up fortelephone services in the event of fai lure. MARS also provides a pr imary on-scene com munications network at air crash disasters andin the event o f civi l emergencies.

31 2




Wright-Patterson has become a traditional location for

mummerencampments for Air Force Reserve Officer Train-

ing Corps (AFRtXC), Civil Air Patrol (CAP), U.S. M ili-tary Academy (West Point), and U.S. Air Force Academy

cadets, as well as Explo rer and other scout groups. During

the 1950s. thousands of AFROTC cadets from midwesterncolleges and universities received special preflight briefings

1 and other instruction in preparation for flight experience in

C-45, C-47, and T-33 aircraft at WPAFB.

Wright-Patterson employees have always been enthusi-astic supporters of area-wide charity drives and service

projects. March of Dimes campaigns on base during the1950s included a Wright-Pa tterson March of Dimes Revue

broadcast over radio station WING. Campaigns against

polio a lso received the wholehearted support of the Wrigh t-

Patterson community in the mid-1950s.American Red Cross blood campaigns have been part of

base community life for nearly fo rty years. During the

Korean conflict, a blood cen ter was established for basepersonnel to give blocdevery third Thursday. Although this

center was discontinued after the war, a permanent blood

donor center was established several years later.

DISASTERS

Natural d isasters and fires have not been uncommon in

the Miami Valley/ WP AFB area over the last century. The

1950s were no exception to the norm.An unusually heavy snowstorm blanketed nearly the

entire state of Ohio over Thanksg iving weekend, 1950. A

snowfall of 10 inches was recorded overnight on Saturday,with two more inches the following morning. The storm

resulted in drifts up to five feet high and halted all city,

county, and state traffic. It was the deepest 24.hour snow-fall recorded by the Dayton weather bureau until that time.

WP AFB employees were unable to report to work until the

following Wednesday.In the early morning hours of Sunday, November 8,

1953, fire gutted the NC0 Open Mess in Wood City. Only

the club office and boiler room remained standing among

the charred ruins. Estimated damage from the blaze was$87,ooO. Temporary quarters for the club were set up in the

recently-vacated Stockade dining hall a cross the street from

the club. A new NC0 Club was completed in June 1956.Between January 20 and 25.1959, flood waters from the

Mad River, impounded by Huffman Dam, closed the Pxter -

son airfield to jet aircraft operations. Al l except 6,000 feetof runway were inundated. Night a ircraft operations were

suspended, and transient ai r traffic was diverted from AreaC to Area B.

Flooded conditions at the base resulted in tbe loss of

441.45 flight hours, with the cancellation of numerous jet

and conventional navigation and instrument trainingRights. Low temperatures and ice following in the wake of

the flood impaired effoits to clean up the airfield with

bulldozers and graders and resulted in $16,250 damage tothe field night lighting system. Damage to construction

projects, property, and equipment on base was estimated at

$219,950.

On January 21, 1959, base personnel participated inrescue missions to evacuate people marooned by the flood

along the shores of the Miami River and in the west Spring-

field area. A total of nine missions were flown. A Bell H-13and two Army helicopters, one local and one transient,

made up the rescue fleet.

WRIGHT-PATTERSON IN THE 1960s

On Apr il I, 1961, shortly after the inauguration of John

F. Kennedy as President, a major realignment of Air Force

commands occurred, resulting in new names for the majororganizations at Wright-Patterson AFB. The Air Research

and Development Command (ARDC), with headquarters at

Andrew AFB, D.C., assumed the Air Materiel Com-

mand’s functions of procurement and production for newsystems and was redesignated the Ai r Force System s Com-

mand (AFSC). AMC was redesignated the Air Force Logis-tics Command (AFLC ) effective the same date.

This restructuring of commands was the result of years

of search for the most efficient method of weapon systems

acquisition and maintenance. It was also the result of ad-vancmg technology, in that as Air Force weapon systems

grew more complex, fewer were produced. The new organi-

zational structure meant that one single command (AFSC)was responsible for the entire acquisition process and an-

other (AFLC) for supply and maintenance of all systems.

The most dramatic organizational changes at Wright -Patterson occurred on the Wright Field (Area B) side of the

base. As part of the realignment of commands, the procure-ment and production duties of what was known as theAeronautical System s Center were added to the research

and development functions of the Wright A ir Development

Division (WADD). The resulting organization was named

the Aeronautical Systems Division (ASD). Accompanyingthe realignment was a revised organizational nomenclature

for the Area B complex. The former directorates became

deputates. Thus, the three principal directorates emerged as

313





the Deputy for Systems Management, the Deputy for Engi-

neering, and the Deputy for Technology. This system re-mained in effect until Apri l 1962, when AFSC announced a

further realignment aimed at emphasizing research and

tec!mology. A Research and Technology Division (RTD)was established at Boll&g AFB in the District of Columbia,

and two ASD functions, technology and engineering, trans-

ferred to its control.

The 2750th Air Base Wing remained the host organiza-

tion for Wright-Patterson AFB and its many associate/tenant organizations during the 1960s. At the beginning 01

the decade, approximately 100 tenant support agreements,

representing over I50 diverse organizational units, were inforce, making the Wing mission a very complex one.

Headquarters AFLC, in keeping with command man-

agement and organization policies, exempted the 2750thAir Base Wing from air materiel area command jurisdic-

tion. Under a mission and organization regulation, the

2750th reported d irectly to the parent headquarters inBuildings 262.262A. WPA FB’s real property was geo-

graphically located within the ten-state Mobile (Alabama)

Air Materiel Area of responsibility. Fixed capital assets ofWright-Patterson AFB at the end of Fisc al Year 1961

amounted to more than $208 million on base, and nearly $6million off base.

To keep pace in its management ofresources, the 2750thABW established an electron ic data processing system in

Supply early in the 1960s and implemented a micro-mecha-

nized Engineering Data Automated Logis tics Program.A Consolidated Military Personnel Center was estab-

lished at WPA FB on July I, 1962, using mechanized

payroll and record services. Civilian and military gross

payro lls handled by the 2750th Wing Comptroller in FY1961 totalled nearly $135 million , reflecting Wright-Patter-

son’s impact as a major employer in the southwest Ohioarea.

On November 3, 1960, Hq USAF directed the 2750th

Air Base Wing to provide mission support airlift fororgani-

zations assigned or attached to WPAFB. Sixteen aircraft

were transferred to the Wing from 10 tenant units on base

for purposes of scheduling, operation, and maintenance.Responsibility for operation of staff aircraft from Hq AFLC

was transferred to the base Transport Flight oSfice effectiveOctober I I, 1960.“’

WPAFB received the USAF Flying Safety Award for the

first time in its history on September 27, 1961. In the period

from January to June 1961. base pilots flew more than25,000 hours in a wide variety of aircraft without a single

accident or incident. The Wing subsequently received the

AFLC Command Flying Safe ty Award for the period fromJanuary I to December 3 I, 1961, in recognition of more

than 54,000 hours of accident-free flying.”

To ensure survival and mission continuity, a Wright-Patterson AFB Central Command Post was established in

Building II, Area C, effective August 1, 1960. As an

element ofthe Plans and Programs office, this post provided

a controlling point for emergency operations and testexercises.

A new unofficial base newspaprr, The Skywighrer, was

first distributed on February 5, 1960. The Winkler Com-pany, a civi lian printing firm. published the newspaper with

the full cooperation and pamission of the Department of

Defense. Starting c irculation was 16,000 copies. In Febrt-

ary 1962, The Skywrighrer won third place in the AFLCBase-Newspaper-of-the-Year competition, the first in a long

series of awards the newspaper has won over the years.

Skywrighrer continues today as the unofficial base news-paper of WPA FB. with a weekly circula tion of 31,000.

In 1962, six teen new T-39 aircraft were received by the

2750th ABW. These airplanes provided advanced facil itiesfor jet pilot checkout on base and supplanted the older C-47

aircraft in carrying passengers. The air terminal at WPA FB

handled an average of 472 flights and 1,310 tons of cargoper month in 1962. Takeoffs and landings averaged

192,000 per year.

During the autumn of 1964, the mission of the 2750th

ABW gradually changed to retlect Wing support of AFLC

requirements in Southeast Asia (SEA ). The AFLC mission

314




Best in Air Force!,.,,.,,..~,,,..I , ,.~,.,‘ ..~“,,,:(I,,~,.,,:, :lr .,.,,,,

during the Vietnam conflict involved providing materielsupport to the major Ai r Force commands engaged in

combat zones. The bulk of this support was provided

through the Secramcnro Air Materiel Area. In addition tothe massive airlift of airplane parts. supp lies, munitions,

and other materiel, highly skil led teams of depot mainte-

nancc technicians, known as Rapid Area Maintenance

(RAM) teams, were deployed to Southeast Asia to repairweapon system s that had sustained crash or lxttlc damage.

Teams often worked to salvage valuable airplanes and

cquipmcnt at the crash site. under highly dangerousconditions.

The level of 2750th ABW support to Southeast Asia

operations wa limited in comparison to other AFLC AirMateriel Areas, but the Wing did provide certain essential

services and a limited number of personnel in support of the

AFLC mission. Wing support of USAF operations in SEAbegan in September 1964, when the Wing shipped flying

and hangar equipment to the 285 1st Ai r Base Group at

Kelly AFH. Texas. The 2750th ABW became a prime

procurer of loaders. revetments. and shelters used in theprotection of resources in-Southeast Asia. The tint pro-

totypc revetments were erected and tested at Wright-Patter-

son in May 1965. Subsequently, contracts for more than

$18 million were let by the 2750th ABW ProcurementDivision for manufacture of revetments. Standard revet-

merits consisted of rectangular steel bins, IO ft by 7.7 ft and

I6 ft high, made of Ih-gauge stee l. At their destination, thebins were filled with dirt, sand, or gravel to provide max-

imum protection to aircraft from enemy mortar fire and

accidental explosions on the ground between air missions.

2750th ABW agencies wrrc involved in processingcivilian and military personnel bound for Vietnam. For

example, in November 1965, Wtight-Patterson‘s first 15.

man team of maintenance specialists left for four monthstemporary duty in Southeast Asia. These airmen, all from

the 2750th ABW . were AFLC‘s first contribution to the Air

Force Prime BEE F concept of a mobile military civi l engi-neering force. *

Flight training, small-arms weapon trainins, and vehi-

cle operator training were conducted on base in support ofSEA operations, as were courses in laundry management.

The 2750th also handled shipments from the Lexington

Blue Grass Army Depot, Kentucky; the Ravenna OrdnancePlant. Ohio; the USS Enterprise; and the National Cash

Register Corporation. The Wing supplied vehicles and

weapons in accordance with levies, and provided for off-loading, temporary storage, and reloading of SEA-bound

materiel. A limited maintenance mission was also sup-

ported by the Wing. Stock number user directory recon-ciliations were handled on base, and the Wing furnished

wpplies. in-flight lunches, quarters, and rations as tasked.

Support operations continued for the remainder of thedecade.”

In 1967, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base celebrated its

Golden Anniversary. A half century of dedication and pro-grcss separated the establishment of Wilbur Wright Field as

a Signal Corps training school for World War I pilots and

the sophisticated research and flight operations that charac-terized Wright-Patterson Air Force Base on the horizon of

the aerospace age. Celebrations on base were accompanied

by publication of a pictorial history of Wright-Patterson’s SOyears of accomplishments.

ASSOCIATE OKGANIZATIONS

During the 1960s. the 2750th Air Base Wing performedservices and provided resources to support an increasing

number of associate/tenant organizations lwdted on base.

Largest in terms of size and scope were Hq Air ForceLogistics Command, the Aeronautical Systems Division,

the 6570th Aerospace Medical Research Lab, the Air Force

Aero Propulsion. Avionics. Flight Dynamics, and Mate-rials Labs, the 17th Bomb Wing of the Strategic Air Com-

mand. the Air Force Museum, the Air Force Otientation

Group, and the 661st Air Force Band. In addition to these,

by l96Y the Wing provided support services to 155 otherorganiza tions, on and off base, under I I2 host-tenant and

interservice agreements.

315












Headquarters

2750th Air Base Wing (AFLC)

United States Air Force

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio 45433

Dffice of the CommanderAll Rrsonnel

15 May 1967

Wright-PattersonAir Force Base, Ohio

Dear Friend

This marks the 50tb anniversaryof military aviation atWright-Pattenon Air Force Base. During this span of fiftyyears,our contribution to the growth of aviation and t” “uTnation’s air power has been etKm”o”s.

only at Wright-Patterson an one trace all aspectsof anaircraft system itera lly from the cradle to the grave. Thatis, fmm the original concept of researchand development,tbmugh the entire operational life phase supported by theAir ForceLogisticsCommand, to its final restingplace, theAir ForceMuseum. As a consequence,Wright-Wtterson s

today one of the greatest and best known air bases n theworld.

The conhibutinn this basehasmade to a ir paver and thesignificant mle we have played in Air Force history wasmade possible “nly through the individua l efforts of themany thousands of military and civilian pcisonnel whomre and are stationed and employed here.

You, as a member of this great team, should be justiypmud of the mle you haveplayed: for the true h istory ofaoyorganization s really written in the combined efforts of its

people.. . .

JOWELL C. WISEBrigadier Oenend, USAF,

Commander

To support these organizations, WPAFB managed real

property resources in June 1969 amounting to nearly $281million. These fixed capital asse ts consisted of real estate,

supply and other facilities, and utilities and ground im-

provements at 20 locations in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky,Maryland, and West Virginia.”

Many notable changes occurred in associate organiza-

tions during the decade, including the activation of Detach-

ment 15, 15th Weather Squadron, which today providesweather forecasting service s to Wright-Patterson AFB. Det.

15 was established on base effective July 8, 1961.The USAF Hospital, WPA FB, was reassigned from

2750th ABW jurisdiction to Hq Air Materiel Command

(later AFLC) effective January 1, 1961. The hospital wasassigned its current designation as the USAF Medical Cen-

ter Wright-Pdtterson, on July I, 1969.

On January 1, 1962, Hq AFL.C transferred its fully

operational Dayton Air Force Depot at Gentile Air Force

Station, Dayton, Ohio, to the Department of Defense Sup-

ply Agency for the establishment of the Defense Elec-tronics Supply Center (DESC). Certain elements, sup-

ported by the 2750th A BW, continued to be managed by theAir Force, and one major component, the Heath calibration

and internal guidance complex at Newark, Ohio, was reas-

signed to the Middletown Air Materiel Area (Pennsylvan ia)

of AFLC.*

The X318th Air Force Reserve Base Support Group was

called to extended active duty at WPAFB effective February

1962. The Hq 2750th ABW Reserve (Mobilization Assign -ment Reserve Section) was discontinued Apri l I, 1962.

The Dayton Air ForceDepot at GentileAir FarceStationwas rans-ferred from Hq AFL C to the Department OfDefense supply Agencynhuary 1962 ar the establishmentf the DefenseEtectmnicsSupplycenter tmsc,.

*This installation is known today as the AerospaceGuidance and Metrology Center (AGM C) and is a component of the Air ForceLogistics Command.

316


















Hq AFLC’s 3079th Aviation Depot Wing and its fiveaviation depot groups were also inactivated at WPAFB

effective July 1, 1962.

On July I, 1963, the 4043rd Strategic Wing (SAC) wasreorganized as the 17th Bombardment Wing (Heavy). The

4043rd’s redesignation was part of an Air Force-wide pro-

gram to retam units with rich historical traditions. The 17thBomb Group of World War II fame distinguished itself in

1942, when 80 of its men flew with Lt. Col. James “Jimmie”

Doolittle on his histor ic Tokyo raid. The Group a lso earnedtwo Distinguished Unit Citations for exceptional service in

Europe during World War II and a third for interdiction and

close support missions during Korea. Nicknamed the Black

Knights, the unit had been inactivated on June 25, 1958.Also effective Ju ly I, 1963, one of the 17th Bomb

Wing’s components, the 42nd Bombardment Squadron

(Heavy), was inactivated. It was replaced by the 34th Bom-bardment Squadron (Heavy), a unit which had been promi-

nently connected with the old 17th Bomb Group. The 42nd

had been assigned to the 4043rd Bomb Wing on June I,1960.*

The reconstituted 17th Bomb Wing was awarded the Air

Force Outstanding Unit Award in 1963. On July I, 1968,the Wing converted to B-52H model aircraft, which came

to Wright-Patte rson from Homestead AFB, Flo rida. Be-

tween 1968 and 1973, the 17th Bomb Wing deployed 70

B-52 strategic bomber crews to Southeast Asia in support ofthe ARC LIGHT program. Over 125 KC-I 35 aerial tankers

and crews also participated in YOUNG TIGER or COM-

BAT LIGHTNING operations in Southeast Asia.The 66lst Air Force Band was reorganized e ffective

July 1, 1964, with an authorized strength of I officer and 44

airmen.The 2046th Communications Squadron, composed of

the former 1914th and 2046th Airways and Air Communi-cations Service Squadrons, was redesignated the 2046th

Communications Group on January 1, 1965.

The U.S. Air Force Museum, WPAFB, was reassignedfrom Air University, Maxwell AFB, Alabama, to Hq AFU:

on October I, 1965. Effective September 15, 1968, this

directive was modified to read that the Air Force Museumwas attached to the 2750th AB W for adminis trative and

logistical support.

The Air Force Packaging Evaluation Agency (AFPEA)was offic ially transferred to Wright-Patte rson from

Brookley AFB, Alabama, in July 1967, in connection with

the scale-down of the Mobile Air Materiel Area. The mis-

sion of the AFPEA was to investigate, develop, test, andevaluate packaging materials, containers, methods, and

technologies. It provided packaging engineering servic es to

all Air Force commands.The 2863rd Ground Electron ics Engineering Installa-

tion Agency Squadron (GEEIA) moved from Brookley

AFB, Alabama, to WPA FB on October I. 1968.The Air Force Contract Maintenance Center, constituted

and assigned to Hq AFLC, was activated at WPAFB effec-

tive April 8, 1969. The mission ofthis center was to providecontract management direction and control over contract

management functions at contractor plants assigned to

AFLC by the Department of Defense.

On February 8, 1969, the following activi ties which hadbeen assigned to the 2750th ABW were inactivated and

their unit designators reverted to Depiutment of the Air

Force control: the USAF Radiologica l Health Laboratory,WPAFB; the Regional Environmental Health Laboratory,

Kel ly AFB; and the Regional Environmental Health Labo-

ratory, McClellan AFB. These units were subsequentlyconstituted, activated, and assigned to Hq AFLC.

‘The42nd’s 1960-1963 ourmxkedthesecond timeit hadbeenassignedlocally.Thcorganization’searliestantecedent, the42ndAeroSquadron. was transferred from Camp Kelly. Texas, o Wilbur Wright Field on August 25, 1917. The 42nd Aero Squadron wasredesignatedas Squadron I (Eye) on October I, 1918, and demobilized at Wilbur Wrigh t Field on February 21, 1919.

317




G RO W TH

In 1960, new ground test faci l it ies were constructed by

the Wright Air Development Div is ion for s imulat ion of

aerqxtce operat ions for the X-20 D yna-Soar and the B-70

bomber program s. The $7.7 mill ion addition to the struc-

tural test complex at WA DD made i t the largest and most

versatile facil ity of its kind in the coun try.

The base gained an additional nine-hole golf courseduring the summ er of 1961. Construct ion of the 3,439.yard

Twin Base course was completed by fal l , and the course

opened to both military and civil ian personnel. A second

nine holes were added to the course in 1963.

The free world’s largest aerospace and missi le sonic test

chamber was constructed at WAD D during 1961. The sonic

test chamber was used to measure the effects of sonic

fatigue-the weaken ing and malfun ction of tl ight vehicles

and components from sound wave pressures.

Ground was broken December 18, 1962, for the Air

Force Institute of Tcchn olopy School of Engineering build-

ing. Gen. Curt is E. LeMay, Air Force Chief of Staff , was

guest of honor at the ceremonies. Dedicat ion of the com-pleted building wa s held August 28, 1964. The Honorable

Eugene Zuckert, Secretary of the Air Force, presided at the

ceremonies.

One of the most s igni ficant projects in Area C in the

early years of the decade was construct ion of the new

Patterson airfield control towe r. The old towe r, although

modilied and upgraded several times since the 1940s to

improve air and ground traffic control, wa s no longer cost-

effect ive to maintain and was obsolete in regard to modem

safety standards. In FY 1962, Congress approved $237.000

for construct ion of a new tower. The new W right-Patterson

control t”wer wa s officially opened o n June 17, 1963. Nine

stories tall , the new tovia was constructed on the West

Ramp near the 17th Bomb Wing (SAC) area.

Cons truction of facil ities and extension of uti l i ties con-

t inued on the West R amp in the early 1960s in support of the

17th Bomb Wing mission. Hot water transmission mains, a

liquid oxygen g enerating plant, missile fu el storage , a

missi le research test shop, and a propuls ion research test

faci l ity were all constructed. The purchase of I .32 acres of

land along S tate Route 2 35 in Septem ber 1959 prevented

private ownersh ip adjacent to this sensitive area and

provided right-of-wa y for highway acceleration and de-

ccleration lanes.

Easements for 269 acres in Clark and Greene Counties,

valued at $60.000, extended the Area C airfield approach

area in 1961. The c learance easement deeds granted the

United States the right to remov e all aerial ob structions

from the land. The Universal At las Cement Div is ion of theUnited S tates Steel Corporation retained ownersh ip of the

properties and continued quarry operations.

Plans to relocate the Air Force Museum to a new mult i-

mill ion dollar Facil ity were revealed in I962 by the Air

Force Museum Foundation, a private, non-prof it organiza-

t ion. Eugene W. Kettering, son of the Dayton inventor and

President of the Charles F. Kettering Foundation, was

named Chairman of. the Museum Foundation board. Frank

G. Anger, President of the Winters National Bank and Trust

Compa ny, was named as President of the Foundation. As

proposed. the new faci l ity was to hwe about 500,000

cquarc feet under roof. seven t imes more space than the

current structu re (Building 89. Area C).On November 19, 1964, Secretary of the Air Force

Eugene Zuckert presented the deed to 225 acres of Air

Force land along the we st edge of Springfield Pike to the Air

Force Muscum Foundation. Publ ic-spiri ted c i t izens in

Dayton and across the nation contributed more than 56





mil lion to the Foundation over the next scvcm l years, al low-

ing construct ion of the new mu.seum to begin in June 1970.

Formal dedicat ion ceremonies were held September 3,

197 1, wi th President Richard M. Nixon and members of the

Wright fami ly in attendance.

The WPAF B NC0 Club in Wood Ci ty underwent a

$1 IO.000 renovation during the summer of 1963. A new

two-story brick Airmen‘s Service Club was also opcncd in

Wood C i ty, on May I, 1965. The original Service Club had

been destroyed by fire on January 28, 19 63. Groundh reak-

ing for a modem I .000-seat motion picture theater in Wood

City took place in February 1966.

Construct ion of a chapel in the F’age Manor housing area

began in April 1967. The new faci l ity was dedicated Febm-

ary 25, 1968. G uest speaker at the event was Maj . Gen.

Edwin R. Chess. Chief of Air Force Chaplains.

The world’s largest opt ical col l imator was completed at

Wright-Patterson in 1967. I t was housed in a new $S mi l lion

Optics Laboratory that enabled Air Force scient ists to test

all sizes of precision photographic lenses for accur acy and

clarity. The lens of the gigantic coll imator was a fused sil ica

mirror IO0 inches in diameter and I2 inches thick. Weigh-

ing 9,000 Ibs. the Icns was installed at the bottom of a 155.

foot vert ical vacuum chamber that cxtended 85 ft above and

70 ft below the ground. The new faci l i ty was part ofthe Air

Force Avionics Laboratory, Reconnaissance Div is ion.”

Gen. John P. McConnrl l , Ai r Force Chief of Staff ,

presided at the June 8 , 1967 opening of the $2 mill ion

Electronic Warfare Research Faci l i ty in Area B. The rc in-

forced concre te, double-towered building wa s the first in a

three-phase constru ction program for the Air Force Avi-

onics Laboratory. Prior to complet ion of the struct~rc, the

Electromagnetic Warfare Branch and the Electromagnetic

Wafa re A pplications Branch conduc ted th eir research in

Building 22. Area B.”






In 1969, the Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory

completed a six-year program aimed at doubling its capaci-ty to conduct research in toxicology. The improved Tox ic

Hazards Research Fac ility contained eight long-term ex-

posure chambers called Thomas Domes, four ambient pres-sure laboratory exposure chambers, several laboratories,

and animal pre-conditioning facilities.‘”

ACTIVITIES

A landmark in aviation history was commemorated atWP AFB on June 15, 1960. Brig. Gen. Frank P. Lahm, the

first milita ry man to fly with one of the Wright b rothers, wasrecognized as the “Father of Air Force Flight Training”

during official ceremonies at the base.* General Lahm

traveled from h is home in Mansfield, Ohio, for the occa-sion. Six hundred Air Force Academy cadets were on hand

for the celebration, which included an aerial demonstration

by pilots of the Wright Ai r Development Division. Theinscription on the plaque presented to General Lahm read in

part:”

Presented o Brig. Gcn. Frank P. Lahm in recognitionof his life long devotion to aviation and aeronautical sci~exe. Taught to fly by Wilbur Wright in the first militaryaeroplane, Signa l Corps No. I, at Collcgc Park, Md.. in1909. Awarded by “The Early Birds. ” an organization ofthose who flew solo before December 17. 1916.

Air Force chiefs of staff of I5 South American countries

made a brief visit to Wright-fitterson on Apr il 18, 1961, toinspect Strategic Air Command facil ities and operations.

The visit, at the invitation of Gen. Thomas D. White , U.S.

Air Force Chief of Staff, was part of the Inter-American AirForces commanders’ conference and tour of United States

Air Force facilities. The agenda of discussions included

technica l training, airport and air traffic control. personnelprocedures and logis tics, and the role of Latin American

military in internal security and civic advancement.

Two huge moving vans parked in front of Hq AFLC theweek of Apr il 17, I96 I, spelled the end of an era at Wright -

Patterson. The vans were chartered to carry off the huge

UNIVAC computer, dismantled to make room for more up-to-date equipment. The machine being tom down was a

1951 model, first installed at AFLC headquarters in the

spring of 1954. The machine was the first of its sire to gointo operation in the Dayton area. Many employees at the

headquarters remembered the dedication ceremony when

the machine was first installed . Fest ivities that day in I954had been attended by General of the Army Douglas Mac-

Arthur (USA-Ret.) in his capacity as a Sperry-Rand of-

ficial, and by Air Force dignitaries.

Seven Wright-Wtterson scientists received recognitionfor their scientif ic knowledge and achievements during a

12.day International Air Show in Paris, France, in June

1961. Forty-four American scientists in all were selected asrepresentatives of American industry and the Department of

Defense. A photograph of each and a biographical sketch of

accomplishments were featured in a segment of the U.S.exhibit entitled “Salute to Scien tists. ” Designed, con-

structed and directed by the Wright-Patterson-based Air

Force Orientation Group, the “Salute” included sevenWPA FB scientists of international renown: Harrell V. No-

ble, Dr. Alan M. Lovelace, and Dr. Henning Edgar voo

Gierke from the Aeronautical Systems Division; and Dr.

*Lieutenant Lahm was he passengerwhen Orville Wright flew the first official test Right of a military airplane on July 27, 1YO9,at FortMyer, Virginia.

320




Hans van Ohain. Kadames K. H. Gebel, Dr. Goottfried

Guderley, and Dr. Demctrious G. Samaras from the Aero-nautical Research Laboratory, an element of the Office of

Aerospace Research.”

The first official reunion of World War 1 flyers was heldat the Air Force Museum June 24-27, 1961. The reunion,

the first in 43 years, was attended by over 400 World War I

aviators, including Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker, the country’s

“Ace of Aces”; Douglas Campbell, the first U.S. ace; andGeorge Vaughn, the second ranking living ace. Also in

attendance were such dignitaries as Gen. Carl Spa&. and

Brigad ier Generals Frank P. Lahm and Benjamin D.Foulois , two of the first three military pilots taught to fly by

the Wright brothers.”

Large Armed Forces -Day celebrations, begun in the1950s. were continued at Wright-Pat terson during the

1960s. In May 1962, the airshow was particu larly im-

pressive . Both days of the event began with a fly-by of jet

aircraft led by the ASD Commander, Maj. Gen. W. A.Davis, piloting a T-39 Sabreliner. Aerial demonstrations by

fighters, bombers, and cargo airplanes followed, including

midair refueling of a B-52 bomber by a KC-135 tanker. On

the ground, numerous USAF and U.S. Navy aircraft andmissiles were on static display, together with a variety of

exhibits by industrial and military concerns. Air Force

Museum indoor and outdoor displays were also open to thepublic.

On May 17, 1962, civil authorities renamed the Greene

County portion of Aitway Road, which terminated at themain AFLC gate to the base. It became Colonel Glenn

Highway, in honor of Ohio native and astronaut, Lt. Col.

John H. Glenn, USMC. Colonel Glenn completed threeorbits of the earth in the space capsule Friendship 7 on

February 20, 1962.

32 1




Beginning in lY63. officials at Wright-P atterson were

closely involved in the development of a new state univcr-

s i ty. Dayton leaders had long sought a solut ion to the need

for expanded higher education opportunities in the Dayto n

area. The new insti tut ion would be known as Wright State

Unive rsity. in honor o f both Wilbur and Orvil le, and would

be located on land adjacent to the base. The univers ity was

to open as a joint branch of The Ohio State Universi ty

(Columbus) and Miami Universi ty (Oxford).

AFLC Comm ander Gen. Mark E. Bradley. Jr. acted on

behal f of the Air F orce in the formal transfer of 190 acres of

vacant Wright-Patterson property to the new branch campus

in April 1963. The Air For ce gift w as a significant portion

of t f ie 613 acres eventual ly acquired by the univers i ty. The

donation involved two txxts along Kauffman Avenue, in-

c luding the old Skywa y Park housing area and a former

section of the Miami Conservancy Distric t , both of which

had been declared excess by the base. T i t le to the lands was

presented to Dr. John W. Mi l lett , President of Miami Uni-

vers i ty, and Dr. Novice G. Ewce tt, President of The Ohio

State Universi ty, by General Bradley at a luncheon at the

Wright-Patterron AFB Off icers ’ Club.

Throu&hout the planning stages. off ic ials from the

Dayton campus worked c losely wi th Wright-Patterson of-

f ic ials. Because the new universi ty was to be a commu ter

campus, traff ic control and the master land-use plan for the

university required close coordination betwee n the two

institutions.

Con struction of the first building at Wright State. Allyn

Hal l , wa s completed during the summe r of 1964. Classes

for the fall quarter began on Septem ber 8. Form al dedica-

t ion ceremonies for Wright State Universi ty were held inAllyn Hall on Septem ber 18, 1964, with represen tatives

from Wright-Patterson and the local comm unity in

attendance.

The s ixth annual Dayton Soap Box Derby was held July

1 l-12, 1964, on the inclined Accelerated Kunw ey in Area

B. This was the second year in a row that the base helped

sponsor thts event. Seventy-l ive boys in the Dayton arca

comp eted. The derbies, initiated originally in 1933, con-

t inued as a base and comm unity tradi tion into the 1980s.

322

On Apri l 9, 1964, Brig. Gen. Arthur J. Pierce, Com-

mander of the Foreign Technology Div is ion (AFSC I, di -

rected groundbreaking ceremo nies for a new laboratory

faci l i ty adjacent to the Hq FTD bui lding in Arca A. Con-

struct ion on the new L-shaped. s ingle story laboratory

building (Building 829) wa s comp leted the following year.

On April 22.24 ; 1965, the “Doolittle Raiders” held their

23rd annual reunion in Dayton and wcrc warmly recrivcd at

Wright-Pzttcrson. Dayton was an especial ly s igni ficant s i te

Sor the annual ga thering because the Kaiders’ World War II

uni t , the 17th Bomb Group, had been reconsti tuted by the

Strategic Air Comm and as the 17th Bombardment Wing

(Heavy). and stat ioned at Wright-Patterson AFB cffcct ive

July I , 1963.

The Supply Div is ion of the 2750th ABW marked the

beginning of a new logistics era in Februa ry 1966, w ith the

programming of a new UNIVA C 1050 II computer system .The new system was designed to hold data on more than

lOO,OW supply i tems and 30,000 equipment i tems, and

was one of only I2 such systems Air Force-wide. This

specialized computer system was developed by the Air

Force System s Command for universal use throughout the

Air Forc e. It provided the capabil ity for standardization of

requisitioning. purchasing , rec eipting, storage , stoc k con-

trol. issue, shipm ent, reporting, disposition, identification,

and accounting funct ions.





A ten-year t imber management program was adopted by

WPAF B in 1966, in cooperat ion wi th the Ohio Div is ion of

Forestry and Reclamation. The goal of the program was to

refores t a total of 420 acres of base land over the following

decade. Tens of thousands of frees wcrc planted by volun-

km from various base organizat ions, most notably by

memb ers of the Twin Base Rod and Gun Club. The overall

scheme provided for adequate road and f i rchreak develop-

ment, erosion control , insect and disease control, and wi ld-

l i fe habi tat conservation. Simul taneously. a surv i iy was

made of exist ing base rimherland to identi fy salcablc sau

timber and t imber products. As a resul t of this inspection,

75,000 hoard feet of sawlogs and 200 tons of pulpwood

were harvested in the fal l of 1966.

Base records, in tact, ref lect a long history of coopera-

t ion and associat ion wi th state forestry of l ic ials. From 1928

through lY53, m ore than 7.500 trees were planted. pri-

marily for orname ntal purpos es. In 1960, lO.OOO multi l lora

rose trees were planted in conjunction with the stare fish and

wi ldli fe conservation program. Some 51 ;OOO trees were

planted on base in the spring of 1964 as part of a hasc

heauti licat ion project ent i tled Operat ion GRE EN R USH .

Wright-Patterson AFB was awarded the Gcncral

Thom as D . White Fish and Wi ldl ife Conservation Award by

I iq USAF four t imes during the 1960s. This prest~gmus

award is given annually to the two Air F orce installations

showing the most improvement in their conservation pn,-

grams. Wright-Patterson rook the Class B award. gwn to

bases wi th Icss than 2,000 acres under act ive conservation

managcn1ent.

DISASTERS

Several disastrous f i res at Wright-Patterson in the f i rst

three years of the 1960s destroyed a number of World War

II-vintage‘huildinfs and damage d others.

On Septem ber 2, 1960, a fire in the 2750th Air Base

Wing headqua rters building (Building IO, Area C) resulted

in $6,500 in damages. Four months later, in January 1961,

over $15,000 in damages was sustained to a base cold

storage faci l i ty adjacent to the base comm issary store

(Building 94, Arca C). The base had earlier sought rrplace-

merit of this building. Soon after the fire, Cong ress ap-

proved $80,000 for construct ion of a new faci l ity .

On November 21,1961, Wednesday evening before the

Thanksgiv ing hol iday, the annex of the AFLC headquarters

building (Building 262-A. Area A) and its conte nts we re

total ly destroyed by t i re. Two base f i remen, Stat ion C hiefDale V. Kelchnrr and Will iam J. Coll ins, lost their l ives

f ight ing the blaze. Fi re damage was xt at nearly $I .5

mill ion.

Losses included destruct ion of approximately 3,200

ofticial p ersonnel records housed in the Central Civil ian

Personnel Off ice. Row- aftcr row of l i les, heavy off ice

equipment, and safes crashed tu the basement of the two-

story wooden bui lding as the f i rst and second f loors col-

lapsed. Th e only documents spared were those stored in

classified safe s, but identification of the individual safe s

was di f licul t because dials, numbers, and other markings

were burned off . Reconstruct ion of personnel 201 t i les

required more than one year but was completed by April I .

1963.

Building 262-A was replaced during 1963 and 1964

with a new $2.7 mill ion building (Building 266). built on

the same si te. Gen. M ark E . Bradley, Jr, AFLC Com-

mander, cuf the ribbon at opening ceremonies on July 6,

1964.

Less than one wee k after the Building 262-A fire. on

Nove mbe r 25, 1961, fire claimed three buildings in the

Wood Ci ty area (now Ki t tyhawk Center) and damaged four

32 3




others. The three buildings were one-story structures oc-

cupied by the USAF Orientation Group. Except for a small

amount of equipment which was evacuated, the buildings

and their contents were completely destroyed. Total losswas set at $693,920.

The Airmen’s Service Club in Wood City was com-pletely destroyed January 28, 1963, by the third major fi re

on base in 14 months. The spectacular blaze caused an

estimated $66,000 damage, and was particu larly difficult to

control in the sub-zero January weather. Fourteen personswere treated for frostbite at the USAF Hospital, as firemenfought the blare.

In February 1962, it was ice rather than fire that brought

disaster to Wright-Patterson. Freezing rain and sleet turnedthe base into an icy wonderland, coating the entire out-of-

doors with a thick and hazardous layer of ice. Base mainte-

nance crews labored long hours to cut down broken treelimbs and branches, clear away fallen debris, salt roads and

walks, and make emergency repairs.

WRIGHT-PATTERSON IN THE 1970s

The 1970s was a decade for celebrating anniversaries,welcoming home heroes, responding to emergency situa-

tions, and bidding farewell to familiar friends.WP AFB joined the nation in celebrating the country’s

200th birthday in 1976, and in marking the 75th annivcrsa-

ry of powered flight in 1978. In 1973, thirty USAF offi cers

were received at Wright-Patterson following their releasefrom North Vietnamese prison camps as part of Operation

HOMECOMING. A 1974 tornado in Xenia, Ohio, and a

blizzard during the winter of 1978 tested Wtight-Patterson’sdisaster response capabilit ies; and a world-wide energy

crisis called for new approaches to the management of vitalresources. Also in the 1970s. the 2750th A ir Base Wing

witnessed the departure of one of the base’s finest associate

organizations, the 17th BombWing (SAC), and lost its ownHeet of administrative support aircraft.

One of the most touching scenes in Wright-Patterson

history unfolded between February I5 and Apri l I, 1973,

during the base’s support of Operation HOMECOMING.

The return to U.S. control of former Southeast Asia pris-oners of war culminated a series of plans that had begun in

June 1968. In July 1969, these plans were called SEN-

TINEL ECHO, and in September 1972 were renamedEGRESS RECAP. On the eye of the POW release, Secrc-

tary of Defense Melvin R. Laird changed the project ’s titleto HOMECOMING.

Based upon World War II and Korean War experiences,

it was expected that the returnees might require significantmedical and psychological assistance. Therefore, the pris-

oners were placed under military medical auspices as soon

as possible after their release and remained in medicalchannels for transportation to the continental U.S. After

initia l examination, treatment, and processing at the over-

seas point of return to U.S . control. the men were to be

evacuated by air to CONUS medical facil ities of the respec-tive services. The USAF Medical Center Wright-Patterson

was one of ten Air Force medical facili ties named to receive

and process returnees, many of whom had been incarcer-ated for more than five years, some for as long as eight

years.

The 2750th Air Base Wing’s principal role in the pro-grammed repatriation was to provide logistic al support for

the operation. Wing agencies were responsible for provid-

ing family quarters for next of kin, as well as operationalfacilities for the USAF debriefing team, the WPAFB pro-

324





4

cessmg team, and the HOMECOMING Press Center. De-

pendents were housed in Visiting Officers’ Quarters (Build-ings 832 and 833). which were reconfigured temporarily as

family-type accommodations. The reception room for vis -

itors was located in Building 833. The debriefing team usedrooms in the north wing of the USAF Medical Center for

administration and consultation. The Dodge Gymnasium(Building 849) ballroom and lobby housed the HOME-

COMING News Center. All returnees were quartered in the

north wing of the Medical Center.

Actual repatriation began February 12, 1973, when 143

American servicemen landed at Clark Air Base, Republicof the Philipp ines, in the first of I2 increments of release.

Immediately following their arriva l at Clark, invitat ional

orders were issued, authorizing dependents to travel atgovernment expense to the CONUS hospitals rece iving the

repatriates. The initial phase of Operation HOMECOM-

ING ended on Apr il 4, 1973, at Clark Air Base, by whichtime 597 former captives of Asian Communists had been

returned to freedom.

Thirty of the repatriated prisoners were flown to Wright-Patterson between February I5 and Apr il I. Upon disem-

barking, the returnees were warmly greeted by Gen. Jack I.

Catton, AFLC Commander, or by Lt. Gen. Richard M.Hoban, AFLC V ice Commander, and by Brig. Gen. lrby B.

Jarv is. 2750 ABW Commander. The returnees walkeddown a red carpet extending from the aircraft and smartly

saluted the American flag held by a four-man Color Guard.

Most returnees were then greeted by their families on the

Rightline, in view of media representatives and spectators,before being transported to the Medical Center.

Processing of the former POWs involved intelligence

debriefing, medical examination and evaluation, personnelrecords updating and counseling, fisca l affairs, chapla in’s

visitation, family assistance, and public affairs activities.

Five news conferences were held by families in the NewsCClltC*.

Once processing was completed, the returnees were

granted 90 days of convalescent leave. All repatriates,along with their wives or mothers, were invited by Pres i-

dent and Mrs. Richard M. Nixon to a White House recep-

tion and formal dinner on May 24, 1973.Conservation polic ies and efforts, which were a matter

of continual concern at WPAFB , were suddenly intensified

in November 1973 as Arab oil-producing nations cut offshipments to the United States in retaliation for the U.S.

support of Israel during the Yom Kippur war. This embargo

on crude oil and petroleum products precipitated the AFLCPACER ENERGY fuel conservation program which con-

tinued through the end of Fisca l Year 1974.

On November I, 1973, the 2750th A ir Base Wing estab-lished a PACER ENERGY Task Force to plan, implement,

and administer a comprehensive energy conservation pro-

gram at WPAFB . The Task Force outlined three generaltarget areas for fuel savings in Fisca l Year 1974: 14 percent

reduction in aviation fuels, I5 percent reduction in motor

fuels, and I5 percent reduction in utilities, espec ially heat-ing fuels and electricity.

USAF, AFLC, SAC, and AFSC guidance directed theaviation fuel conservation practices of the three flying

wings at Wright-Patte rson: the 2750th ABW , the 17th Bomb

Wing, and the 4950th Test Wing. Programmed Hying hour

reductions for each of the three wings were in effect byJanuary 1974. Through reduced Hying hours and greater

economies in ground and air operations, the 2750th AB W

during the tirst eight months of FY 1974 used 12.3 percentless GP-415 et fuel and 22.7 percent less aviation gasoline

than the previous year. Monetary savings were $743,000

and $114,600 respect ively.Similar reductions were achieved in consumption of

motor fuels and utilities. Overall, significant energy sav-

ings were achieved during Fiscal Year 1974 due to thevigilance and cooperation of Wright-Patterson m ilitary and

civi lian workers and by on-base residents. In dollar terms,

between July I, 1973 and March 31, 1974, WPAFB saved

325





SI;347,018 in energy consumption compared to a simi larperiod during the previous liscal year.

Nor did energy conservation efforts end with the pm-

~ect's termination. Plans were Sormulated to cover future

contingencies, aimed at achieving up to 75 percent curtail-mcnt of speci fic energy sources. By September 1976. the

Wing had achieved a 6.8 percent reduction in energy con-

sumption (i.e., elect ricity, natural gas, coal. motor vehiclefuels, and fuel oil for heating purposes) over Fiscal Year

1974. The decrease was greater than had been anticipated

when the campaign began. Throughout the remainderofthe1970s. especially during the SCYCIC inters 011976-1977 and

1977.1978. emphasis was placed on continuing and enlarg-

ing the base’s energy conservation program. The BaseConservation Committee, chaired by the Wing Vice Com-

mander, spearheaded these el’i’orts.

Considcrahle progress was also made during the 1970s

in the area of environmental protection. The single largestproject conducted during the decade was a three-phase, $37

million coal-fired heating plant modification program. Si x

new large-capacity boilers wcrc installed to replace 17antiquated units that dated from the 1930s. High-efliciency

electrostatic precipitators removed nearly all particulate

matter exhausted from the heating plants. Ovcrall, the newsystem provided Wright-Patterson with the most modem

solid fuel boiler plants and fuel handling facil ities in the Air

Force, and enabled the base’s coal-fired operations to com-

ply with both federal and state environmental standards in

regard to particulate and sulfur dioxide emissions.

On July 31, 1974, the 2750th AHW received the AirForce Outstanding Unit Award for “cxccptionally mer-

itorious service in support of milita ry operations” for theperiod February I, I072 through January 31. 1974. Wing

Commander Brig. Gcn. lrby B. Jxvis. Jr. received the

honor on behalfol’the Wing from AFLC Vice CommanderLt. Gen. Edmund F. O’Connor during an imprcssivc ccre-

mony held October 23, 1974, in the base theater. The award

was referred to by General O’Connor as the “highest pcacc-time unit award.”

In early Novcmhcr 1974. the AFLC Deputy Chief of

Staff for Procurement and Production announced that the

2750th AB W had been selected as the command‘s “leadbase” for implrmrnting the Customer Integrated Auto-

mated Procurement System (CIAPS). CIAP S was an autw

mated system designed by the Air Force Data SystemsDesign Center for all USAF base procurement activi ties.

The system provided computer-produced delivery orders

for the Federal Supply Schedule. CIAPS used the Bur-roughs B-3500 computer as an automated l ink with the

Base Supply Univac 1050-11computer system and the Mcd-

ical Supply B-3500 computer system. The WPAFB imple-mentation was complctcd in Apri l 1976.“’

In 1975, the 2750th ABW received the USAF Flight

Safety Certificate in recognition of three years of accident-

free Hying. This was the last such award for the Wing. ByJune 1975, the 2750th had transferred all of its support

aircraft to other Air Force units, in compliance with Ai r

Force directive.In November 1974, Hq USA F decided, for financial

reasons, to drop nearly 400 aging administrative support

aircralt from the active inventory. A tentative dispositionschedule was released affecting 343 aircraft; including both

reciprocating-engine aircraft and jet-engine T-33s. Among

the 36 AFLC airplanes involved were six T-33s fromWright-fitte rson AFB scheduled for transfer to AFLC ‘s

Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center

(MASDC) at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona. In early De-

326





ember 1974, AFLC published a more comprehensive

phase-out schedule covering the remainder OS the 2750th

ABW support fleet. It called for the transier of all remain-

ing aircraft to MASDC . except for live T-OYs, by the end of

the fiscal year.

By June 1975, the 2750th had transferred all of its 24

support aircraft. The five 7-39s were reassigne d to the

Military Airlift Command and operated by the newly-estah-

lished Del. 2. I4Olst Military Airlift Squadron (MAS). The

initial personnel for this detachment came from the 2750th

ABW’s Flight Operations Branch.

Meanwh ile. the Military Airlift Command (MAC) was

selected as the single manager for “pooled T-39 aircraft

located in the CONUS.” Wright-P&tenon was chosen as

one of IS host bases. MAC subsequently announced that

WPAFB would bed down nine T-39s. including the five

transferred to MAC from the 2750th ABW.

The Wing beg an dispersing its aircraft in February 1975

with the reassignment of the T-33s to MASDC. On April

2 I. 1975, MA C began central scheduling for a portion of its

new T-3Y Hcet. Central scheduling for WPAFB began on

June 20.

For the first time since 194X, the 2750th ABW did not

possess its own aircraft. The Wing did, however, continue

to operate the airfield and to support the 4950th Test Wing

(AFSC), Det. 2. 14Olst MAS. and transient aircraft in

temx of aircraft supplies, petroleum, oil, and lubricants.

Base-lcvcl maintenance was aswned by the 4950th Test

Wing effective July I, 1975. This included the transient

alert function and such rcspomihilities as chief of mainte-

nance. quality control, maintrnnnce control, organira-

tiunal maintenance. field maintenance. survival equipmen t

maintenance, avionics maintenan ce, and the Precision

Measurement Equipme nt Laboratory (PM!%).

The transfer of support aircraft also affected the mission

of the 2750th ABW Simulator Training Hranch. As of July

I, 1975, the Branch ceased all operations with the excep-

tion of the T40 Trainer. Thr Branch’s equipmen t was trans.

ferrcd to the 4950th Test Wing effective Scptrmbcr 15.

Instructor and maintenance personnel were rassi&ned to

the 4950th on October 26.

I” ,975, WPAFLI was selected as 0°C “f 15 bases to host Military Airlift

Cammand ,MAC, T-39 aircratt mc MAC Rret at WPAFH is assigned

to Det. 2, t4Otst Military Airlift Squadrun.

Insofar as real property was concerned, the 2750 th

transferred facility responsibility for a number of Area C

buildings m the 4950th Test Wing, including Buildings Ii,

105. 148, 152, 169, 206.North. 256. and 8X4. Buildin g

IX8 in Area B was also assigned to the 4950th.

Following closely on the reassignment of the 2750th

ABW aircraft, another era in Wright-Patterson’s long histo-

ry ended in September 1975, with the planned transfer of

the 17th Bombardmen t Wing (Heavy). On September 30,

the Bomb Wing was transferred in name only, without

personnel OT equipment, to Beale AFM, California. The

Wing‘s I4 B-52 bombers and 15 KC-135 tankers were

dispersed to other SA C bases an d to the Ohio Air National

Guard. Wing personnel were assigned to other installations

or “rganmtlons.

As the 17th Bomb Wing vacated its facilities on the West

Ramp in Arca C. the buildings were rcassigncd one by one

to the 4950th Test Wing. Reassignment of facilities began

July 23 and was complete by September IS.

In June 1976. yet another era ended at Wright-htterson.

Effective June I, the aerodrome in Area B (Wright Field)

was officially closed, cndin g nearly 50 years of service tothe Air Force and its antecedent organizations. All air

traffic operations at Wright-Patterson today are handled on

the Area C (Patterson) runways.

32 7








A milestone in air traffic history occurred at Wright-Patterson on September 20, 1978, when the precision ap-

proach radar ANIFPN-16 in Area C was decommissionedafter 26 years of continuous operations. A new solid-state

dual instrument landing system was installed to assist pilots

using Runway 5L23R. With the new equipment, a pilotreceived control tower permission to land. then automat-

ica lly received the required instrument data to make an

instrument landing without further assistance.On June 6, 1978, the Federal Aviation Administra tion

(FAA) relocated the Dayton approach control facili ty (acti-

vated in 1957) from WPAFB to the Dayton InternationalAirport, Vandalia, Ohio. Predicated by the relocation of

equipment and personnel from Wright-&tterson, the mem-

orandum of understanding between the 2750th Ai r BaseWing, the 2046th Communications Group, Det. 15, 15th

Weather Squadron, and the FAA terminated October 1,

1978. Space that the FAA had occupied in Build ings 206

and 841 in Area C of WPAF B was released effective Janu-ary 15, 1979. The 2750th ABW Operations and Training

Divis ion maintained its management of the WP AFB aero-

drome in coordination with other USAF and federal govem-merit agenaes.

A significant project begun in the 1970s but with far-

reaching implications for the future, was the Air InstallationCompatible Use Zone (AICUZ) program. A ICUZ is a

community interface program designed to coordinate the

needs of the Air Force with the development of surroundingcommunities, in order to assure continuance of Wright -

Patterson AFB as a center of flying operations.

The conceptual goal of AICUZ is to achieve compatible

land uses around military installat ions. The development oflands near Air Force bases is a continuing concern to Air

Force officia ls. On the one hand, the Air Force recognizes

the responsibili ty to protect public areas surrounding air-fields from noise, pollution, and flight hazards. On the

other hand is the undeniable fact that lands near air bases areintrinsically attractive areas for development.

Due to the growth of the air base and surrounding

communities, 2750th Ai r Base Wing commanders have formany years been aware of the potential adverse impact of

business and residentia l encroachment on Wright-Pat terson

flying operations. As early as 1962, Base CommanderBrig. Gen. Glen I. McClemon held meetings with com-

munity leaders concerning land use and development in

areas adjacent to the base. In October 1966, a WPAFBAirport Zoning Regulation became law. Although subse-

quently challenged and rescinded, this basic documentprovided a firm foundation for the AICUZ concept. The keyelement was an atmosphere of mutual trust and helpfulness

between the base and the surrounding communities.

In May 1975, after years of careful planning, the finalAJCUZ study developed by the base was released to the

public. Invitations from the Base Commander were ex-

tended to state and local officials and Ohio’s U.S. Con-

gressional representatives to attend a specia l briefing on thestudy. In July 1975, a revised WPAFB Airport Zoning

Regulation was finally enacted by the four-county Joint

WPA FB Airport Zoning Commission (counties involved

were Montgomery, Greene, Clark, and Miami). The reg-

ulation defined noise and accident zones about the air baseand suggested compatible land use for these zones. Someareas were recommended to remain in open space, while

other more densely settled areas could limit constructionand design noise reduction features into buildings along

with other planning measures.

ASSOCIATE ORGANIZATIONS

By 1973, the 2750th Air Base Wing had logged 25 years

of service to its associate organizations, including Hq

AFLC, ASD, FfD, the 17th Bomb Wing (SAC), the Air

Force Museum, the USAF Medical Center Wright-Patter-son, AFOG, and the 2046th Communications Group. Dur-

ing the remainder of the 1970s. a number of new organiza-tions were assigned to WPAFB, and several departed.

The 3025th Management Engineering Squadron was

organized and designated at WP AFB effective October I,

1973. The squadron was assigned to AFLC headquarters

under the operational control of the Directorate of Man-power and Organization. To support this reorganization,

Detachment 7, 3030th Support Squadron, was inactivated

and succeeded by Detachment I, 3025th MES.

328




These changes were part of an effort t” upgrade themanpower function. The manpower program at WP AFB as

it is kn”wn today was established in 1966, when the Man-

power Validation Program and the manpower and organiza-tion functions were consolidated under the Management

Engineering Team concept. In the early 197Os, USAFconducted a two-year study to further identify headquarters

and headquarters squadron manpower costs. As a result, all

major USAF commands were directed to withdraw man-agement engineering and manpower and organization re-

sources from previously designated headquarters support

squadrons like the 3030th, and to consolidate these func-tions into major command management engineering squad-

rons/detachments. Det. 1, 3025th MES was thus estab-

lished at AFLC. Det. I continues today to provide

manpower management services to the 2750th ABW. Itsmajor responslbd ltles are management of manpower re-

sources, development of wartime and peacetime manpower

requirements, and the preparation of cost studies to assessthe feasibility of contracting out Air Force services. In

addition, Det. I provides management consulting services

t” the Wing Commander.Wright-Patterson continued to set a fast pace in aero-

space exploration and development during the 1970s. On

July I, 1975, the four A FSC laboratories in Area B wererealigned into the Air Force Wright Aeronautical Laborato-

ries (AFWAL). Retaining their organizational titles, identi-

ties, and functions were the Aero Propulsion , Flight Dy-

namics, Materials, and Avionics Laboratories. The Aero-space Research Laboratory was disestablished and its

programs distributed elsewhere.”

Also effective July I, 1975, the 4950th Test Wingunderwent a major realignment as it absorbed the Precision

Measurement Equipment Laboratory (PMEL) and the base

aircraft maintenance and allied support functions whichhad previously been the responsibi lity of the 2750th A ir

Base Wing.

The 17th Bombardment Wing (SAC) moved, in nameonly, without personnel and equipment, from Wrigh t-fit-

ters”” AFB t” Beale AFB, California, effective September

Alr Force1

Wright//ij/r

i

9

Aeronautical :

l.abontorlro :

30, 1975, as mentioned earlier in this chapter. The SAC

aircraft from Wright-Patterson were transferred t” other

Strategic Air Command bases and the Air National Guard.The Wing’s B-52H bombers were dispersed t” other “H”

model bases in Michigan and North Dakota, while KC-135

tanker aircraft were transferred throughout SAC and to theOhio Air National Guard at Rickenbacker AFB near Co-

lumbus, Ohio. Although many bomb wing personnel were

reassigned to bases throughout the U.S. and overseas, alarge segment were stationed together with the bombers at

SAC bases in the upper Midwest. Approximately one-third

of the Wing’s 1,200 mil itary members remained at Wright -Patterson and were assigned t” other base units such as

AFLC, ASD. and the 2750th ABW .

The official “Buckeye Farewell” was extended to the

departing 17th Bomb Wing on July 7, 1975, as its two

remaining KC-135s and one B-52H left Wrigh t-Patterson’sVHB runway for the last time. Faci lities vacated by the 17th

Bomb Wing were reassigned t” the 4950th Test Wing.

The Air Force Museum, a named activity at WPAFB,was inactivated effective August 8, 1975, and the unit

designation reverted t” the Department of the Air Force.The Museum was then activated as a named unit and as-

signed t” the Air Force Logis tics Command at Wright -

Patterson, effective the same day. The Air Force Museumsubsequently was assigned to the 2750th Air Base Wing for

logistical support.

A significant event within AFLC was the July I, 1976

activation of the Air Force Acquisition Logistics Division(AFALD). The new division was formed from existing

AFLC sources, prima rily the Deputy Chief of Staff for

Acquisition Logistics and the 2732nd Acquisition LogisticsOperations Squadron. AFALD’s mission was to expand and

strengthen the interface between AFU: and the Air Force

Systems Command (AFSC), thus improving operationalutility, field availability, and supportability of new systems,

while reducing their operating and support costs. The Air

32 9












Force Acquisi t ion Logistics Division was designed to act as

a catalyst to stimulate and improve the AFLC/AF SC inter-

change of knowledge, part icular ly the How of feedback

information from u scrs in the combat comma nds.”

A second major AFLC organization was created at

WPAFB in 1978. The AFLC International Logistics Center

(ILC), identified as a %ajor field organization,” was acti-

vated effective May I, 1978. The new center merged ele-

ments of the Hq AFLC Office of the Assistant for Intcma-tional Lo gistics and mo st of the international logistics

functions of AFALD . The ILC had three pr incipal off ices:

plans and procedures, programs and resources, and opera-

t ions. Its charter was to establ ish and implement an AFLC

International Logistics Progmm for the development, nego-

tiation, and management of AFLC Secur i ty Assistance

program s. This included foreign m ilitary sales , grant aid,

and international military education and training.

On October I, 1976. the Air Force Insti tute of Tech-

nology asked for 7,390 sq ft of space in Bui lding 288. Arca

A, to accommo date the newly-established Defense Insti tute

of Secur i ty Assistance Management (DISAM). DISAM

was an element of the Dcfcn sc Secur i ty Assistant Manage-ment Education (DSAME) program which was scheduled

to become ful ly operational at Wright-Patterson in June

1977. (DSAME was programmed or iginal ly to opcratc as a

department of the AFIT School of System s and Logistics. j

The DSAME program was subsequently elevated to the

status of a “scparatc school with an expanded mission

within A FIT.” DISAM held i ts t int classes in Bui lding 2X8

on January IX, 1977, and later relocated to the second f loor

of the west ccntcr section of Bui lding 125 in Arca B .

The 15th Weather Squadron (MAC) moved without

personnel and equipment from Scott AFB, I l linois, to

WPAFB cffcctive January I, 1976, where i t was reassigned

from the 5th Weather Wing to the 7th Weather Wing. The15th was assigned the fol lowing detachme nts: Det. I, Tin-

kcr AFB, Oklahoma; Det. 6. Hi l l AFB, Utah; Det. 7, Kel ly

AFB, Texas; Det. 8, McClr l lan AFB, Cal i fornia; Dct. 13,

Kobins AFB. Georgia; and Det. 15, WPAF B. Ohio. On

June I, 19X0, the 15th Weather Squadron moved, again

without personnel orcquipment. from WPAFB to McGuireAFB, NJ. Det. 15, 15th Weather Squadron remained at

WPAFB and continues today as the weather support organi-

zation for the base.

A new tenant organization at Wright-Patterson effective

December I, 1976. was the 87th Port Squadron (Air Force

Rcscrv c). Located in Bui lding 146, Area C, the squadron

moved to WPAFB without personnel and equipment from

McClel lan AFB. Cal i fornia.

On Dccem bcr 12, 1977, the 3552nd USAF Kecrui t inf

Service Squadron (ATC) complctcd i ts relocation to Bui ld-

ing I, Area C. from the Defense Construction Supply

Center (DCSC) in Columbus, Ohio. The squadron sup-

ported 25 Air Force recruiting office s in the Southern Ohioarea.

On Apri l 5. 1979. H q USAF approved a plan to relocate

all of the facilities OS the Air Fo rce Orientation Group

(AFOG) from Area B, WPAFB to the Defense Electronics

Supply Center (DES0 at Genti le Air Force Station.

Dayton. The mw c was ini tiated in Apr il 1981 and the

Group was sett led in i ts new quarters by August of that year

AFOG currently occupies Bui ldings 4 and 74 at DESC .

GR OW T H

Two major construction programs dur ing the ear ly1970s greatly improved mi l i tary family housing at

WPAF B. Tradit ional ly. the demand for on-base housing

had been high, particularly among enlisted personne l. In

1970, i t was noted that there were approximately 4,900

famil ies assigned to Wright-Patterson. whi le thcrc wcrc on-

base accommod ations for only 1.900. Contracts were sub-

sequently awarded by the Base Procurement Branch on

April 5 and June 14, 1971~ for the design and constru ction

of two new projects of 300 and 500 family housing units,

respectively.

33 0





Air, F&e S&ion, a 16S-acre s i t& pn

Vike in Ketter ing, is the home of theDefenSe.

Supply Center (DESC). The facil i ty Was ,&a

in, 1Y44 to serve as a centrahzed storage faci l i ty f&r

Sand was known as Dayton Air Face

it had served as a commercial

Flying Service. On August l4,,

by the Chief Signal Off icea far

ion depot on Wilmington Pike:-

r 5.1943. and the project coni-

@leted than a year. Forma l dedication ceranonib~

.+ercheld in October 1944.

.e , I I I . lY45, Signal Corps functions were integrated into the

Aptly AIr ’Forces and the installat ion became known as the

862ndAmryAirFo~sSpecial izedDepM. In 1951, i t was

twz+ned Genti le Ai Force Oepot in honor of World W arn

nearby Piqua, Ohio;,Io~

zation being designated Dayton

Work began May 21, 1971, on the $7.5 mi ll ion Wood-

land Hi l ls 300.unit project in Area B. This package,

awarded to the National Home s Construction Corporation,

Inc. of Lafayette, Indiana, was the f i rst mi l i tary family

housing bui l t on base since the br ick qua rters were erected

in Area A dur ing the mid-1930s. Ground was broken July

9, 1973, for the construction of 500 mi l i tary family housing

units430 located in Area A, adjacent to the USAF Medi-

cal Center and 70 si ted in Area B, off Zink Road, nearWoodland Hi l ls. The $12.1 mi l l ion contract was also

awarded to National Home s, Inc. In addit ion to these new

construction projects, $8.7 mi l lion plans were underway at

the end of June I974 to convert 904 apartments in the Page

Manor housing area into 640 larger, more modem quarters.

Wood City underwent dynamic changes during the

197Os, including a name change. That port ion of the base,

tradi tional ly used for housing and recreation, became

known as Kittyhawk Center. Ki ttyhawk quickly changed

from a quiet, residential neighborhood into a bustling com -

munity. It was designed to be “people or iented,” providing

the products, services, and accommo dations needed by and

for Wright-P atterson ’s military population and theirdependents.

During 1971, nearly $350,000 in combine d appropri-

ated and non-appropr iated funds were expended to upgrade

dormitories , the dining hall, and recreational facilities in

Kittyhawk Center. In October 1978, the Noncomm issioned

Officers’ Open Mes s completed a $363,000 modernization

program. Nearby, a $463,909 chi ld care center opened in

Augu st 1979 (Building 1235). replacing three wood -frame

single siory buildings erected during W orld W ar II.

Outdoor sports benefi ted from a program completed in

October 1979. To replace si tes lost dur ing construction of

other faci l it ies, $396.700 was spent to constm ct new recre-

ation facilities including softba ll diamon ds and a footba ll/soccer lield.

The crown jewel of the new Kittyhawk Center, how ever,

was the four-acre, $7 mi l lion Comm unity Shopping Center

Comp lex. Housed within the new complex were the train






sales store of the Base Exchange, as well as concession

shops, a commercial bank branch, and the Base Commis-

sary store. The center resulted from a coordinated effort bythe Army-A ir Force Exchange Service, the Air Force Com-

missary Service, the 2750th Air Base Wing, and the Win-

ters National Bank and Trust Company, Dayton, Ohio. Thecenter was opened for business following gala ceremonies

on August 26, 1980.

Employees of the Foreign Technology Division movedinto Bu ilding 856, the newest addition to the FTD complex

in Area A, on August 24, 1976. More than 600 dignitaries

attended dedication ceremonies on September 16, includ-ing Secretary of the Ai r Force James W. Plummer and U.S.

Representative Clarence J. Brown of Ohio ’s 7th Con-

gressional District.

On July 5, 1977, the Air Force Institute of Technologyalso moved into new quarters. AFIT‘s School of Systems

and Logis tics was relocated from B uilding 288 in Area A tothe new $3.5 million Building 641 in Area B. The Honor-

able Hans M. Mark, Under Secre tary of the Air Force, was

the principal speaker at dedication ceremonies on Octo-ber 4.

Progress on base during the 1970s was sometimes

tinged with bittersweet as old landmarks changed. Many

current and former employees had cause to reminisce whenit was announced in 1979 that Buildings 2, 3, and 10 in

Area B, the first hangars constructed at Wright Field (1928)

were to be razed. In their place, ASD planned to constructan $I I million Fuels and Lubricants Laboratory.

Groundbreaking ceremonies for the new faci lity were held

on July 30, 1980.Conversion of the Civi lian Club, Building 274 in Area

A, also evoked memories for many people associated with

the base. Constructed during World War II and opened onDecember I, 1944, the Civil ian Club was open to all

WPA FB civilian employees, military members, their fam-

ilies and friends. The club was noted for hosting nationally

famous dance orchestras and square dance groups. and wasthe scene of countless dances, wedding receptions, and

other popular events.* In 1979, the Club was closed, andremodeling began to convert it for use as the Wright-

Patterson AFB Conference Center.

The modern $7 million Cmnmunity ShoppingCenter Complex nKittyhswk Center

*Chapter VII, PattersonField, contains further details of this time period

332









ACTIVITIES

Among the most exciting activ ities at Wright-Pat tersonAFB during the 1970s were those associated with celebra-

tion of the nation’s bicentennial. Throughout the nation, the

Bicentenn ial observance was divided into three themes:Heritage ‘76, Festival USA, and Horizons ‘76. At Wright-

Patterson, separate parallel committees were established to

carry out programs based on all three themes. Overal ldirection of the base-wide program for the Bicentennial

celebration was coordinated by the WPAFB Plann ing and

Coordinating Committee, chaired by the Base Commander.Wright-Patterson also supported the civilian Bicentennial

efforts of cities, towns, and villages located in the base’s

immediate vicinity.

A Community Day observance opened the base sched-

ule of events on May 24, 1975, one week after ArmedForces Day. The highlight of the local six-hour program was

an acrobatic demonstration by the USAF Thunderbirds

team flying six T-38 Talon aircraft. The Ninth Vi rginiaRegiment, attired in Revolutionary War uniforms and re-

gal&, gave two demonstration dril ls with muskets. (Theoriginal regiment was organized November 19, 1776, and

fought in many major campaigns, including incursions intothe Ohio River Valley during the Revolutionary War.)

On August 19, 1975, the American Revolution Bicen-

tennial Commission officially recognized Wright-PattersonAFB as a “Bicentennial United States Air Force installa-

tion.” During the autumn and winter months of 1975.1976,

the various Bicentenn ial committees coordinated with eachother and with their counterparts in civi lian communities to

assure the best possible local and area observance of the

nation’s 200th anniversary. The thoroughness with whichthey planned was reflected in the diversity of programs that

took place during the Bicentennial year.The A ir Force Museum was the scene of the first ac-

tivities during July 1976. From July 11-13, an Ohio RegionBicentenn ial Boy Scout Jamboree held on the Museum

Certificate of Offic ial Recognition

grounds attracted nearly IO,oM) scouts and their troop

leaders. On July 23, the Museum dedicated its new $1

million Visi tors Reception Center, a gift of the Air ForceMuseum Foundation. Princ ipal speaker at the dedicatory

ceremonies was Senator Barry M. Goldwater. Also present

was Secretary of the Air Force Thomas C. Reed, whosnipped a symbolic ribbon to open the Center. The scisso rs

used during the ceremony had belonged to Orv ille Wright

and were loaned for the occasion by Mr. Wright‘s niece,Mrs. lvonette Wright Miller.





The dedication of the Visi tors Center coincided with the

annual enshr inement ceremonies of the Aviation Hal l of

Fame and with the Dayton Air Fair ‘76. The Fair , which

attracted over lOO,OOiI spectators, featured both mi l i tary

and civil ian aircraft and performers, and was supported, as

in past and future years, by a wide range of WPAFB

organizations. including the 2750th ABW.

Activi t ies on base dur ing August and September in-

cluded the National Meet of the American Model Aircraft

Association, the reopening of Hadden Recreation Pxk, and

the staging of the 2750th Air Base Wing’s Festival ‘76.

The highlight of the base Bicentennial celebration,

however, was the grand People-for-People Festival held

September 20, which attracted near ly 16,000 visi tors. The

purpose of the Festival was to “promote human relations

through awareness, communication. and understanding,”

and to provide a suitable program to represent the heritage

of America “ through arts, crafts, drama, display, dance,

cuisine, fashion, music, and song.”

Honor ing Air Force memb ers of past decades was also

an important part of Wright-Patterson’s Bicentennial obser-

vanc e. An initiative that grew out of the Bicentennial in this

regard wa s the formation of a Base Memorial ization Com-

tmttee. Establ ished as part of the USAF memorial ization

program, this comm ittee was tasked with naming appropri-

ate stree ts, buildings, recreational areas, and medica l fa cili-

ties in honor o f distinguished deceas ed Air Force military

members .

The f i rst such action on Wright-Pmerson was the Oc-

tober 27, 1976, dedication of Building 262, Area A, in

honor o f Brig. Gen. Wjlliam E. Gillmore, first Chief of the

Air Corps Mater iel Division, McCo ok Field. The Mater iel

Division was an antecedent of today’s Air Force Logistics

Comma nd, whose Headquarters occupy Bui lding 262.

The final observa nce in Wright-F% ttrrson’s year-long

celebration of the Bicentennial was the dedication of an

“Employees’ Monume nt,” to honor al l mi l i tary members

and civi lian employees who have ever worked at Wright-

Patterson AFB, from i ts World War I or igins to the present.

Designed by Wright State Universi ty art student Ray

Wil l iams, the monumen t was a sculpture in stainless steel ,

mounted on a reinforced concrete pedestal . The design was

descr ibed as an abstract of upswept wings. symbol izing

man‘s reach toward outer space which started from the f i rst

day that work began at WPAF B. Six feet high and approx-

imately 20 feet wing t ip to wing t ip, the monumen t was

erected in the spring of 1977 at the comer of Skeel Avenue

and Novick Road in Area A , over looking the si te of the

Wright brothers’ original 1904 hangar on Huffm an Prairie.

In the four years following the Bicentenn ial, three addi-

tional mem orializations of facilities on Wright-Pa tterson

took place. Following the dedication of Gillmore Hall. the

Memorial ization Comm ittee recommended redesignation

of the lettered and numbered streets in the senior off icer

brick q uarters in Area A. Ten officers , all Ohio na tives,

were selected for this honor. Five o f them had spent a

portion of their Air Force career at Wright-P atterson . The

col lective span of service represented by these men spread

from August I, 1907, when the U.S. Army Signal Corps

Aeronautical Division was establ ished, to July 31, 1957,

when the last individual among them reti red. The honorees

represented the fol lowing Ohio hometow ns:

Gen. Benjamin W. Chidlaw ClCXS

Lt. Gen. George H. Brett Cleveland

Lt. Gen. David M. Schlatter F”st”r iaLt. Gen. Barton K. Yount Troy

Maj. Gm. Robert G. Breenr Dayton

Brig. Gen. Frank I? Lahm Manshcld

Brig. Gen. Nelson S. Edbat Dayton

Cd Charles deF. Chandler ClW&“d

Cd Gerald K. Johnson Akron

2nd Lt. Wi l l iam E. Metrgcrf Lima

Dedication ceremonies were held on July 22, 1977.

Gen. F. Michael Rogers, AFLC Command er, presented the

dedicatory address to the assembled guests and next of kin

of the men being honored.

AFI X: Hea dquarters ~B”ildi”l: 262. Area A, is named in honor ofBr ig. Gen. William E. Giltmore, tint Chiefdthe Air Corps Materiel

Division at MeCwk Field.

Mrs. Michael J. Lal lg, granddau&ter of the late General Gi l tmore,views the dedicatory brunce plaque for Bui lding 262 with Gen. F.Michael Rogers. AFLC Co mmander, dur ing eeremon i*s Oet”brr 27,IY76.

*Lieutenant Mctrgerreceivedthe Medal of Honorposthumously in 1945, furvalorabovc and beyond the cal l ofduty as a B-17 copi lotover Germany.

33 4












On September 23, 1977, a beautiful living memorialwas dedicated to the memory of Ma;. Gen. Frank G.

Barnes. General Barnes served as Deputy Chief of Staff,

Engineering and Services, Hq AFLC, from February 1973until his death in 1976. The Frank G. Barnes Memorial F%rk

is located adjacent to Building 266 in Area A. The park

features twenty-one varie ties of deciduous, flowering, andconifer trees, flowering bushes and shrubs, and eleven

species of perennial flowers.

Following the renovation of live dormitories and thedining hall in Kittyhawk Center, these buildings were dedi-

cated in honor of six Ohio airmen who died from enemy

action in South Vietnam. This marked the first time in the

current series of formal dedications that deceased enlistedmen were honored. General Bryce Poe II, AFLC Com-

mander, and Cal. James Rigney, 2750th ABW Commander,

presided at the ceremonies held June 22, 1979, and un-

veiled six bronze plaques bearing the names of the

honorees:

TSgt. Roy D. PraterSgt. JamesR. LuteSSgt. Fredcrick WilhelmAIC William H. PitscnbargerAK JamesE. PleimanSgt. JamesD. Locker

Walnut plaques with sketches and biographies ofthe airmenwere placed on permanent display in the dayrooms of therespective dormitories and in the dining hall.*

*Three more memorialiations occurred n the first yearsof the 1980s.On June 19. 198 , streets n the vicinity of the U.S. Air ForceMuseum were named in honurofGen. Carl A. Spaatz, Maj. Richard I. Bang. and 1stLt. Edward Ward. On August 28, 1981, the2750th Air BaseWing Headquarters, Building IO, AreaC, wasnamed in honor uf Brig. Gen. JosephT. Morris , f irst Commander ofthe 2750th ABW. On November 18, 1982. the Air Forcc nstitute of Technology dcdicatrd its Schoolof Engineering (Building 640.Area B) in honorofcol. Thurman H. Bane, the first post-World War CommandcrofMcC~ak Fieldandfounderufthe Air SchoolofApplication. forerunner of AFIT.

http://www.gl.iit.edu/wadc/History/Huffman/p335middleright.html


http://www.gl.iit.edu/wadc/History/Huffman/p335middleleft.html




The year 1978 was celebrated as the 75th Annive rsarv of

Powered Flight. A special steering committee of the GreaterDayton Area Chamber of Commerce coordinated the vti-

“us local observances of the anniversary. Chairing thegroup was Lt. Gen. James T. Stewart, USAF-Retired, who

had commanded the Aeronautical Systems Division from

June 1970 to August 1976. At Wright-fitterson a special

“75th Anniversary of Powered Flight” logo was adopted

and proudly displayed on all letters posted from the baseduring the year.

On September 9, 1978, three parce ls of land that hadbeen intimately associated with the Wrights were trans.

ferred to the Air Force and the 2750th Air Base Wing by theMiami Conservancy District. The first was a 0.52 acre plot

of land on Pylon Road in Area A commemorating the site of

the Wright’s first hangar on Huffman Prairie. The concretemonument that marks the spot was completed in June 1941

by the Wilbur and Orvill e Wright Commission in coopera-

tion with the Miami Conservancy District. The other twoparcels of land comprised a 27.acre park and memorial site

dedicated to the memory of the Wright brothers. Known as

Wright Brothers Hill, this property is in Area B near theintersection of State Route 444 and Kauffman Avenue.

About I50 guests and visi tors attended the formal cere-

mony marking the transfer of properties. Mr. Robert S.

Oelman, President of the Miami Conservancy DistrictBoard of Directors, conveyed the original copy of the

special warranty deed to General Bryce Poe II, AFLC

Commander. In his remarks, General Poe stated that it wasfitting that the memorial, “which for 38 years has rested on

Miami Conservancy Distric t land is now a part of Wright-

Patterson-just as Huffman Prairie--a lso once Con-servancy land, is now part of the Base.”

Among the distinguished attendees were two U.S. Con-

gressmen, Clarence J. Brown of Urbana, and Charles W.Whalen of Dayton, as well as Mrs. lvonette Wright Millerof Dayton, and Mr. Horace A. Wrigh t of Xenia, niece andnephew of Wilbur and Orvil le Wright.

An unusual honor was accorded Wright-Patterson later

in the month. On September 23, the Dayton Stamp Club

and the 75th Anniversary of Powered Flight Committee.supported by the U.S. Air Force Museum, hosted the first

day sale of two commemorative stamps honoring the

Wright brothers. U.S. Postmaster General William F.

Bolger spoke at the ceremony preceding the initial sale ofthe two differently designed 31.cent airmail stamps.

On December 16, the eve of the official anniversary,about 700 persons attended a “First Flight Banquet Honor-

ing the 75th Anniversa ry of Powered Flight” held at the

Dayton Convention and Exhibition Center. Participatingdignitaries included Lowell Thomas, famous newscaster

and author; Lt. Gen. James Doolittle, USAF-Retired; for-mer Astronaut Ne il Armstrong, the first man to walk on themoon; and Milton Caniff, nationa lly-known cartoon ist

(creator of the Steve Canyon series).

The morning of December 17th marked the actual anni-versary of the first flight. Visitors began arriving early on

Wright Brothers H ill, base employees and local citizens

alike. The formal ceremonies began with appropriate re-marks by Gen. B ryce Poe and Lt. Gen. James Stewart. Mrs.

lvonette M iller and Mr. Horace Wright laid large wreaths at

the base of the granite W right Brothers Memorial monu-ment. A t IO:35 a.m. a bugler sounded taps and two T-39

aircraft flew overhead in trail. This precise hour and minute

coincided with Orvill e Wrigh t’s historic first lift-off at KittyHawk, North Carolina, on December 17, 1903. The cere-mony served as fitting tribute to the spirit and accomplish-

ments of the Wright brothers and to the thousands who

followed them in the intervening 75 years .





DISASTERS

Once data from the national disaster control center were

tallied, Apr il 3, 1974, entered United States history as the

“Day of the 100 Tornadoes.” Sligh tly more than IO percentof the deaths resulting from these natural disasters occurred

in and around the city of Xenia, Ohio, a quiet but pro-

gressive community twelve miles southeast of Wright-Pat-terson AFB. Residents of the city included I.297 WPAFB

employees (I ,064 civilian and 233 military).

The killer tornado struck Xenia at 4:40 p.m., carving aswath of destruction four miles long and one-half mile

wide. In its wake, 34 persons lay dead and 500 injured.

More than a thousand homes were destroyed (includingthose of 293 base employees), 660 were heavily damaged,

and another 904 sligh tly damaged. Insurance adjusters

placed losses at $500 million.

At 5~00 p.m., Brig. Gen. lrby B. Jarvis, Jr., 2750thABW Commander, activated the base Disaster Prepared-ness.Control Center and the entire base moved into action.

The USAF Medica l Center and the 2750th ABW responded

quickly to two of Xenia’s most pressing needs: medical aidfor the scores of injured victims and assistance in sorting

through tons of debris to recover other casualties. At 6:30

p.m., a medical team was dispatched to Xenia, as werethree on-scene commanders from the Wing to direct

WPA FB‘s assistance. From that time forward, until I:00

p.m. April 4, roads between WPAFB and Xenia were filled

with a steady stream of traffic from the base to the disaster

scene. Thirty-seven of the most seriously injured wereadmitted to the USAF Medical Center. Drugs. medicine,

and equipment from S t. Elizabeth Hospital in Dayton were

airlifted to Greene Memorial Hospital in Xenia. A 4950thTest Wing CH-3 helicopter flew eight sorties to fulfill this

mission . Five hundred volunteers at the base contributed

blood at the Medical Center for use in the emergency.Meanwhile, base civ il engineers had dispatched heavy

equipment convoys to Xenia to assis t in search and recovery

operations and to open traffic arteries. As the first longnight following the tornado waned, other supplies and

assistance arrived, including generators for emergency

lighting, floodlights, gasoline, 7,000 gallons of water, box

lunches, and 30 gallons of coffee for volunteer rescueworkers.

Wright-F&tenon’s support continued throughout the

entire next week. Volunteers were recruited from nearly allWPA FB organizations. Among the more significant con-

tributors was the 2046th Communications Group, which

moved its Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) van todowntown Xenia. VHF, UHF, and radio-telephone com-

munications were established, linking on-scene civil de-

fense, the WPAFB Fire Department, and base Secur ityPolic e with the Disaster Preparedness Control Center. The

2046th also opened the Springfie ld (Ohio) Muniapal Air -

port tower to assist Ohio National Guard helicop ters ferry-

ing emergency supplies.

337




Aeria l photography was provided by the 4950th Test

Wing and the 155th Tactical Reconnaissance Group,

Nebraska Air National Guard at Lincoln, with assistance

from the 2750th ABW Operations and Training Division .On April 6, a Federal Disaster Assistance Team (FDAT)

established temporary offices in Building 89, Area C, and

assembled a staff of 30 people. A 5th Amy liaison officerto the FDAT arrived at WPA FB from Fort Knox, Kentucky,

to coordinate all militwy assistance efforts. In coordination

with these agencies, WPAFB’s major support of disasteroperations was terminated on Apr il 8.

On April 9, President Richard M. Nixon arrived on base

via Air Force One to survey the disaster area. Included inthe Presidential party were James T. Lynn, Secretary of

Housing and Urban Development; Thomas J. Donne, Chief

of the Federal Disaster Assistance Administra tion; andPresidential Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler. After viewing

the disaster area from the air, the President’s helicopter

landed at an elementary school on the outskirts of Xeniaand the party drove into town, where the President con-

ferred with Greene County and other officia ls. That after-

noon the President returned to Wright-Patterson where hewas greeted by about 500 spectators.

On April I I, the Wing’s Disaster Preparedness Control

Center was inactivated. In all, Xenia disaster relief assis-tance from Apr il 3-8, 1974, amounted to $61,701 for the

2750th ABW ($13,000 of which was reimbursable). An

additional $3 1,410 in expenses was incurred by the US AFMedical Center Wright-Patterson (of which $6,370 was

reimbursable).

The winter of 1976.1977 entered Ohio history as one ofthe worst on record. “The most unforgiving weather this

region has ever seen,“ was how General F. Michael Rogers,

AFLC Commander, described the winter which blastedWPA FB and the surrounding vicinity. January 1977 set a

record with an average temperature of I I .6 degrees Fahren-

heit. During the month there were 13 days with tem-

peratures at zero or below. A total of 20.2 inches of snowfall

in January was second only to the record of 34.4 inchesrecorded in January 1918. Temperatures in February regis-

tered 2.9 degrees below normal. As temperatures de-

scended, energy usage ascended, causing a state-wide cri-sis in supplies of natural gas.

Paced by the 2750th C ivil Engineering Squadron and

the 2750th Logistics Squadron, the Air Base Wing exertedextra efforts to keep WPAFB fully operational and to simu l-

taneously help distressed local communities struggling

with blocked roads and frozen water lines. Assistance tolocal communities included delivery of 1,500 gallons of

fresh water to Trotwood, Ohio, where many homes had

frozen pipelines, and the dispatching of snow blowers toClark, Greene, Preble, Clinton, and Fayette Counties.

Water-thawing equipment was loaned to the citie s of Eair-

born, New Carlisle, and Xenia. Water containers weresupplied to M&m&burg, West Milton, and the American

Red Cross. The quality ofthe Civ il Engineering Squadron‘s

assistance to local communities helped the organizationearn the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for the period

Apr il 1, 1976 to March 31, 1977.

As the winter of 1977.1978 approached, early indica-

tors pointed toward a repetition of the 1976.1977 season,and the 2750th ABW made preparations according ly. Fore-

casts proved to be accurate. The 1977.1978 season was

almost as harsh-and decidedly more dramatic. A severeblizzard with 75 mph gusts and 7-12 inches of snow

whipped the Miami Valley, reducing activ ities on base to

minimum essential operations from January 26 to January29. Wright-Patterson was closed to all aircraft t raffic from

4:33 am. January 26 until 4:00 p.m. January 27. The2750th Civ il Engineering Squadron assisted beleaguered

communities within a seven-county area through the loan of

snow removal equipment and military operators.





Emergency measures notwithstanding, snow removal

on base was hampered by insufficient equipment in theactive inventory, espec ially front-end loaders and dump

trucks. The services of commercial contractors wereneeded into mid-February to supplement base efforts to

clear and haul snow from WPAF B streets and parking lots.According to a local newspaper, Dayton’s 1977-1978

snowfall totalled 62.7 inches, bettering the 1976.1977

winter total of 38.8 inches. Both years set new records forthe Dayton area.

The 2750th Logistics Squadron earned the Air Force

Outstanding Unit Award for “exceptionally meritorious

service” for the period from Apri l I, 1977 to March 3 I,1978. The squadron was honored specifically for sustaining

vital base functions during the January 26, 1978 blizzard .

THE 1980s AND BEYOND

Today Wright-Patterson is one of the nation‘s most im-

portant military installations. It is the headquarters for avast, worldwide logis tics system and is a major research

and development center for the United States Air Force.

More than 85 organizations, representing several different

Air Force commands and a host of Department of Defenseorganizations, are located at Wright-Patterson.

By many measures, Wright-Wtterson is the largest,

most diverse, and organizationally complex base in the AirForce. Civilian visitors compare the base to a large indus-

trial park with city-like characteristics. And the base is

steeped in tradition. It has been a leader in military aviationdevelopment from the open cockpit era of the Wright broth-

ers to today’s aerospace age.

From any perspective, Wright-Patterson’s vital statisticsare impressive. It encompasses 8,176 acres of land in

Montgomery and Greene Counties, Ohio, with approx-

imately I.600 buildings on base plus more than 2,300family housing units. The fixed capital assetsof WPAFB in

March 1982 totalled $463583,872, consisting of real es-

tate, utilit ies and ground improvements, and facil ities ateight locations within Kentucky and Ohio.

More than 30,000 people are employed at Wright-Patter-

son, making the base the fifth largest employer in Ohio andthe largest employer at a single location. Included in that

figure are about 16,Mx) Department of the Air Force civ il-

ian employees, 8,000 milita ry, and an additional 6,MlOservice and contractor employees. Nearly one of every

eleven people employed in the greater Dayton area works at

,Wright-Patterson. The fiscal year 1982 payroll to Wright-Patterson employees amounted to $636 million- -equiv-

alent to more than $1.7 million in salaries per day.

The work force payroll is only one indicatorofthe base’simpact on the Dayton-area economy. The importance of the

area defense industry to southwest Ohio is also reflected in

dollars spent by the base on local purchases in the com-munity and in the large flow of government contracts to

local business. In the greater-Dayton area, $53 million was

340

spent on construction, supplies, equipment, and services insupport of Wright-Patterson’s mission in 1982. Another $60

million in military contracts-mostly for research and de-

velopment of sophisticated military hardware-was divid -ed among 30 Dayton-area contractors by various divisions

and laboratories at Wright-Patterson.

Clearly, Wright-fitterson is “big business” for local

communities. The base has traditionally played a signi ti-cant role in the Dayton-area economy. It has acted as a

stabil izing force during years of recession in the auto and

housing industries, and provided stimulation to the localeconomy during periods of increased government spending

for military hardware and research.

Wright-Patterson stands out among U.S. Air Forcebases n many ways. It i s the home of the United States Air

Force Museum, recognized as the largest and most com-

pletc military aviation museum in the world. It is also thehome of the Air Force Institute of Technology and the

Defense Institute of Secur ity A ssistance Management,

which provide professional education for Air Force and

Department of Defense personnel and for military andcivilian representatives of foreign nations. Wright-Patterson

has the third largest medical center in the Air Force. one 01

six regional centers serving more than 40.000 family mem-bers of Department of Defense active duty and military

retirees throughout the northeastern and north central Unit-

ed States.The host organization for Wright-Patte rson AFB is the

2750th Air Base Wing. In addition to providing base sup-

port, the 2750th also operates the largest aircraft tire stor-age and distribution depot in the Air Force. About 50

percent of the tires and tubes distributed DOD-wide are

shipped annually from WPAFB. The 2750th ABW also

offers Wright-Patterson military members and civilian em-ployees one of the largest Morale, Welfare, and Recreation

(MWR) programs in the Air Force. Annual revenue from

the program’s I2 branches and clubs grossed $13. I millionin FY 1982. The Wright-Patterson AFB Aero Club, which

operates as a function of the MWR program, is the largest

and one of the most successful in the Air Force.




Wright-h tterson’s greatest resource is its people, w ho

poss ess a wide range of highly capable skil ls. Wtight-

Patterson employees l ikewise consti tute a s igni f icant re-

sauce far surrounding local comm unit ies. When not work-

ing at theirjobs on base, m any serve as elected non-partisan

off ic ials in the commun it ies where they reside, serve onschool boards and other committees, teach as adjunct pro-

fessors at area univers i ties, save as technical advisors to

local governm ental bodies and industry, and contribute

generously of their time, expertise, and financial resource s

to numerous chari table and comm unity serv ice programs.

In addi tion to their personal comm itments and act iv i t ies,

WPAFB employees col lect ively donate more than $1 mi l -

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB AERO CLUB

The Wright-&%erson AFB Aem C lub is one of the

oldest aero clubs in the Air Force , having been an active

organization on base since the late 194%. The dub ca n also

boast that i t is one of the largest, the most m odem, and the

safest in the Air Force. With over 400 mem bers and 19

aircraft, the club flew a total of 10,240 accide nt-free hours

in 1982.

The primmy purpose of the Aem Club is to make gener-

al aviation flying available to Air For ce military and civil ian

personnel and their fami l ies. Many c lub memb ers,

however, also use Aem Club ai rcraft during temporary duty

(TDY) assignments rather than travel by commercial ai r-

l ines. In addi tion to saving money for the government, such

flights offer conve nience for the traveler and a way to log

additional flying hours.

The “largest” and %ost modem” aspects of the organi-

zat ion date fmm the 1980 Aero Club campaign to increase

membership and expand i ts f leet. The c lub accomp l ished

both aims wi th tremendous success. Membership increased

by nearly 70 percent, and the c lub inventory was expandedwith the purchase of 12 new aircraft from the Piper Aircraft

Corpora tion. This sale represented not only the largest new

aircraft acquisition in Air Force aero club history, b ut also

the largest block sale ever made b y Piper to a govemmen t-

affi l iated club.

34 2

http://www.gl.iit.edu/wadc/History/Huffman/342_bottomright.html

http://www.gl.iit.edu/wadc/History/Huffman/342_bottomleft.html

http://www.gl.iit.edu/wadc/History/Huffman/342topright.html

http://www.gl.iit.edu/wadc/History/Huffman/342_middleleft.html

http://www.gl.iit.edu/wadc/History/Huffman/342topleft.html



34 3

http://www.gl.iit.edu/wadc/History/Huffman/343_bottom.html

http://www.gl.iit.edu/wadc/History/Huffman/343_middleright.html


http://www.gl.iit.edu/wadc/History/Huffman/343_topright.html

http://www.gl.iit.edu/wadc/History/Huffman/343_topleft.html



Youthparticipantsuftk t!xL?DomesticA&m summerencampment

lion to the Combined Federal Campaign each year, whichhelps to support some 147 private and community agencies

locally and nationally.

As an Air Force installation, Wright-F%tterson itself is

also closely involved in community affairs. Annually, thebase supports the Dayton International Airshow and Trade

Exposition at Cox lntemational Airport, a Fire Expo onWPAFB which attracts exhibitors of fire-fighting apparatus

and safety equipment, and AFROK summer Field Train-

ing Encampments for students representing colleges and

unive rsities throughout the nation. The base maintamsclose relations with a wide range of educational Institutions.

The University of Dayton, Sin clair Community College,Central Michigan University, and Park College (main cam-

pus in Parkville, Missouri) offer degree programs on base

from the associate to the masters degree level. Represen-tatives from many other colleges associated with the

Dayton-Miami Valley Consortium of Colleges and Univer-

sities, including Wright State University, the University ofDayton, Wittenberg University, Central State University,

Wilberforce University, and Sinclair Community College,

provide registration services and courses on base for mi!i-

tary and civilian personnel. Youth employment programsfor local high school and college students are coordinated

by the base Equal Employment Opportunity Office. Add i-

tionally, the base participates in cooperative education pro-grams with about 30 colleges and universities nationwide.

Locally, co-op programs are conducted with many of the

universities mentioned above.

Wright-Patterson provides camping facilities for area

Boy Scout and Girl Scout councils and from time to time

hosts regional scouting “jamborees.” Other communityactivities supported period ically by the base include the

Greater-Dayton Soapbox Derby. civilian fly-ins, visits by

civic officials from other Air Force base communities, andvarious sports tournaments. The base also promotes and

supports the Junior ROTC and Civil Air Patrol programs in

local high schools. The Air Force Museum is especiallynoted for hosting a wide variety of special programs

throughout the year, including sympos iums, band concer ts,film festivals, guest lectures, and hot air balloon rallies.

344



http://www.gl.iit.edu/wadc/History/Huffman/344_top.html



34 5


http://www.gl.iit.edu/wadc/History/Huffman/345_topright.html



http://www.gl.iit.edu/wadc/History/Huffman/344_topleft.html



The most important community associa tions the base

holds are with government and civ ic leaders in the sur-

rounding comm unities. Base representa tives meet reg-ularly with local officials to exchange ideas on such issues

as airport zoning, proposed highway systems, citizen con-

cerns, and other subjects of mutual interest. To carry ant its

mission effectively, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base must

depend upon healthy relations and efficient communica-

tions among the base and its immediate neighbors.For the remainder of the 198O s, Wright-Fatterson faces

many challenges. New facilitie s must be constructed to

accommodate modem Ai r Force programs. Current basefacil ities mut be maintained and actively upgraded to meet

the changing needs of a modem Ai r Force installat ion with

many specialized associate organizations.

By June 1982, construction was underway on a $115.3million addition to the USAF Medical Center Wright-

Patterson (scheduled for completion in 1987). Also under

I

346



http://www.gl.iit.edu/wadc/History/Huffman/346_top.html



construction were a major addition to the BiotechnologyLaboratory of the Air Force Aerospace Medical Research

Laboratory. and two new dormitories and a modem gym-

nasium for the Kittyhawk Center.Other new facilities under consideration for the re-

mainder of the decade include a Logistics Air Freight

F’roccssingFacility to replace the existing air freight termi-

nal, the third and final phase of the ASD Materials Labora-tory complex. a Base Conference Center, a Base Hetitage

Center, additional dormitories in the Kittyhawk Center, anda major addition to the U.S. Air Force Museum.

Base ofticials also face many familiar challenges in the

19x0s. Their overall goal remains the same today as it has

been in the past: to provide the support necessary to man-tain Air Force readiness. The challenges are also essentially

the same: rising costs, aging facili ties, and the mandate to

spend public monies wisely and effectively.Wright-Patterson Ai r Force Base looks to the future with

optimism. Wright-Patterson represents a tremendous in-

vestment, not only in terms of phys ical plant, but also interms of technical skills and knowledge. It is these skil ls

and a dedication to exccllencc that have earned Wright-

Patterson its reputation as a significant force in America’s

national defense for over 65 years. The legacy of the Wright

brothers is part of day-to-day lift at Wright-Patterson. It is alegacy which the employees of the base consider a proud

part of their heritage. It is also an enduring foundation for

the role that Wright-Patterson will continue to play in thefuture of the U.S. Air Force and in the life of the Miami

Valley.




WADC/WADD Digital Collection at the Galvin Library, IIT

From Huffman Prairie To The Moon

The History of Wright-Patterson Air force Base

From Huffman Prairie To The Moon - was divided into twelve parts due to

the large size of the document. At the beginning and end of each division we

have included a page to facilitate access to the other parts. In addition we

have provided a link to the entire report. In order to save it, you should right-

click on it and choose save target as. This is considered the best way to

provide digital access to this document.

To continue on to the next part of this document, click here

This document, along with WADC/WADD technical reports, and furtherResearch materials are available from Wright Air Development Center

Digital Collection at the Galvin Library, Illinois Institute of Technology at:




http://www.gl.iit.edu/wadc/index.html



wright-patterson field history

Documents