Oklahoma World War II Army Airfields

During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (AAF) established numerous airfields in Oklahoma for training pilots and aircrews of AAF fighters and bombers or as major maintenance and supply centers.

Oklahoma World War II Army Airfields
Part of World War II
Altus AAF Chickasha AAF Enid AAF Frederick AAF Hatbox AAF Miami MAP Mustang AAF Ponca City MAP Tinker AAF Ardmore AAF Muskogee AAF Will Rogers MAP Woodward AAF Tulsa MAP class=notpageimage| Map Of Oklahoma World War II Army Airfields
Type	Army Airfields
Site history
Built	1940–1944
In use	1940–present

Most of these airfields were under the command of Third Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (a predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command). However other AAF commands, including Second Air Force, Air Technical Service Command (ATSC) and Air Transport Command (ATC) commanded airfields in a support roles.

It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields. Many were converted into municipal airports, some were returned to agriculture and several were retained as United States Air Force installations and were front-line bases during the Cold War. Hundreds of the temporary buildings that were used survive today, and are being used for other purposes.

Major Airfields

Army Air Forces Training Command

• Altus Army Airfield, Altus

  AAF Central Flying Training Command

  2508th Army Air Forces Base Unit

  Now: Altus Air Force Base

• Chickasha Field, Chickasha

  AAF Central Flying Training Command

  2549th Army Air Forces Base Unit

  Now: Chickasha Municipal Airport (IATA: CHK, ICAO: KCHK)

• Cimarron Army Airfield, Cimmaron

  AAF Central Flying Training Command

  2508th Army Air Forces Base Unit

  Now: Clarence E. Page Municipal Airport (IATA: RCE, ICAO: KRCE)

• Enid Army Airfield, Enid

  AAF Central Flying Training Command

  2518th Army Air Forces Base Unit

  Now: Vance Air Force Base

• Frederick Army Airfield, Frederick

  AAF Central Flying Training Command

  2520th Army Air Forces Base Unit

  Now: Frederick Municipal Airport (IATA: FDR, ICAO: KFDR)

• Hatbox Army Airfield, Muskogee

  AAF Central Flying Training Command

  2557th Army Air Forces Base Unit

  Later: Hatbox Field (Closed)

• Miami Municipal Airport, Miami

  AAF Central Flying Training Command

  2556th Army Air Forces Base Unit

  Now: Miami Municipal Airport (IATA: MIO, ICAO: KMIO)

• Mustang Field, El Reno

  Central Flying Training Command

  2554th Army Air Forces Base Unit

  Now: El Reno Regional Airport (IATA: RQO, ICAO: KRQO)

• Ponca City Airport, Ponca City

  Central Flying Training Command

  323d Army Air Forces Flying Training Detachment

  Now: Ponca City Regional Airport (IATA: PNC, ICAO: KPNC)

Air Technical Service Command

• Tinker Field, Oklahoma City

  4136th Army Air Force Base Unit

  Now: Tinker Air Force Base

Second Air Force

• Ardmore Army Airfield, Ardmore

  222d Army Air Forces Base Unit

  Later: Ardmore Air Force Base (IATA: ADM, ICAO: KADM)

  Now: Ardmore Municipal Airport

Third Air Force

• Muskogee Army Airfield, Muskogee

  349th Army Air Forces Base Unit

  Now: Davis Field

• Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma City

  Joint Use USAAF/Civil Airport

  348th Army Air Forces Base Unit

  Now Will Rogers World Airport (IATA: OKC, ICAO: KOKC)

  and Will Rogers Air National Guard Base

• Woodward AAF

  Second Air Force until 1944

  Sub-field of Will Rogers Field

  354th Army Air Forces Base Unit

  Now: West Woodward Airport (IATA: WWR, ICAO: KWWR)

Air Transport Command

• Tulsa Municipal Airport, Tulsa

  582d Army Air Forces Base Unit

  Now: Tulsa International Airport

  and Tulsa Air National Guard Base (IATA: TUL, ICAO: KTUL)

Note: The former Clinton-Sherman Air Force Base, now Clinton-Sherman Industrial Airpark, was originally Naval Air Station Clinton as acquired by the U. S. Navy in 1942. NAS Clinton was closed at the end of World War II and turned over to the City of Clinton. It was on 15 September 1954 that the USAF leased the former NAS Clinton site from the City of Clinton to be used as an Air Force Base.

References

• Maurer, Maurer (ed.), Air Force Combat Units of World War II [1], Office of Air Force History, Washington, D.C., 1961 (reprint 1983) ISBN 0-912799-02-1.
• Military Airfields in World War II - Oklahoma