Hamilton Field (Hamilton AFB) was a
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
base, which was inactivated in 1973, decommissioned in 1974, and put into a caretaker status with the Air Force Reserves until 1976. It was transferred to the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
in 1983 and was designated an Army Airfield until its
BRAC closure in 1988. It is located along the western shore of San Pablo Bay in the southern portion of
Novato
Novato (Spanish for "Novatus") is a city in Marin County, California, in the North Bay region of the Bay Area. At the 2020 census, Novato had a population of 53,225.
History
What is now Novato was originally the site of several Coast Miwok ...
, in
Marin County, California
Marin County is a County (United States), county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 262,231. Its county seat and ...
.
History
Hamilton Field was named after First Lieutenant
Lloyd Andrews Hamilton
First Lieutenant Lloyd Andrews Hamilton (13 June 1894 – 24 August 1918) was a World War I flying ace credited with ten aerial victories. During five months of 1918 he became an ace with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and then again with the United S ...
of the
17th Aero Squadron
The 17th Aero Squadron was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front during World War I.
As a Day Pursuit (Fighter) Squadron. its mission was to engage and clear enemy aircraft from the skies and provide escort to ...
. Hamilton was awarded the
Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries.
*Distinguished Service Cross (Australia)
The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is a military decoration awarded to ...
for "extraordinary heroism in action" in
Varsenare Varsenare is a town in Jabbeke, part of Flanders and Belgium. Its postal code is 8490.
See also
*West Flanders
)
, settlement_type = Province of Belgium
, image_flag = Flag of West Flanders.svg
, flag_size ...
, Belgium, where he led a low level bombing attack on a German airdrome behind enemy lines on August 13, 1918. Thirteen days later, Hamilton died in action near
Lagnicourt
Lagnicourt-Marcel is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France.
Geography
A farming village situated southeast of Arras, at the junction of the D18, D14 and the D5 roads.
Population
Places of interest ...
, France.
Origins
What would eventually become Hamilton Air Force Base has its origins in the late 1920s, when the airfield was first established. It was first unofficially named; the Marin County Air Field, Marin Airfield, Marin Meadows Air Field, and the Army Air Base at Marin Meadows. It was officially termed from 1929 until 1932 the "Air Corps Station, San Rafael." With formal development beginning, it was named Hamilton Field on July 12, 1932.
Construction of the airfield began about July 1, 1932, with the airfield being originally designed to accommodate four bomb squadrons and their personnel. Captain Don L. Hutchins, later Colonel Don L. Hutchins in WWII, of the
Army Air Corps Army Air Corps may refer to the following army aviation corps:
* Army Air Corps (United Kingdom), the army aviation element of the British Army
* Philippine Army Air Corps (1935–1941)
* United States Army Air Corps (1926–1942), or its p ...
reported on duty as the first commanding officer of the new field on June 25, 1933, and Captain John M. Davies' 70th Service Squadron arrived that December as the first squadron assigned to the base.
The Hamilton Field Station Complement replaced the 70th Service Squadron on March 1, 1935. The original construction program was completed on May 12, 1935, at which time the field was ceremonially handed over to
Brigadier General Henry 'Hap' Arnold, commanding the
1st Wing, by Governor
Frank Merriam
Frank Finley Merriam (December 22, 1865 – April 25, 1955) was an American Republican politician who served as the 28th governor of California from June 2, 1934 until January 2, 1939. Assuming the governorship at the height of the Great Depress ...
of
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
.
The
U.S. Weather Bureau had an official cooperative weather station on the base from 1934 to 1964.
Bomber mission
Hamilton Field was originally a bomber installation. On May 5, 1934, the first planes assigned to Hamilton were
Martin B-10 and B-12 bombers of the
7th Bombardment Group, having been transferred from
March Airfield. Shortly thereafter,
amphibious
Amphibious means able to use either land or water. In particular it may refer to:
Animals
* Amphibian, a vertebrate animal of the class Amphibia (many of which live on land and breed in water)
* Amphibious caterpillar
* Amphibious fish, a fish ...
reconnaissance aircraft
A reconnaissance aircraft (colloquially, a spy plane) is a military aircraft designed or adapted to perform aerial reconnaissance with roles including collection of imagery intelligence (including using photography), signals intelligence, as ...
of the 88th Observation Squadron were assigned to Hamilton.
The B-12 bombers housed at Hamilton Field were phased out in 1937, and the 7th Bomb Group was re-equipped with the
Douglas B-18 Bolo
The Douglas B-18 Bolo is an American heavy bomber which served with the United States Army Air Corps and the Royal Canadian Air Force (as the Digby) during the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company f ...
. The B-18 was a standard two-engine short-range bomber, and was capable of
airlift
An airlift is the organized delivery of supplies or personnel primarily via military transport aircraft.
Airlifting consists of two distinct types: strategic and tactical. Typically, strategic airlifting involves moving material long distanc ...
ing combat-equipped troops en masse, an important advance in combat techniques at the time.
The next step forward in bomber technology was the development of the
Boeing
The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product ...
B-17 Flying Fortress
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...
, a four-engine airplane that was bigger, faster, and heavier than any previous bomber and required a longer and stronger runway to operate. Because the runway at Hamilton Field was not adequate for the B-17, the larger planes had to go elsewhere. In 1939, the 7th Bombardment Group was designated a "heavy" bomb group and was moved to
Fort Douglas
Camp Douglas was established in October 1862, during the American Civil War, as a small military garrison about three miles east of Salt Lake City, Utah, to protect the overland mail route and telegraph lines along the Central Overland Route. In ...
,
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
on September 7, 1940, to train with B-17s.
Fighter mission
Hamilton became a fighter base under the USAAC Air Force Combat Command in December 1940, becoming the home of the 9th, 10th and
11th Pursuit Wings. The 9th PW was reassigned from
March Field
March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of Ma ...
, bringing the 14th and 51st squadrons equipped with the
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground-attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time an ...
. Two other pursuit wings, the 10th, with the 20th and 35th Pursuit Groups, and the 11th, with the 51st, 54th and 55th Pursuit Groups, were activated at Hamilton in December 1940, all equipped with P-40s, the
Republic P-43 Lancer
The Republic P-43 Lancer was a single-engine, all-metal, low-wing monoplane fighter aircraft built by Republic, first delivered to the United States Army Air Corps in 1940. A proposed development was the P-44 Rocket. While not a particularly ...
, and a scattering of older
Curtis P-36 Mohawks.
The arrival of the pursuit wings and their crews caused crowding at the base and initiated the first of many housing problems. Hamilton was assigned to the USAAC
4th Air Force
The Fourth Air Force (4 AF) is a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California.
4 AF directs the activities and supervises the training of more than 30,000 Air Force Reserv ...
, on December 7, 1941, and the airfield was designated an air defense base for the West Coast as part of the
Western Defense Command
Western Defense Command (WDC) was established on 17 March 1941 as the command formation of the United States Army responsible for coordinating the defense of the Pacific Coast region of the United States during World War II. A second major respo ...
on January 5, 1942.
Attack on Pearl Harbor
In response to the growing crisis in the Pacific, on December 6, 1941, the
38th Reconnaissance Squadron
The 38th Reconnaissance Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It is a part of the 55th Wing at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. It operates the Boeing RC-135 aircraft conducting reconnaissance missions.
Mission
The mission of the 38th R ...
(
30th Bombardment Group) with four B-17Cs and two new B-17Es left Hamilton Field bound for
Hickam Field Hickam may refer to:
;Surname
*Homer Hickam (born 1943), American author, Vietnam veteran, and a former NASA engineer
** October Sky: The Homer Hickam Story, 1999 American biographical film
*Horace Meek Hickam (1885–1934), pioneer airpower advoca ...
,
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
on their way to
Clark Field
Clark is an English language surname, ultimately derived from the Latin with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educate ...
in the Philippines to reinforce the American
Far East Air Force there. None were armed. After leaving Hamilton, and flying all through the night, the bombers arrived over
Oahu
Oahu () (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering place#Island of Oʻahu as The Gathering Place, Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over t ...
on the morning of December 7, 1941, and faced an unusual welcome. The B-17s had arrived over Oahu during the Japanese air attack on Hawaii which triggered American entry into
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. They arrived at
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...
at the height of the attack (radar operators mistakenly thought that the Japanese attack force was this flight arriving from California). Two of the planes managed to land at a short fighter strip at Haliewa, one made a belly-landing at Bellows, one set down on the Kahuku Golf Course, and the remainder landed at Hickam under the strafing of Japanese planes.
The B-17Es of the 7th Bombardment Group were moved back to Hamilton from Utah for deployment to the
Far East
The ''Far East'' was a European term to refer to the geographical regions that includes East and Southeast Asia as well as the Russian Far East to a lesser extent. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.
The ter ...
. Six of them arrived in Hawaii just after the Pearl Harbor attack, but the rest of them were ordered to remain in California and were sent south to
Muroc AAF near
Rosamond
Rosamond is a feminine given name, which may refer to:
People
*Rosamond Carr (1912–2006), American humanitarian and author
*Rosamund Clifford (before 1150 – c. 1176), English mistress of King Henry II
* Rosamond Langbridge (1880–1964), Irish ...
.
World War II
During World War II, Hamilton was an important West Coast air training facility. Its mission was that of an initial training base for newly formed fighter groups. The airfield was rapidly expanded to a wartime status, with construction of additional barracks, mess halls, administration buildings, warehouses, Link trainer buildings, schools, hospital and other structures.
The following units trained at Hamilton:
![P-39N Airacobra of the 357th Fighter Group at Hamilton Field in July 1943](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/P-39N_Airacobra_of_the_357th_Fighter_Group_at_Hamilton_Field_in_July_1943.jpg)
Auxiliary training fields used by Hamilton Field during World War II were:
*
Montague Air Force Auxiliary Field
The Montague Airport , also known as Yreka Rohrer Field , is located on the west side of Montague, California, United States. It is owned by the City of Montague.
History
The municipal airport at Montague was created at its present location in ...
*
Napa Army Airfield
*
Willows Municipal Airport
*
Redding Army Airfield
Redding Regional Airport , formerly Redding Municipal Airport, is 6 miles (10 km) southeast of Redding in Shasta County, California, United States. It is one of two airports in Redding, along with Benton Airpark. In addition to general av ...
*
Siskiyou County Army Airfield
In addition, the
Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command (ATC) was a United States Air Force unit that was created during World War II as the strategic airlift component of the United States Army Air Forces.
It had two main missions, the first being the delivery of supplies and ...
(ATC) used Hamilton as a major aerial port and transshipment facility for troops and cargo heading to the Pacific and CBI Theaters. The ATC West Coast Wing was headquartered at the airfield, with the
64th Transport Group being assigned early in 1942.
The 1503rd AAF Base Unit was also stationed here.
Postwar use
In the initial postwar years, Hamilton remained Air Transport Command's primary West Coast facility until 1948 when
Military Air Transport Service
The Military Air Transport Service (MATS) is an inactive Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy's Naval Air Transport Service (NATS) and the United States Air Force's ...
(MATS) moved most activities to nearby
Travis AFB
Travis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command (AMC), located three miles (5 km) east of the central business district of the city of Fairfield, in Solano County, Californi ...
. During this time Hamilton functioned also as a major separation center for returning troops. MATS, and later Military Airlift Command (MAC), retained a presence at Hamilton through the
Air Force Reserve
The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a MAJCOM, major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of ...
, which based several Air Transport, and later Military Airlift wings at the base until it closed in 1976.
Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...
also assigned several reserve reconnaissance groups to Hamilton in the late 1940s, flying photographic missions with
RB-29 Superfortresses.
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 J ...
assigned the
F-84 Thunderjet
The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 first flew in 1946. Although it entered service in 1947, the Thu ...
-equipped
349th Fighter-Bomber Wing in the mid-1950s to Hamilton also as part of its reserve forces.
However, the new
Air Defense Command
Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), command of the United States Air Force, responsible for continental air defense. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air Defense Command, was est ...
, was the major presence at Hamilton after World War II, using the base as headquarters for the air defense of the Pacific Coast. The base went through a series of command redesignations during this period. In the
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
reorganization of 1946 it was assigned to
Air Defense Command
Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), command of the United States Air Force, responsible for continental air defense. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air Defense Command, was est ...
(ADC). Later, in 1948 the base was assigned to
Continental Air Command
Continental Air Command (ConAC) (1948–1968) was a Major Command of the United States Air Force (USAF) responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.
During the Korean War, ConAC provided the necessary au ...
(CONAC), then back to
Air Defense Command
Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), command of the United States Air Force, responsible for continental air defense. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air Defense Command, was est ...
in 1951, then, as its usefulness waned, to the
Air Force Reserve
The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a MAJCOM, major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of ...
in 1973.
325th Fighter Group/Wing
![317th FAWS North American F-82F Twin Mustang 46-418 with F-94 Starfires](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/317th_FAWS_North_American_F-82F_Twin_Mustang_46-418_with_F-94_Starfires.jpg)
The initial Air Defense Command major unit at Hamilton was the
325th Fighter Group
3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...
which was reassigned from
Mitchel AAF,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
on April 9, 1947. Squadrons of the 325th FG were the 317th and 318th Fighter Squadrons, both being initially equipped with the Northrop
P-61 Black Widow
The Northrop P-61 Black Widow is a twin-engine United States Army Air Forces fighter aircraft of World War II. It was the first operational U.S. warplane designed as a night fighter, and the first aircraft designed specifically as a night fight ...
. The units mission was air defense training missions along the West Coast.
In the immediate postwar years, the Black Widow was pressed into service as an air defense interceptor in response to the USAAF's problems in developing a useful jet-powered night/all-weather fighter. The war-weary P-61s were soon replaced in May 1948 by the North American
F-82F Twin Mustang
The North American F-82 Twin Mustang is the last American piston-engined fighter ordered into production by the United States Air Force. Based on the North American P-51 Mustang, the F-82 was originally designed as a long-range escort fighter ...
, and on May 10 the Wing and component groups and squadrons were redesignated as ''All Weather''. The 325th was the first Air Defense Command group to receive the F-82.
The 325th Fighter Wing (All Weather) also was established on May 10, 1948, as part of the "one base, one wing" concept, with the 325th Fighter Group becoming a subordinate unit of the wing. The unit was transferred on June 27, 1948, to
Moses Lake AFB,
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
for the purpose of defending the
Hanford Nuclear site
The Hanford Site is a decommissioned nuclear production complex operated by the United States federal government on the Columbia River in Benton County, Washington, Benton County in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. The site h ...
.
78th Fighter Wing
![78th fighter wg air defense](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/78th_fighter_wg_air_defense.jpg)
With the departure of the 325th for Washington, the
78th Fighter Wing
The 78th Air Base Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force stationed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. The 78th acts as the host unit at Robins.
The wing was first activated as the 78th Fighter Wing in September 1948 as part of the wing ...
was activated at Hamilton on November 16, 1948, with the 78th Fighter Group being reassigned from Mitchel AFB as its subordinate operational unit. During World War II, the 78th Fighter Group trained at Hamilton with
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive tw ...
s in 1942 and served as part of its air defense organization. Although briefly inactivated between 1952 and 1956, the 78th Fighter Wing was the host unit at Hamilton until it was inactivated in 1969.
The 78th Fighter Group's initial operational fighter squadrons were the
82d,
83d, and
84th (Jet). The 82d and 83d squadrons were equipped with
F-51D Mustangs, while the 84th flew the
Republic F-84B Thunderstreak. As its predecessor, the 325th, the mission of the 78th Fighter Wing was the air defense of the Pacific coast. The wing and subordinate units were redesignated as the 78th Fighter-Interceptor Wing on January 20, 1950.
The first production Northrop
F-89B Scorpion interceptor was accepted by the USAF during February 1951, and entered service with the 84th Fighter Interceptor Squadron. However, in retrospect, the F-89B was rushed into squadron service too rapidly. There were not enough trained pilots and radar operators, and there were not enough maintenance personnel who knew the intricacies of the complex and troublesome Hughes E-1 fire control system. The in-service rate of the F-89B was appallingly low, and crashes were all too frequent.
In 1949, the ADC
Western Air Defense Force
The Western Air Defense Force (WADF) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command being stationed at Hamilton Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on July 1, 1960.
History
WADF ...
(WADF) was established at Hamilton on September 1 and the
28th Air Division
The 28th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Tactical Air Command at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It was inactivated on 29 May 1992.
History
Established in December 1 ...
(28th AD) was activated December 8. The WADF was responsible for the air defense of the Western United States, and controlled air defense units in
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
,
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
,
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
,
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
,
Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...
,
Wyoming
Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...
,
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
,
Montana
Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...
and
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
. Its subordinate 28th AD controlled the operational air defense Groups and Squadrons.
566th Air Defense Group
![F-106-84fis](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/F-106-84fis.jpg)
As part of a reorganization of Air Defense Command, on February 6, 1952, the 78th FIW was inactivated and in its place, the
4702d Defense Wing
The 4702nd Defense Wing (Def Wg) is a discontinued wing of the United States Air Force, last assigned to the 25th Air Division at Geiger Field, Washington. It was established in 1952 at Hamilton AFB, California in a general reorganization of Air De ...
stood up at Hamilton. The 4702d was a placeholder unit until the
566th Air Defense Group
The 566th Air Defense Group is a disbanded unit of the United States Air Force. Its last assignment was with the 28th Air Division at Hamilton Air Force Base, California where it was inactivated on 18 August 1955. The group was originally activat ...
of the
28th Air Division
The 28th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Tactical Air Command at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It was inactivated on 29 May 1992.
History
Established in December 1 ...
assumed control of the base on November 7, 1952. Units of the 566th ADG at Hamilton were:
*
83d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (February 6, 1952 – August 18, 1955) (F-86F)
*
84th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (February 6, 1952 – August 18, 1955) (F-86F)
*
325th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
The 325th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to Air Defense Command at Truax Field, Wisconsin, where it was inactivated on 25 June 1966.
The squadron was first active as a training unit duri ...
(April 1954 – August 18, 1955) (F-86D)
*: Reassigned from
Travis AFB
Travis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command (AMC), located three miles (5 km) east of the central business district of the city of Fairfield, in Solano County, Californi ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
*
496th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
The 496th Tactical Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe, 50th Tactical Fighter Wing, being stationed at Hahn Air Base, Germany. The squadron was inactivated on 15 ...
(March 20, 1953 – August 1954) (F-86D)
When the 78th FIW was inactivated, the 82d FIS was transferred to the 4703d Defense Wing at
Larson AFB
Larson Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located five miles (8 km) northwest of the central business district (CBD) of Moses Lake, in Grant County, Washington. After its closure in 1966, the airport facility became G ...
,
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
.
During its time at Hamilton, the 325th FIS sponsored the "Sabre Knights" aerial demonstration team. In August 1955 the 325th unit designation was transferred to Truax Field,
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...
.
The 496th FIS was activated on March 20, 1953, as a fighter-interceptor squadron at Hamilton as part of the west coast air defense forces. Partially equipped at first with six F-51Ds, the squadron soon transitioned to F-86D aircraft and prepared to move to Europe. In August 1954 the 496th FIS was transferred to
Hahn Air Base
Hahn Air Base was a United States Air Force installation near Lautzenhausen in Germany for over 40 years. The major unit was the United States Air Force's 50th Tactical Fighter Wing during most of the years it was active.
It was originally buil ...
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
to stand air defense alert. Although based at Hahn, the 496th FIS was assigned to the
USAFE 86th Fighter-Interceptor Wing
The 86th Airlift Wing (86 AW) is a United States Air Force wing, currently assigned to the Third Air Force, United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa. The 86th AW is stationed at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
The wing's primary mi ...
at
Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base or Ramstein AB is a United States Air Force base in Rhineland-Palatinate, a state in southwestern Germany. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and also ...
.
On August 18, 1955, the 78th Fighter Group (Air Defense) was reactivated at Hamilton under the 28th AD with the 83d and 84th Fighter-Interceptor Squadrons flying F-86D Sabres.
78th Fighter Wing (Air Defense)
In 1956, it was decided to elevate the operational units at Hamilton back to a Wing level, and the 566th ADG was inactivated, and the 78th was redesignated as the 78th Fighter Wing (Air Defense) on September 14, being reactivated on October 18. The reactivated wing consisted of the 83d and 84th Fighter-Interceptor Squadrons.
F-86Ds
The 78th Fighter Wing was initially equipped with the North American F-86D interceptor version of the Sabre. Although, in reality it was a quite different aircraft than the F-86H model, the predominant version used after the
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
. In the late 1950s, the F-86D served as the main air defense weapon against Soviet bomber attacks. In retrospect, the Soviet bomber threat was grossly exaggerated, but it cannot be denied that the presence of the F-86D interceptor was an important deterrent.
F-104As
The Lockheed F-104A had originally been scheduled to replace the
North American F-100 Super Sabres of the
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 J ...
beginning in 1956. However, by the time that the F-104A was finally ready for delivery, Air Force requirements had changed. The Starfighter's relatively low endurance and its lack of ability to carry a significant offensive weapons load made it no longer suitable for TAC. Consequently, the TAC lost all interest in the F-104A even before it was scheduled to enter service.
This might ordinarily have been the end of the line for the F-104A. However, delays in the delivery and development of the
Convair F-106A Delta Dart
The Convair F-106 Delta Dart was the primary all-weather interceptor aircraft of the United States Air Force from the 1960s through to the 1980s. Designed as the so-called "Ultimate Interceptor", it proved to be the last specialist interceptor i ...
Mach 2+ fighter-interceptor for ADC Command had at that time become worrisome, and the USAF decided to go ahead and accept the F-104As originally destined for the TAC and assign them to the ADC as a stopgap measure.
The selection of the F-104A for the ADC was sort of curious, since it had not been originally designed as an interceptor and it lacked an adequate endurance and had no all-weather capability. However, its high climb rate made it attractive to the ADC and it was hoped that the Starfighter could fill in until the F-106 became available.
First to get the F-104A was the
83rd Fighter Interceptor Squadron 83rd may refer to:
*83rd Academy Awards, a ceremony that honored the best films of 2010 in the United States and took place on February 27, 2011
*83rd Grey Cup, the 1995 Canadian Football League championship game
*83rd meridian east, a line of lon ...
at Hamilton, replacing the F-86Ds and became operational with the type on February 20, 1958. In October 1958, twelve F-104As of the 83rd FIS were crated and airlifted by
C-124
The Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, nicknamed "Old Shaky", is an American heavy-lift cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California.
The C-124 was the primary heavy-lift transport for United States Air Force (USAF ...
transport to
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
, where they served temporarily with the
Republic of China Air Force
The Republic of China Air Force, retroactively known by its historical name the Chinese Air Force and unofficially referred to as the Taiwanese Air Force, is the military aviation branch of the Republic of China Armed Forces, currently based i ...
during the Quemoy crisis. The crisis was peacefully resolved, and the aircraft were returned to the USA.
The F-104A was not very well suited for service as an interceptor. Its low range was a problem for North American air defense, and its lack of all-weather capability made it incapable of operating in conjunction with the SAGE (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment) system. The F-104As were replaced by the end of 1960 by more heavily armed all-weather McDonnell
F-101B Voodoos. The F-104As were then transferred in 1960 to
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...
squadrons.
F-101B/Fs
With the relative failure of the F-104A in the interceptor role, the 84th FIS was re-equipped with the McDonnell F-101B Voodoo in 1959 and the 83d FIS in 1960. The F-101Bs were modified versions of the SAC F-101A nuclear attack aircraft (designed for one-way missions carrying tactical nuclear weapons) by modifying the avionics systems and fire control systems for air-to-air missiles. The last F-101Bs were delivered in March 1961, and once the teething troubles with its fire control system issues were corrected, the F-101B proved to be a quite successful interceptor. However, it was outshone by the faster and more maneuverable Convair F-106A Delta Dart when that interceptor finally entered service.
Along with the F-101Bs, the dual-seat F-101F trainer was also flown at Hamilton. F-101Fs were equipped with dual controls, but carried the same armament as the F-101B and were fully combat-capable.
F-106As
The Convair F-106A Delta Dart replaced the F-101 at Hamilton during 1968. The F-106 was considered by many as being the finest all-weather interceptor ever built. It served with the 84th FIS until 1987, nearly 20 years. On September 30, 1968, the 498th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was transferred to Hamilton from Paine AFLD,
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
and was inactivated, with its F-106s being reassigned to the 84th FIS.
NORAD
On April 1, 1966, in addition to reactivating the
Fourth Air Force
The Fourth Air Force (4 AF) is a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California.
4 AF directs the activities and supervises the training of more than 30,000 Air Force Reser ...
, U.S. Air Force, the Headquarters Western
NORAD
North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD ), known until March 1981 as the North American Air Defense Command, is a combined organization of the United States and Canada that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and protection ...
Region (North American Air Defense Command) was activated at Hamilton AFB. This headquarters was not only responsible for the aerospace defense of 11 western states, but also controlled defense forces in two western Canadian provinces. NORAD was a joint U.S. Air Force/Royal Canadian Air Force (Canadian Forces after February 1968) organization. The new Western NORAD Region command combined the 25th, 26th and 27th NORAD Divisions, which were headquartered at
McChord AFB
McChord Field is a United States Air Force base in the northwest United States, in Pierce County, Washington. South of Tacoma, McChord Field is the home of the 62d Airlift Wing, Air Mobility Command, the field's primary mission being worldwi ...
Washington,
Corvallis Oregon
Corvallis ( ) is a city and the county seat of Benton County in central western Oregon, United States. It is the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2020 United ...
, and
Luke AFB
Luke Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States., effective 20 December 2007 It is located west of the central business district of Glendale, and west of Phoenix.
Luke AFB is a major training ...
Arizona, respectively. West coast radar stations were under the command of headquarters at Hamilton AFB. Data was fed to the NORAD SAGE Combat Center (SCC-5) blockhouse at HAFB via the
Semi Automatic Ground Environment
The Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) was a system of large computers and associated networking equipment that coordinated data from many radar sites and processed it to produce a single unified image of the airspace over a wide area. S ...
(SAGE) system. The SAGE Combat Center utilized a three-string AN/GSA-51 computer system. Headquarters Western NORAD Region was inactivated at Hamilton Air Force Base on December 31, 1969.
1st Fighter Wing (Air Defense)
![1st Fighter Wing](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/1st_Fighter_Wing.png)
On December 31, 1969, the
1st Fighter Wing (Air Defense) was reassigned from
Selfridge AFB, Michigan
Selfridge Air National Guard Base or Selfridge ANGB is an Air National Guard installation located in Harrison Township, Michigan, near Mount Clemens. Selfridge Field was one of thirty-two Air Service training camps established after the Unit ...
as a result of its closing, replacing the 78th Fighter-Interceptor Wing which was inactivated. Its operational squadron was the 84th Fighter Interceptor Squadron which was reassigned from the inactivating 78th FIW. The 84th FIS continued to fly the F-106.
At Hamilton the 1st FW was an administrative organization of the ADC
26th Air Division
The 26th Air Division (26th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Tactical Air Command, assigned to First Air Force, being stationed at March Air Force Base, California. It was inacti ...
. Although an Air Defense Command wing since the founding of ADC in 1946, the 1st Fighter Wing had long and deep traditions as a Tactical Air organization since its
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
origin in 1918. As the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
wound down, Headquarters
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 J ...
was directed to preserve the lineage of many units which had command-controlled designations that gave them no history or traditions. HQ ADC transferred the 1st FW without personnel or equipment to TAC on October 1, 1970 to replace and absorb all assets of the
15th Tactical Fighter Wing
15 (fifteen) is the natural number following 14 and preceding 16.
Mathematics
15 is:
* A composite number, and the sixth semiprime; its proper divisors being , and .
* A deficient number, a smooth number, a lucky number, a pernicious nu ...
at
MacDill Air Force Base
MacDill Air Force Base (MacDill AFB) is an active United States Air Force installation located 4 miles (6.4 km) south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida.
The "host wing" for MacDill AFB is the 6th Air Refueling Wing (6 ARW), assig ...
,
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
.
26th Air Division (ADC/ADTAC)
![USAF 26th Air Division Crest](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/USAF_26th_Air_Division_Crest.jpg)
With the transfer of the 1st FW, the 84th FIS continued to operate at Hamilton until August 30, 1973 directly under the
Aerospace Defense Command
Aerospace Defense Command was a major command of the United States Air Force, responsible for continental air defense. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air Defense Command, was established in 1946, briefly inac ...
s 26th Air Division.
The 84th FIS was reassigned to
Castle Air Force Base
Castle Air Force Base (Castle AFB, 1941–1995) is a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base in California, located northeast of Atwater, northwest of Merced, and about south of Sacramento.
The Central Valley base in uni ...
near
Merced, California
Merced (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Mercy") is a city in, and the county seat of, Merced County, California, Merced County, California, United States, in the San Joaquin Valley. As of the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 86,333, up ...
on September 1, 1973, as part of Hamilton's closedown, transferring its F-106s and effectively ending the air defense role of Hamilton AFB.
At Castle, the 84th FIS continued to fill the Air Defense role throughout the 1970s, eventually retiring its F-106s in 1981. The squadron was redesignated the 84th Fighter Interceptor Training Squadron on July 1, 1981, flying T-33s as its primary aircraft for live electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM) training. Participated in live flying exercises as targets for various
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 J ...
ADTAC air divisions and for the F-15s of the 49th TFW at Holloman AFB, New Mexico. The 84th FITS also flew target missions for the weapons controller training program.
The 84th FITS was inactivated on February 27, 1987.
United States Air Force Reserve Units
349th Military Airlift Wing
Along with its air defense mission, Hamilton AFB was Headquarters for the
349th Military Airlift Wing, an
Air Force Reserve
The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a MAJCOM, major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of ...
unit which was activated on May 10, 1949, and operated at Hamilton through July 25, 1969 with the exception of a brief period during 1951/52. The wing was assigned to
Continental Air Command
Continental Air Command (ConAC) (1948–1968) was a Major Command of the United States Air Force (USAF) responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.
During the Korean War, ConAC provided the necessary au ...
(ConAC), however when activated the wing was allocated to
Military Air Transport Service
The Military Air Transport Service (MATS) is an inactive Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy's Naval Air Transport Service (NATS) and the United States Air Force's ...
/
Military Airlift Command
The Military Airlift Command (MAC) is an inactive United States Air Force major command (MAJCOM) that was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Established on 1 January 1966, MAC was the primary strategic airlift organization of the ...
.
The 349th was bestowed the history and lineage of the
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
349th Troop Carrier Group, which had been part of the
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint De ...
IX Troop Carrier Command
The IX Troop Carrier Command was a United States Army Air Forces unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Greenville Army Air Base, South Carolina. It was inactivated on 31 March 1946. As a component command of the Ninth ...
in Europe. Units attached to the 349th MAW (under various designations) were the 349th Troop Carrier Group, Medium (June 27, 1949 – April 2, 1951) and 310th, 311th, 312th and 313th Troop Carrier Squadrons. It was known as the "Golden Gate Wing" and flew the
Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando
The Curtiss C-46 Commando is a twin-engine transport aircraft derived from the Curtiss CW-20 pressurised high-altitude airliner design. Early press reports used the name "Condor III" but the Commando name was in use by early 1942 in company pub ...
. During the
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
, the reserve personnel of the 349th were called to active duty and used as fillers in other wings that were not up to combat strength. Consequently, the 349th TCW was inactivated on April 2, 1951.
349th Fighter-Bomber Wing
With the reconstruction of reserve forces on May 26, 1952, the unit was reorganized as a
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 J ...
fighter-bomber wing and it was reactivated on June 13 as the 349th Fighter-Bomber Wing. Its operational squadrons were the 310th, 312th, 313th, 313th and 8649th squadrons (August 20, 1954 – February 6, 1956). As a tactical fighter-bomber wing, the 349th flew the
North American F-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team headed by James H ...
(1952–1954),
Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star
The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star was the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II. Designed and built by Lockheed in 1943 and delivered just 143 days from the start of design, prod ...
(1952–1956), and the
Republic F-84 Thunderstreak (1956–1957).
349th Troop Carrier/Military Airlift Wing
In September 1957, the unit was redesignated as the 349th Troop Carrier Wing, Medium, with the following squadrons: (97th, 312th, 313th,
314th Troop Carrier Squadrons) and assigned to Tactical Air Command.
The 349th flew the
Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar
The Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar (Navy and Marine Corps designation R4Q) was an American military transport aircraft developed from the World War II-era Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter patients, and mechani ...
. The wing was ordered to active service on October 28, 1962, during the
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis (of 1962) ( es, Crisis de Octubre) in Cuba, the Caribbean Crisis () in Russia, or the Missile Scare, was a 35-day (16 October – 20 November 1962) confrontation between the United S ...
. The 349th, like the other reserve troop carrier wings, was completely equipped and ready to move with only a few hours notice as was the case during the Cuban call-up. Only four hours after the first call to report for duty was made, 95 percent of the wing's flying personnel had checked in and were ready to move. With the cessation of the crisis, the wing was relieved from active duty on November 28.
The 349th was redesignated the 349th Military Airlift Wing on June 1, 1966, when the unit was reallocated to
Military Airlift Command
The Military Airlift Command (MAC) is an inactive United States Air Force major command (MAJCOM) that was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Established on 1 January 1966, MAC was the primary strategic airlift organization of the ...
. The Wing controlled four (921st, 938th, 939th and 941st) airlift groups.
The unit flew the
Douglas C-124 Globemaster II
The Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, nicknamed "Old Shaky", is an American heavy-lift cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California.
The C-124 was the primary heavy-lift transport for United States Air Force (USAF ...
. A recall to active duty was again initiated on January 26, 1968, in response to the seizure of the
USS Pueblo by
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...
. During the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
, the wing airlifted many thousands of tons of cargo across the Pacific to support U.S. forces throughout the
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
and Pacific theaters of operations, as well as points in Europe and the Middle East.
On July 25, 1969, the 349th MAW was transferred to
Travis AFB
Travis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command (AMC), located three miles (5 km) east of the central business district of the city of Fairfield, in Solano County, Californi ...
.
452d Military/Tactical Airlift Wing
On January 1, 1972, the Air Force reassigned the
Air Force Reserve
The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a MAJCOM, major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of ...
's
452d Military Airlift Wing from
March AFB
March Air Reserve Base (March ARB), previously known as March Air Force Base (March AFB) is located in Riverside County, California between the cities of Riverside, Moreno Valley, and Perris. It is the home to the Air Force Reserve Command's Fo ...
, California to Hamilton AFB. At Hamilton, the wing converted to
C-130B Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally desig ...
on April 1, was redesignated the 452d Tactical Airlift Wing (452 TAW). In October 1973, the 452 TAW became the "host wing" for Hamilton AFB. As a result of the base closure decision regarding Hamilton, the 452 TAW transferred back to
March AFB
March Air Reserve Base (March ARB), previously known as March Air Force Base (March AFB) is located in Riverside County, California between the cities of Riverside, Moreno Valley, and Perris. It is the home to the Air Force Reserve Command's Fo ...
in 1976 for redesignation as the 452nd Air Refueling Wing (452 ARW) and transition to the
KC-135E Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It is the predominant variant of the C-135 Stratolifter family of transport ...
.
Closure
The active Air Force ceased its activities on the base after October 1, 1973, when the 452d was relieved of host base responsibility, with most of the flight line facilities being transferred to the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
. The National Strike Force's
Pacific Strike Team of the
U.S. Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mul ...
took up residence in two of the historic hangars. The housing was transferred to the
U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...
and a parcel of the base was transferred to the
General Services Administration
The General Services Administration (GSA) is an independent agency of the United States government established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. GSA supplies products and communications for U.S. gover ...
(GSA) for public sale.
The 452d TAW operated at a low level of activity until January 11, 1976, when an agreement was finally reached to close Hamilton as part of the post-Vietnam War drawdown of the military. The base was placed in a caretaker status on that date pending final disposition. A controversy then developed over future civilian use between those supporting its adaptation into a major civilian airport, those bitterly opposed to its continued use as an airfield at all, and those holding varying intermediate degrees of opinion.
From 1980 to 1983, Hamilton AFB was home to the Refugee Transit Center, an operation of the
International Organization for Migration
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is a United Nations agency that provides services and advice concerning migration to governments and migrants, including internally displaced persons, refugees, and migrant workers.
The IOM was ...
for the processing of refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Afghanistan. Three former Air Force barracks were used as temporary housing, in addition to three other smaller buildings for administration. As many as 180,000 refugees were given overnight rest at Hamilton before moving on to other parts of the country.
The GSA public sale occurred in 1985, and finally, in December 1988, the
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) is a process by a United States federal government commission to increase United States Department of Defense efficiency by coordinating the realignment and closure of military installations following the end o ...
(BRAC) Commission recommended closure of the last of government land at what was then called Hamilton Army Airfield. In 1995, the acreage held by the Army was transferred to the New Hamilton Partnership and public/private redevelopment of the former air base commenced; the name was soon changed back to its original "Hamilton Field." As a consequence of BRAC 1993's closure decisions regarding all of the U.S. Navy's San Francisco area bases (
NAS Alameda
Naval Air Station Alameda (NAS Alameda) was a United States Navy Naval Air Station in Alameda, California, on San Francisco Bay.
NAS Alameda had two runways: 13–31 measuring and 07-25 measuring . Two helicopter pads and a control tower were ...
,
NAS Moffett Field
Moffett Federal Airfield , also known as Moffett Field, is a joint civil-military airport located in an unincorporated part of Santa Clara County, California, United States, between northern Mountain View and northern Sunnyvale. On November 10, ...
,
Mare Island Naval Shipyard
The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY) was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates th ...
,
NAVSTA Treasure Island), the Navy vacated its Hamilton housing in 1996.
Major commands to which assigned
* Headquarters,
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...
, July 12, 1932
* GHQ Air Force, March 1, 1935
*: Redesignated: Air Force Combat Command, December 18, 1940
*
4th Air Force
The Fourth Air Force (4 AF) is a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California.
4 AF directs the activities and supervises the training of more than 30,000 Air Force Reserv ...
, December 7, 1941 – January 5, 1942
*
Western Defense Command
Western Defense Command (WDC) was established on 17 March 1941 as the command formation of the United States Army responsible for coordinating the defense of the Pacific Coast region of the United States during World War II. A second major respo ...
, January 5, 1942
*
Fourth Air Force
The Fourth Air Force (4 AF) is a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California.
4 AF directs the activities and supervises the training of more than 30,000 Air Force Reser ...
, September 18, 1942
*: IV Fighter Command
*:: San Francisco Fighter Wing, May 1, 1942 – December 15, 1944
*
Continental Air Forces
Continental Air Forces (CAF) was a United States Army Air Forces major command, active 1944–1946. It was tasked with combat training of bomber and fighter personnel, and for Continental United States (CONUS) air defense after the Aircraft Warn ...
, December 15, 1944
*
Air Defense Command
Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), command of the United States Air Force, responsible for continental air defense. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air Defense Command, was est ...
, March 21, 1946
*
Continental Air Command
Continental Air Command (ConAC) (1948–1968) was a Major Command of the United States Air Force (USAF) responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.
During the Korean War, ConAC provided the necessary au ...
*: Air Defense Command (Agency), December 1, 1948 – July 1, 1950
*
Air (later Aerospace) Defense Command, July 1, 1950
*
Air Force Reserve
The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a MAJCOM, major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of ...
, October 1, 1970 – January 30, 1976
Major units assigned
* 1st Wing
*:
7th Bombardment Group, December 5, 1934 – November 5, 1935; May 22, 1937 – September 7, 1940
* 9th Pursuit Wing, December 18, 1940 – December 7, 1941
*:
14th Pursuit (later Fighter) Group, January 15, 1941 – June 10, 1941; February 7 – July 16, 1942
*:
51st Pursuit (later Fighter) Group, January 15, 1941 – June 20, 1941
* 10th Pursuit Wing, December 18, 1940 – December 7, 1941
*:
20th Pursuit (later Fighter) Group, September 10, 1940 – February 2, 1942
*:
35th Pursuit (later Fighter) Group, September 10, 1940 – December 5, 1941;December 9, 1941 – January 12, 1942
* 11th Pursuit Wing, December 18, 1940 – June 1, 1941
*:
54th Pursuit Group, January 15 – May 21, 1941
*:
55th Pursuit Group, January 15 – May 21, 1941
* I Tactical Air Division, September 11, 1941 – February 1942
*
4th (later Fourth) Air Force, December 7, 1941 – January 5, 1942;June 19, 1946 – September 1, 1960;April 1, 1966 – September 30, 1969
*: 4th (later IV) Bomber Command, December 8, 1941 – January 9, 1942
* Air Transport Command, West Coast Wing, January 1, 1942 – June 1, 1948
*:
64th Transport Group, February 1 – June 18, 1942
*
329th Fighter Group, July 10–13, 1942
*
354th Fighter Group
The 354th Fighter Group was an element of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Ninth Air Force during World War II. The unit was known as the Pioneer Mustang Group and was the first to fly the P-51B Mustang in combat. The group served as bombe ...
, November 10, 1942 – January 18, 1943
*
357th Fighter Group
The 357th Fighter Group was an air combat unit of the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War. The 357th operated P-51 Mustang aircraft as part of the U.S. Eighth Air Force and its members were known unofficially as the Yoxfor ...
, December 1, 1942 – March 4, 1943
*
372d Fighter Group, October 28 – December 7, 1943
*
363rd Fighter Group, March 1 – August 1943
*
367th Fighter Group 367th may refer to:
*367th Fighter Group, later the 133d Operations Group, the flying component of the Minnesota Air National Guard's 133d Airlift Wing
*367th Fighter Squadron Inactivated in 1945, then reactivated at Homestead Air Reserve Base in 20 ...
, July 15 – October 11, 1943
*
369th Fighter Group
The 369th Fighter Group is a disbanded United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Third Air Force, stationed at Stuttgart Army Air Field, Arkansas. It was inactivated on 10 August 1945.
The 369th was initially a training group in ...
, August 1 – November 5, 1943; March 16–28, 1944
*
372nd Fighter Group, October 28 – December 7, 1943
*
478rd Fighter Group, December 1–12, 1943
* 325th Fighter (later All-Weather) Group, April 9, 1947
*: Established as
325th Fighter Wing, (All Weather), June 9, 1948 – November 26, 1948
*:: 325th Fighter Group (All Weather) assigned as subordinate unit
*:
317th Fighter (later All-Weather) Squadron, November 24, 1947 – November 26, 1948
*:
318th Fighter (later All-Weather) Squadron, December 2, 1947 – November 26, 1948
* 1117th Special Air Missions Squadron, July 19, 1948 – December 31, 1951
* 78th Fighter Group, May–November 1942
*: Established as
78th Fighter Wing (various designations), November 16, 1948 – February 6, 1952; August 18, 1955 – December 31, 1969
*:: 78th Fighter Group assigned as subordinate unit
*:
82d Fighter Squadron (Various Designations), November 24, 1948 – February 6, 1952
*:
83d Fighter Squadron (Various Designations), November 24, 1948 – July 27, 1952; August 18, 1955 – December 31, 1969
*:
84th Fighter Squadron (Various Designations), November 24, 1948 – December 31, 1969
*:: Assigned to
1st Fighter Wing (Air Defense), December 31, 1969 – October 1, 1970
*:: Assigned to
26th Air Division
The 26th Air Division (26th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Tactical Air Command, assigned to First Air Force, being stationed at March Air Force Base, California. It was inacti ...
, October 1, 1970 – September 1, 1973
*:
398th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
The 398th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the Air Defense Command, being stationed at Hamilton AFB, California. The squadron was inactivated on 8 February 1957.
History
Air defense and ...
, November 18, 1956 – February 8, 1957
*:: Scheduled to receive F-104s. Before personnel or equipment were in place, unit inactivated.
*:
498th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, September 30, 1968
*:: Immediately inactivated and personnel and equipment reassigned to the 84th FIS.
* Headquarters,
Western Air Defense Force
The Western Air Defense Force (WADF) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command being stationed at Hamilton Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on July 1, 1960.
History
WADF ...
(WADF), September 1, 1949 – July 1, 1960
*
28th Air Division
The 28th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Tactical Air Command at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It was inactivated on 29 May 1992.
History
Established in December 1 ...
, December 8, 1949 – April 1, 1966
*: 566th Air Defense Group
*:
325th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
The 325th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to Air Defense Command at Truax Field, Wisconsin, where it was inactivated on 25 June 1966.
The squadron was first active as a training unit duri ...
, February 10, 1954 – August 18, 1955
*:
496th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
The 496th Tactical Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe, 50th Tactical Fighter Wing, being stationed at Hahn Air Base, Germany. The squadron was inactivated on 15 ...
, March 20, 1953 – July 4, 1954
* Headquarters Western NORAD Region, April 1, 1966 – December 31, 1969
*
1st Fighter Wing (Air Defense), December 31, 1969 – October 1, 1970
;
Air Force Reserve
The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a MAJCOM, major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of ...
Units
*
68th Reconnaissance Group (SAC), April 9, 1947 – June 27, 1949
*
72d Reconnaissance Group (SAC), July 12, 1947 – June 27, 1949
*
329th Troop Carrier Group (MATS), June 27, 1949 – April 2, 1951
*: Redesignated: 349th Fighter-Bomber Wing (TAC), June 13, 1952 – September 1, 1957
*: Redesignated: 349th Military Airlift Wing (MATS/MAC), September 1, 1957 – July 25, 1969
*
452d Military Airlift Wing (MAC), January 1, 1972 – January 12, 1976
*: Inactivated as host unit after October 1, 1973, although limited presence maintained until reassigned.
Hamilton today
![Hamilton Air Force aerial view](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Hamilton_Air_Force_aerial_view.jpg)
Following its closure, many of the facilities at the airfield have been reclaimed by the city of
Novato
Novato (Spanish for "Novatus") is a city in Marin County, California, in the North Bay region of the Bay Area. At the 2020 census, Novato had a population of 53,225.
History
What is now Novato was originally the site of several Coast Miwok ...
and county of
Marin
Marin (French) or Marín (Spanish "sailor") may refer to:
People
* Marin (name), including a list of persons with the given name or surname
* MaRin, in-game name of professional South Korean ''League of Legends'' player Jang Gyeong-hwan (born 19 ...
for public use. The airfield is also part of tidal wetland restoration effort currently underway by the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
, colors =
, anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day)
, battles =
, battles_label = Wars
, website =
, commander1 = ...
(San Francisco District),
California Coastal Conservancy
The California State Coastal Conservancy (CSCC, SCC) is a non-regulatory state agency in California established in 1976 to enhance coastal resources and public access to the coast. The CSCC is a department of the California Natural Resources Agenc ...
, and the
San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission. This multi-agency construction and environmental restoration effort is called the
Hamilton Wetland Restoration Project
The Hamilton Wetland Restoration Project, now known as the Hamilton/Bel Marin Keys Wetlands Restoration, is a wetlands habitat restoration project at the former Hamilton Air Force Base—Hamilton Army Airfield (1930−1988) site and adjacent Bel ...
and is funded by federal, state, and regional burses.
Most non-original structures have been removed and replaced with housing subdivisions. Seven of the nine original hangars have been converted into offices, retaining their façade while being renovated on the inside. In July, 2017, a proposed tenth hangar is set to be built to match the look and feel of the original nine hangars. This part of the base is now called Hamilton Landing. Several of the original base buildings designed by Capt. Nurse and built in the early '30s have been renovated, including the former base headquarters, three of the large airmen's barracks, and the Firehouse. Others, such as the War Dept. Theatre, the base hospital, the Bachelor Officers' Quarters, and the Officers' Club remain intact either awaiting renovation or demolition. The Discovery Channel show ''
MythBusters
''MythBusters'' is a science entertainment television program, developed by Peter Rees and produced by Australia's Beyond Television Productions. The series premiered on the Discovery Channel on January 23, 2003. It was broadcast internatio ...
'' has used hangar space at Hamilton to carry out some of their experiments. Some scenes for the 1984 film ''
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
''Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'' is a 1984 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. It is the second installment in the ''Indiana Jones'' franchise, and a prequel to the 1981 film ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'', fea ...
'' were filmed at Hamilton, as were some scenes from the 1983 film ''
The Right Stuff'', and the television show ''
Emergency!
''Emergency!'' is an American action-adventure medical drama television series jointly produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. Debuting on NBC as a midseason replacement on January 15, 1972, replacing the two short-lived situatio ...
'' in 1978.
![cghousing](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Cghousing.jpg)
The
U.S. Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mul ...
currently owns 282
Spanish-style duplexes
A duplex house plan has two living units attached to each other, either next to each other as townhouses, condominiums or above each other like apartments. By contrast, a building comprising two attached units on two distinct properties is ...
and homes; these units were part of the old Hamilton Air Force Base housing. Due to the buildings' age, there is a need for maintenance, and many housing units are vacant, boarded up and in caretaker status. Many issues experienced with older homes (e.g. insufficient wiring and water damage) are currently experienced by Coast Guard tenants. The Coast Guard planned to sell all or most of their 50 acres of land and homes through a GSA sale in 2020. Since the Coast Guard property was not included in the base environmental studies, this area will need environmental review.
The base's environmental conditions were extensively studied as part of the redevelopment and wetlands restoration effort. Contaminated soil was removed or treated as needed. An underground
methyl tert-butyl ether
Methyl ''tertiary''-butyl ether (MTBE), also known as methyl tert-butyl ether and ''tert''-butyl methyl ether, is an organic compound with a structural formula (CH3)3COCH3. MTBE is a volatile, flammable, and colorless liquid that is sparingly sol ...
(MTBE) plume was discovered near the former gas stations. A small number of homes were cautioned against planting fruit trees. This plume has since dissipated and the warning is no longer in effect.
Hamilton Air Force Base - Toxics and Suspected Toxics - Map and Map Guide
Wpn.org. Retrieved on 2013-09-18.
Architectural significance
The base was originally built via contract awarded December 5, 1933; most of the buildings were complete by late 1934. Captain Howard B. Nurse, Construction Quartermaster, supervised the design and construction. He departed from traditional base design by rendering the buildings in the Spanish eclectic style then popular in California. Churrigueresque
Churrigueresque (; Spanish: ''Churrigueresco''), also but less commonly "Ultra Baroque", refers to a Spanish Baroque style of elaborate sculptural architectural ornament which emerged as a manner of stucco decoration in Spain in the late 17th c ...
elements adorn the more important buildings. Reinforced concrete walls were covered in stucco to appear similar to earlier California missions; mission tile
Tiles are usually thin, square or rectangular coverings manufactured from hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, baked clay, or even glass. They are generally fixed in place in an array to cover roofs, floors, walls, edges, or o ...
roofs topped the buildings. Recessed porches, cantilevered balconies, polychrome tile bands and wrought iron grillework complement the designs.
In 1993 and 1994, the Historic American Buildings Survey
Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) is a division of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) responsible for administering the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and Historic American Landscapes ...
documented many of the structures within Hamilton Field, assessing each one for historic value.
Gallery
File:Hamilton AFB HQ.jpg, Headquarters main entrance in 2008
File:Hamilton Field HQ Main entrance.jpg, Headquarters main entrance in 1993
File:Hamilton Field HQ arcade.jpg, Headquarters exterior arcade with polychrome tile band
File:Hamilton Field HQ lobby.jpg, Headquarters interior entrance and phone booth
File:Hamilton Field HQ lobby side.jpg, Headquarters lobby side view
File:Hamilton Field Hospital.jpg, Hospital building in the Spanish Revival
The Spanish Colonial Revival Style ( es, Arquitectura neocolonial española) is an architectural stylistic movement arising in the early 20th century based on the Spanish Colonial architecture of the Spanish colonization of the Americas.
In the ...
style
File:Hamilton Field Lamp.jpg, Street lamps are octagonal ornamental metal housings atop hexagonal cast red concrete with granite aggregate columns
File:Hamilton Field Theatre.jpg, Theatre building with cast-in-place Churrigueresque
Churrigueresque (; Spanish: ''Churrigueresco''), also but less commonly "Ultra Baroque", refers to a Spanish Baroque style of elaborate sculptural architectural ornament which emerged as a manner of stucco decoration in Spain in the late 17th c ...
concrete medallion serving as attic vent
See also
* California World War II Army Airfields
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in California for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers.
Most of these airfields were under the command of Fourth Air Force or the A ...
* Air Transport Command (World War II)
Air Transport Command (ATC) was a United States Air Force unit that was created during World War II as the strategic airlift component of the United States Army Air Forces.
It had two main missions, the first being the delivery of supplies and ...
*
Notes
References
* Donald, David (2004) Century Jets: USAF Frontline Fighters of the Cold War. AIRtime
* Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. .
* Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. .
United States Air Force Historical Research Agency
Research Division, Organizational History Branch
*
Joe Baugher's Encyclopedia Of Military Aircraft
External links
* ttp://hamiltonwetlands.scc.ca.gov/ California State Coastal Conservancy - Hamilton/Bel Marin Keys Wetlands Restorationbr>US Army Corps of Engineers - Hamilton Airfield Wetland Restoration
City of Novato Parks & Facilities: Hamilton Field History Museum
*
{{Authority control
Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in California
Buildings and structures in Marin County, California
Defunct airports in California
Military facilities in the San Francisco Bay Area
Novato, California
San Pablo Bay
Airfields of the General Headquarters Air Force
Airfields of the United States Army Air Corps
Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces Air Transport Command in North America
Initial United States Air Force installations
Semi-Automatic Ground Environment sites
Geography of Marin County, California
History of Marin County, California
Military facilities on the National Register of Historic Places in California
National Register of Historic Places in Marin County, California
Historic American Buildings Survey in California
Military installations closed in 1988
1930 establishments in California
1976 disestablishments in California
Spanish Colonial Revival architecture in California