Mitchel Air Force Base also known as Mitchel Field, was a United States Air Force base located on the Hempstead Plains of

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

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 * '' ...

, United States. Established in 1918 as Hazelhurst Aviation Field #2, the facility was renamed later that year as Mitchel Field in honor of former New York City Mayor

John Purroy Mitchel John Purroy Mitchel (July 19, 1879 – July 6, 1918) was the 95th mayor of New York, from 1914 to 1917. At 34, he was the second-youngest mayor and he is sometimes referred to as "The Boy Mayor of New York." Mitchel is remembered for his sho ...

, who was killed while training for the Air Service in Louisiana. Decommissioned in 1961, Mitchel Field became a multi-use complex that is home to the Cradle of Aviation Museum,

Nassau Coliseum Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (or simply the Nassau Coliseum) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, New York, east of New York City. The Long Island venue is approximately east of the eastern limits of the New York City Borough of ...

, Mitchel Athletic Complex, Nassau Community College,

Hofstra University Hofstra University is a private university in Hempstead, New York. It is Long Island's largest private university. Hofstra originated in 1935 as an extension of New York University (NYU) under the name Nassau College – Hofstra Memorial of Ne ...

, and Lockheed. In 2018 the surviving buildings and facilities were recognized as a

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...

and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History

Origins

During the American Revolutionary War it was known as the Hempstead Plains and used as an Army enlistment center. In the War of 1812 and in the Mexican War, it was a training center for Infantry units. During the American Civil War, it was the location of Camp Winfield Scott. In 1898, in the Spanish–American War, Mitchel's site was known as Camp Black.Office of Information Services Headquarters Continental Air Command, Mitchel Air Force Base, New York, 26 October 1955 Fact Sheet
/ref>

World War I

In 1917, Hazelhurst Field #2 was established south of and adjacent to Hazelhurst Field to serve as an additional training and storage base, part of the massive Air Service Aviation Concentration Center. Curtiss JN-4 Jennies became a common sight over

in 1917 and 1918. Hundreds of aviators were trained for war at these training fields, two of the largest in the United States. Numerous new wooden buildings and tents were erected on Roosevelt Field and Field #2 in 1918 in order to meet this rapid expansion.The History of Mitchel Field, The Cradle of Aviation Museum

Between the Wars

Mitchel Field continued to grow after World War I and between 1929 and 1932. An extensive building program was undertaken after the war to turn the temporary wartime facilities into a permanent Army post, with new barracks, warehouses, hangar space, and administrative buildings. Much of this construction still exists today, being used for non-military purposes. In the 1920s and 1930s, various observation, fighter, and bomber units were stationed at the airfield. It became a major aerodrome for both the Air Corps as well as various civilian activity. The 1920s was considered the golden age of

air racing Air racing is a type of motorsport that involves airplanes or other types of aircraft that compete over a fixed course, with the winner either returning the shortest time, the one to complete it with the most points, or to come closest to a prev ...

and on 27 November 1920, the

Pulitzer Trophy Race The National Air Races (also known as Pulitzer Trophy Races) are a series of pylon and cross-country races that have taken place in the United States since 1920. The science of aviation, and the speed and reliability of aircraft and engines grew ...

was held at Mitchel Field. The race consisted of four laps of a course. 38 pilots entered and took off individually. The winner was Capt. Corliss Moseley, flying a Verville-Packard VCP-R racer, a cleaned-up version of the Army's VCP-1 pursuit plane, at . In October 1923, Mitchel Field was the scene of the first airplane jumping contest in the nation. During the same year, two world's airplane speed records were established there. In 1924, the airmail service had its inception in experimental flights begun at the airfield. In September 1929, Lt. Gen. James H. Doolittle, then a Lieutenant, made the world's first blind flight. In 1938, Mitchel was the starting point for the first nonstop transcontinental bomber flight, made by Army B-18 Bolo bombers.Brodsky, Robert (July 30, 2018).
Mitchel Field Air Base added to National Register of Historic Places
(subscription required). ''

Newsday ''Newsday'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and f ...

''. newsday.com. Retrieved 2018-07-30. Mitchel Field also served as a base from which the first demonstration of long-range aerial reconnaissance was made. In May 1939, three B-17s, with Lt. Curtis LeMay navigating, flew out to sea and intercepted the Italian ocean liner ''SS Rex''. This was a striking example of the range, mobility, and accuracy of modern aviation at the time. On September 21 of that year the base was struck by the "Long Island Express" hurricane. Flooding produced water that was over knee-deep, numerous trees were toppled and the glass was smashed atop the traffic control tower.

World War II

In 1940 Mitchel Field was the location of the

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 ...

, a command charged with the mission of developing the air defense for cities, vital industrial areas, continental bases, and military facilities in the United States (also known as the "

Zone of the Interior The American Theater was a theater of operations during World War II including all continental American territory, and extending into the ocean. Owing to North and South America's geographical separation from the central theaters of ...

"). Later,

First Air Force The First Air Force (Air Forces Northern; 1 AF-AFNORTH) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Its primary mission is the air defense of the Co ...

, was given the responsibility for air defense planning and organization along the eastern seaboard. Under its supervision an aircraft patrol system along the coast for observing shipping was placed into operation. During 1943, Mitchel AAF became a staging area for

Consolidated B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...

bombers and their crews before being sent overseas. Mitchel Field was a major source of supply in initial garrisoning and defense of North Atlantic air bases in

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

, Greenland, and Iceland. From the airfield the planning for the air defense of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland was conducted. Antisubmarine patrol missions along the Atlantic coast were carried out in 1942 by the United States Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command aircraft based at Mitchel. Under the direction of the

, Mitchel Army Airfield became a command and control base for both I Fighter and I Bomber Command. Tactical fighter groups and squadrons were formed at Mitchel to be trained at AAF Training Command bases (mostly in the east and southeast) before being deployed to the various overseas wartime theaters. Additionally, thousands of Army Air Force personnel were processed through the base for overseas combat duty. With the end of World War II, returning GIs were processed for separation at Mitchel. Mitchel aircraft crashes included a P-47 that struck

's Barnard Hall on 23 March 1943. In March 1946, the headquarters of Air Defense Command was established at Mitchel Army Airfield. 514 troop carrier wg-patch

United States Air Force

With the establishment of the United States Air Force as a separate service in 1947, Mitchel AAF was redesignated as Mitchel Air Force Base. In December 1948, ADC's responsibilities were temporarily assumed by the Continental Air Command, (ConAC), also located at Mitchel AFB. ConAC also was responsible for the reorganization of 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 ...

after World War II. In 1949, the reserve mission was assigned to

, which was also headquartered at Mitchel AFB. First Air Force became the command and control organization for supervising the training of the air reserve in 15 eastern states and the District of Columbia. By 1949, due to the problems associated with operating tactical aircraft in the urban area – the noise, the small size of the field, and safety concerns – Mitchel AFB was relieved of the responsibility for defending New York's air space. Army Anti-Aircraft Command moved to Mitchel AFB on 1 November 1950. After Air Defense Command was re-established on January 1, 1951; the 1945 U.S. Air Defense Plan recommendation for "... moving ADC Headquarters from Mitchel Field to a more central location ... in a protected command center" was completed to Ent Air Force Base, Colorado, on 8 January 1951.compiled by On November 29, 1952, President-elect Dwight D. Eisenhower took off from Mitchel Field on a U.S. Air Force aircraft en route to South Korea, to fulfill a campaign promise. Colonel W. Millikan's transcontinental speed record flight of 4 hours, 8 minutes set in a North American F-86 Sabre on 2 January 1954 ended at Mitchel AFB. In April 1961 flying was halted and the

514th Troop Carrier Wing 514th may refer to: *514th Air Defense Group, disbanded United States Air Force (USAF) organization *514th Air Mobility Wing, wing of the United States Air Force based out of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey *514th Fighter-Interceptor S ...

reassigned to

McGuire Air Force Base McGuire AFB/McGuire, the common name of the McGuire unit of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, is a United States Air Force base in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States, approximately south-southeast of Trenton. McGuire is under the j ...

in New Jersey. After the 514th TCW moved, the base was closed on 25 June 1961. The property was turned over to Nassau County for redevelopment.USAFHRA Document 00489094
/ref> The facility still has military housing, a commissary, and exchange facilities to support military families and activities in the area. The

Garden City-Mitchel Field Secondary A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate both ...

, a remnant of the

Long Island Rail Road The Long Island Rail Road , often abbreviated as the LIRR, is a commuter rail system in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk Co ...

's Central Branch from Garden City to Bethpage, ends in the northern part of Mitchel Field, providing sporadic freight service.

Major commands assigned

* Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps, July 1917 * Division of Military Aeronautics, 29 May 1918 : Redesignated: Director of Air Service : Redesignated:

U.S. Army Air Service The United States Army Air Service (USAAS)Craven and Cate Vol. 1, p. 9 (also known as the ''"Air Service"'', ''"U.S. Air Service"'' and before its legislative establishment in 1920, the ''"Air Service, United States Army"'') was the aerial warf ...

, 24 May 1918 : Redesignated: U.S. Army Air Corps, 2 July 1926 * General Headquarters (GHQ) Air Force, 1 March 1935 * Northeast Air District, 18 October 1940 : Redesignated: 1st Air Force, 26 March 1941 : Redesignated:

, 18 September 1942 * Continental Air Forces, 13 December 1944 * Air Defense Command, 21 March 1946 * Continental Air Command, 1 December 1948 – 1 April 1961 : Remained attached to Air Defense Command until 1 January 1951

Major units assigned

* 92d Aero Squadron, 4 December – 21, 1918 * 1st Army Observation Group :

1st Aero Squadron First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...

, 10 October 1919 – 6 November 1940 :: Reassigned to 9 Group (Observation), 1 August 1922 * 3d Observation Group :

5th Aero Squadron 5 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 5, five or number 5 may also refer to: * AD 5, the fifth year of the AD era * 5 BC, the fifth year before the AD era Literature * ''5'' (visual novel), a 2008 visual novel by Ram * ''5'' (comics), an awar ...

, 1 November 1919 – 6 November 1940 :: Reassigned to 9 Group (Observation), 1 August 1922 * (32 other Aero Squadrons, Unknown organizations, 1919) * 9 Group (Observation), 1 August 1922 : Redesignated: 9 Observation Group on 25 January 1923 : Redesignated: 9 Bombardment Group on 1 March 1935 : Redesignated: 9 Bombardment Group (Medium) on 6 December 1939 – 6 November 1940 ::

99th Observation Squadron The 99th Reconnaissance Squadron is a squadron of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 9th Operations Group, Air Combat Command, stationed at Beale Air Force Base, California. The squadron is equipped with the Lockheed U-2 Drago ...

, 9 November 1928 – 6 November 1940 * 9th Air Division, 1 April 1931 – January 1933 *

22d Bombardment Group D, or d, is the fourth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''dee'' (pronounced ), plural ''dees''. History The ...

, 1 February – 14 November 1940 * 8th Fighter Group, 5 November 1940 – 26 January 1942 * 57th Fighter Group, 15 January 1941 – 19 August 1941 * Headquarters, Northeast Air District, 18 October 1940 :: Redesignated: 1st Air Force, 26 March 1941 :: Redesignated:

, 18 September 1942 – 3 June 1946; 17 October 1949 – 23 June 1958 : Headquarters, I Air Support Command, 1 September 1941 :: Redesignated: I Ground Air Support Command, 1 April 1942 :: Redesignated: I Air Support Command, 1 September – 30 November 1942 : Headquarters, I Bomber Command, 1 October 1943 – 21 March 1946 : Headquarters, I Interceptor Command, 5 June – 27 December 1941 :: Redesignated: I Fighter Command, 9 June 1942 – 21 March 1946 ::

324th 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 ...

, 24 June – 6 July 1942 ::

326th 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 ...

, 19 August 1942 – 1 September 1942 ::

352d Fighter Group The 352nd Fighter Group was a unit of the Eighth Air Force that was located in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. The unit served as bomber escort, counter-air patrols, and attacking ground targets. It initially flew P-47 Thu ...

, 1 October–31, 1942 ::

353d Fighter Group The 116th Operations Group is a Georgia Air National Guard unit assigned to the 116th Air Control Wing. The unit is stationed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. The 116th Group controls all operational Northrop Grumman E-8C Joint STARS aircraft ...

, 1 October–7, 1942 ::

62d Fighter Wing The 62d Fighter Wing (62 FW) is a disbanded unit of the United States Air Force, last stationed at Van Nuys Airport, Van Nuys, California. It was withdrawn from the California Air National Guard (CA ANG) and inactivated on 31 October 1950. This ...

, 12 December 1942 – 13 January 1943 ::

80th Fighter Group 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...

, 2 March – 30 April 1943 ::

356th Fighter Group The 356th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Army Service Forces, being stationed at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. It was inactivated on 10 November 1945. During World War II the gro ...

, 30 May – 4 July 1943 :: 36th Fighter Group, 3 June–23, 1943 ::

368th Fighter Group 368th may refer to: *368th Bombardment Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit *368th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Group (368 EASOG) is a support unit of the United States Air Force *368th Fighter Group or 136th Airlift Wing, unit o ...

, 23 August 1943 – 20 December 1943 ::

362d Fighter Group 36 may refer to: * 36 (number), the natural number following 35 and preceding 37 * One of these years of Gregorian or Julian calendars: ** 36 BC, 1st century BCE ** AD 36, 1st century ** 1936, 20th century ** 2036, 21st century Arts and entertain ...

, 19 October – 12 November 1943 ::

301st Fighter Wing The 301st Fighter Wing (301 FW) is an Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the Tenth Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, stationed at Carswell Field, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Tex ...

, 1 November 1944 – 30 May 1945 ::

373d Fighter Group The 373rd Fighter Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with First Air Force stationed at Mitchel Field, New York. It was inactivated on 7 November 1945. During World War II the group was assigned to Nin ...

, 28 September – 7 November 1945 * Headquarters, Air Defense Command, 21 March 1946 – 1 January 1951 * 355th Fighter Group (Air Defense) (ADC), 1 August – 20 November 1946 *

4th Fighter Wing The 4th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command's Ninth Air Force. It is stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, where it is also the host unit. The wing is one of two Air Force uni ...

(AFRES), 20 December 1946 – 27 June 1949 * 319th Bombardment Group (AFRES), 27 December 1946 – 27 June 1949 *

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 ...

(ADC), 3 August–31, 1942; 21 May – 2 December 1947 : 318th Fighter Squadron, 21 May – 2 December 1947 *

78th Fighter Group The 78th Fighter Group (78 FG) is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 78th Fighter Wing, at Hamilton Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 1 February 1961. During World War II the group was an Eighth ...

(ADC), 1 June 1947 – 1 November 1948 :

82d Fighter Squadron 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...

, 25 June 1947 – 24 November 1948 : 83d Fighter Squadron, 25 June 1947 – 24 November 1948 :

84th Fighter Squadron Area codes 084 and 086 are Nigerian telephone area codes serving the cities of Port Harcourt and Ahoada in Rivers State. They fall under the Southeast Zone in the National Numbering Plan (NNP) restructured in 2003. When in Port Harcourt or Ahoad ...

, 25 June 1947 – 24 November 1948 *

320th Bombardment 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 ...

(AFRES), 9 June 1947 – 27 June 1949 *

52d Fighter-Interceptor Wing The 52nd Fighter Wing (52 FW) is a wing of the United States Air Force stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. It flies the F-16CJ fighter aircraft. It was activated in 1948, but derives significant elements of its history from the predeces ...

(ADC), 9 June 1948 – 4 October 1949 : 2nd Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 25 June 1947 – 4 October 1949 :

5th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron The 5th Flying Training Squadron is part of the United States Air Force's Air Force Reserve Command serving as a Air Force Reserve Command#Associate Program, reserve associate squadron operating with the 71st Flying Training Wing at Vance Air F ...

, 25 June 1947 – 4 October 1949 * 1112th Special Air Missions Squadron (MATS), 19 July 1948 – 15 March 1951 * 2500th Air Base Group (later Wing), 28 September 1948 – 25 June 1961 * Headquarters, Continental Air Command, 1 December 1948 – 1 April 1961 * 84th Fighter Wing, (All Weather) (ADC), 1 June – 10 October 1949 * Headquarters, Eastern Air Defense Force (ADC), 1 September 1949 – 1 August 1950 *

(AFRES), 10 October 1949 – 1 February 1953; 1 April 1953 – 15 March 1961 * 65th Troop Carrier Wing (AFRES), 14 June 1952 – 1 April 1953 * 313th Troop Carrier Wing ( Eighteenth Air Force), 1 February – 25 August 1953. : Replaced by: 465th Troop Carrier Wing ( Eighteenth Air Force), 25 August 1953 – 23 March 1954 11 October 1950: 100,000 miles to Bolling
/ref>

References

External links

Cradle of Aviation Museum

US Family Health Plan
{{authority control Installations of the United States Air Force in New York (state) 1918 establishments in New York (state) 1961 disestablishments in New York (state) Airports in Nassau County, New York Air transportation infrastructure on the National Register of Historic Places Defunct airports in New York (state) Garden City, New York Historic districts in Nassau County, New York Military facilities on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) National Register of Historic Places in Hempstead (town), New York Nassau Community College Sports venues in Long Island Military installations closed in 1961 Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in New York (state)