AIRPORT HISTORY  

The history of the Brownwood Airport began in September 1940, fifteen months before the attack on the Pearl Harbor naval base. It was during this period that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was surveying the country for suitable sites to accommodate the military training program. About five miles northeast of the small southwest Texas town of Brownwood (population: 13,396) was located a small municipal airport consisting of 200 acres of land, an unimproved airstrip and a sheet metal hangar. The airport had been used by Brownwood's two colleges in connection with the Civil Aeronautics Authority student training program. It was during this period that the town of Brownwood had leased a large tract of land to the United States Government for use by the 36th Division, Texas National Guard.

On September 10, 1940, an article appeared in the local newspaper, "The Brownwood Bulletin," announcing that the War Department had leased the Brownwood Municipal Airport. Terms of the lease provided that the Government was to purchase additional land, make certain improvements and share the field with the Civil Aeronautics Authority student training program. The lease also provided that the land with all its improvements would revert to the City of Brownwood at the expiration of the emergency. The text of the article in the "Brownwood Bulletin" is as follows:

BROWNWOOD GETS AIR CENTER

"Officials of the U.S. Army Corps have approved the 200-acre Brownwood municipal Airport as headquarters for the air squadron of the 36th Division, Texas National Guard, it was announced today. Barracks, hangars, and machine shops are expected to be erected at the airport, and from 120 to 150 men will be stationed in the barracks. Approval of the airport for the air squadron was hailed as an event of major importance for Brownwood and an entirely separate step from location of the 36th Division Training Camp in Brownwood. Colonel George E. Lovell, Jr., an officer of the Eighth Corps Area, and Lieutenant Colonel Charles A. Pursley of the Air Corps flew here Monday morning to look over the airport. This will mean completion of the airport in due time. While details of the plan have not been worked out, it is entirely possible that the airport will be modernized in every respect, including runways, a lighted field, at least a small radio receiving and transmission station, weather reporting bureau, hangars, and other facilities, together with installation of all utilities."

The enlarged airport, which was considered to be a part of the Camp Bowie building program, was to be occupied by the 111th Observation Squadron, the air arm of the 36th Division. It was this division which figured prominently in the defeat of the Italian Army later in World War II. On October 8, 1940, a bill to provide funds for the building of Army airfields was passed by the United States Congress and was subsequently signed by President Franklin Roosevelt. It was estimated that funds in the amount of $321,000 would be allotted to the Brownwood Airport. On October 17, 1940, a contract was awarded to build primary facilities at the airport, including the erection of a hangar, a water supply system, gas storage tanks, a sewage disposal plant and housing for its 200 men. Approximately one month later the Civil Aeronautics Authority allocated $133,000 for its share of the cost of the improvements. During the month of February, 1941, an additional 360 acres of land adjoining the original tract was purchased by the City, bringing the total airport land to 560 acres. Also during February the WPA announced an appropriation of $364,219 which was added to the CAA allocation of $133,000 for the building of hard-surfaced runways and taxiways and lighting adequate for night flying. An article announcing these developments appeared in the "Brownwood Bulletin" on February 15, 1941, as follows:

$364,219 READY FOR AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT

"President Roosevelt has designated a WPA project in the amount of $364,219 for improving the Brownwood Municipal Airport. The Brownwood Chamber of Commerce and Mayor Wendell Mayes were informed this morning in telegrams from Senator Tom Connally and Rep. Charles South. The telegram from Senator Connally, addressed to Gene Mattore, Manager of the Chamber of Commerce, follows:

'President Roosevelt has designated WPA Project No. 50487 in amount $364,219 to improve municipal airport near Brownwood including clearing, grubbing, constructing, and paving runways and taxi strips, installing lighting and drainage systems, seeding, sodding, and performing appurtenant and incidental work. Project now eligible for operation at discretion State Works Projects Administration.'

On March 26, 1941, another article pertaining to the airport improvements at Brownwood appeared in the "Brownwood Bulletin":

STRUCTURAL STEEL ARRIVES FOR ARMY HANGAR AT AIRPORT

"Three carloads of structural steel for the Army Hangar at the Brownwood Municipal Airport have arrived, and weather permitting, erection will begin next Monday. Difficulty in securing the structural steel has delayed the construction of the airport. The building is included in original construction plans at Camp Bowie. Two truckloads of the steel have been moved to the airport and remainder will be moved as soon as the ground dries sufficiently to permit the movement of trucks carrying the heavy steel. Concrete foundations for the hangar have been set for some time. The walls and pit of the boiler house inside the hangar were poured earlier in the week and pouring the concrete for the south door trench is due to begin today. As soon as the steel is erected, construction of the hangar, 160 by 160 feet, will progress rapidly. Lumber for the walls and roof already is on the grounds at the airport. Capt. E. F. Wallace of the Camp Bowie Constructing Quartermaster's Staff has been assigned to the project and is spending most of his time at the flying field."

In May, 1941, condemnation proceedings were begun to secure an additional ninety acres of land for the airport and surveying was begun on the joint CAA-WPA airport improvement project. On June 26, 1941, the completion of a modern steel aircraft hangar having a concrete floor marked a definite date in the development of the Brownwood Airfield. Squadron headquarters which had previously been located in the officers' messhall and supply and classroom facilities which had been housed in tents were moved into the new hangar, and there was additional space for an infirmary, a photo section, a weather office and storage. Only a small graveled runway connected the apron to the taxi strips, and it was obvious that more adequate runways would be needed. On July 1, 1941, an article appearing in the "Brownwood Bulletin" related to the completion of the hangar.

Plans for the runway improvements included in the CAA-WPA project were approved on July 23, 1941, and work was scheduled to begin within a few weeks. In August, 1941, it was announced that the project would be temporarily delayed due to lack of funds; it was not until November 16, 1941, that final plans were approved by the WPA, and the plans reflected that the Brownwood Airport would be constructed on a larger scale than the original plans. On December 8, 1941, twenty-four hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor, all private planes were grounded at the airport and guards posted at the field. For several months the work at Brownwood Airport lagged behind the expected progress. In May, another WPA project was applied for to construct a road from the town of Brownwood to the airport at a cost of approximately $80,000. The project was approved and work was begun. During this period, in which the improvements at the airport had lagged, the gravel runways remained a serious hazard and a restriction on the utilization of the field. Finally, a conference was held concerning the project and a contract was let for paving of the runways. Smaller contracts for interior roads, buildings, fencing and gas supply were also let. Funds utilized for these improvements came from a $1,918,000 grant dated October 2, 1942, by the Civil Aeronautics Authority. The purpose of this grant was to improve the field up to the status of an air support command base. On October 2, 1942, an article appeared in the "Brownwood Bulletin" as follows:

CAA ALLOTS $1,918,000 FOR BROWNWOOD AIRPORT

The Civil Aeronautics Administration has allotted the sum of $1,918,000 for construction work at the Brownwood Airport, Mayor Wendell Mayes announced today. This huge sum supplements War Department money allotted for conversion of the airport into an Air Support Command Base it was understood. Contracts and allocations previously announced totaled much less money. The CAA originally appropriated $133,000 to supplement a WPA project for improvement of the airport. Mayor Mayes received a letter from the authority announcing an increase of the $133,000 appropriation to $1,218,000, a net increase of $1,085,000 by CAA. Yesterday the Mayor was advised in telegrams from Senators Tom Connally and W. Lee O'Daniel of Texas that CAA had allotted $700,000 more for the local airport. This brings the total from CAA, Mayor Mayes said, to $1,918,000. In the meantime, work continues on schedule on Army Contracts at the Airport.These include the "more than $1,000,000" understood to be $1,400,000, contract to Cage Brothers & J. Floyd Malcom, Abilene, for paving runways and aprons at the field. Smaller contracts have been let and work is well underway on them for roads, buildings, fencing, and a gasoline supply. These contracts totaled $360,000. Congressman Charles L. South's office in Washington advised the Bulletin that the $700,000 CAA allocation for improvement of the Brownwood Airport is a 'supplemental appropriation.' "

By February, 1943, the area of the Brownwood Army Airfield had reached a total of 1800 acres, and it was referred to as one of the finest airport installations in the Southwest.

During the month of October, 1943, a base operations system was installed and a control tower radio system was completed. Also, a post sanitary fill was constructed and an aviation fuel storage system which had previously been destroyed by weather was replaced. By February, 1944, the Brownwood Army Air Base was accommodating a large number of personnel.

At the end of December, 1943, work had begun on the installation of a revolving beacon set atop a 60-foot pole tower and the work was completed and placed in operation on January 20, 1944.

Until September, 1944, Brownwood Army Airfield had been operating as a sub-base under control of Barksdale Field. On September 13, 1944, the airport was raised to base status and Cox Field, Paris, Texas, was designated a sub-base and placed under control of Brownwood Army Airfield. The role of the Brownwood Army Airfield from November, 1943, to September, 1944 was to operate as a refresher school and replacement training unit for liaison pilots within the Third Air Force. In October, 1944, the airfield became the new combat crew training center. From January, 1945, until the end of World War II, the primary mission of the Brownwood Army Airfield was the training and preparation of combat crews for overseas replacement. At the end of World War II, the airport became the City of Brownwood's Municipal Airport.