On an ideally flat treeless plain sprawled in the central San Joaquin Valley, the Lemoore Army Flying School trained men who flew and men who kept them flying.
In December of 1940, the Lemoore Army Air Field was merely a buzzing of rumors, but in one short year, through the combination of military and civilian ingenuity, the buzzing of rumors had been transformed to the roaring of motors of the first BT-13’s at the basic flying school on 960 acres of farm land the Army had selected.
On the first day of October 1941, Project Officer, Colonel Arthur J. Lehman and thirteen enlisted “pioneers” established temporary headquarters at the American Legion building in Lemoore. On December 16, 1941, the barracks at the field were ready and the first class of cadets arrived. Officers and men were assembled from camps all over the country. Personnel representing every state in the Union made this a veritable melting pot, and the men of that melting pot had but one objective, to train flying fighting men. Basic training began December 20,1941.
Early Planning Meeting for Army Air Field
Along with the flight training, supplementary schools were established. Numerous ground crew training activities prepared men as Link Trainer instructors, radio and control tower operators, and aircraft mechanics. Classes were also conducted in the mathematics of celestial navigation. Even the few prisoners attended school where grade and high school subjects were taught.
The base was decommissioned on September 30, 1945.
On March 5, 1944 Jack Benny broadcast his radio show from the Air Field. The recording of this program was provided by the International Jack Benny Fan Club.
340px-US_Army_Air_Corps_Hap_Arnold_Wings.svg
Lemoore Army Air Field
A collection of 51 building photographs taken in 1942
Originals are located on the MilitaryMuseum.org website
