During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Mississippi for antisubmarine defense in the Gulf of Mexico and for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers.
Most of these airfields were under the command of Third Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (A predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command). However the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC); Air Transport Command (ATC) or Troop Carrier Command operated a significant number of airfields in support roles.
It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields. Many were converted into municipal airports, some were returned to agriculture and several were retained as United States Air Force installations and were front-line bases during the Cold War. Hundreds of the temporary buildings that were used survive today, and are being used for other purposes.
Major Airfields
Third Air Force Key Field, Meridian 39th Army Air Force Base Unit Now: Key Field Air National Guard Base
Laurel Army Airfield, Laurel 473d Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron Assigned to Air Technical Service Command, (1944-1946) Now: Hesler-Noble Field
Hattiesburg Army Airfield, Hattiesburg 39th Army Air Force Base Unit Assigned to Air Technical Service Command, (1942-1945) Now: Hattiesburg Bobby L. Chain Municipal Airport
AAF Training Command
Columbus Army Airfield, Columbus, Mississippi Southeast Training Center, 1941 Eastern Flying Training Command 30th (Advanced Twin-Engine) Flying Training Wing Now: Columbus Air Force Base Known sub-bases and auxiliaries Columbus Auxiliary Field River Auxiliary Field Caledonia Auxiliary Field Waterworks Auxiliary Field Columbus Municipal Airport (Old) Vaughn Auxiliary Field Stinson Auxiliary Field Starkville Auxiliary Field
Greenville Army Airfield, Greenville, Mississippi Southeast Training Center, 1941 Army Air Forces Pilot Training School (Basic) 74th Army Air Force Base Unit Assigned to Air Technical Service Command, (1945-1946) Was: Greenville Air Force Base (1950-1965) Contract Flying School* (1950-1953) 3505th Pilot Training Wing (Basic, Single-Engine) (1953-1960) Technical Training Center (1960-1965) Now: Mid Delta Regional Airport Known sub-bases and auxiliaries Greenville Municipal Airport Indianola Auxiliary Field Walker Auxiliary Field
Greenwood Army Airfield, Greenwood Eastern Flying Training Command Army Air Forces Flying School (Basic) 7th Basic Flying Training Group Reassigned to Third Air Force (1945) Now: Greenwood-Leflore Airport Known sub-bases and auxiliaries Paynes Auxiliary Field Oxberry Auxiliary Field Avalon Auxiliary Field Curger Auxiliary Field Tchula Auxiliary Field Greenwood Municipal Airport
Gulfport Army Airfield, Gulfport Headquarters, Eastern Technical Training Command Joint use with Third Air Force (1944-1945) Reopened as Gulfport Air Force Base (1951-1958) Headquarters, Technical Training Air Force also Contract Flying School Now: Gulfport Combat Readiness Training Center Known sub-bases and auxiliaries Gulfport Auxiliary Field Hancock County Airport
Keesler Army Airfield, Biloxi Western Technical Training Command Basic Training and Technical Training Center Now: Keesler Air Force Base
.* Greenville was designated as an "Air Base" by Air Training Command while operated as private contractor-operated training facilities in the 1950s.
AAF Contract Flying Schools
Cleveland Army Airfield, Cleveland Eastern Flying Training Command Contract Flying School: Cleveland School of Aviation Now: Cleveland Municipal Airport
Fletcher Field, Clarksdale 2154th Air Base Unit Contract Flying School: Clarksdale School of Aviation Now: Fletcher Field Known sub-bases and auxiliaries Clarksdale Auxiliary Field Ellis Auxiliary Field
Jackson Army Air Base, Jackson Contract Flying School: Mississippi Institute of Aeronautics 35th Army Air Force Base Unit Now: Jackson Air National Guard Base Known sub-bases and auxiliaries Augustine Auxiliary Field Lee Auxiliary Field Ratiff Auxiliary Field Sutherland Auxiliary Field Forest Auxiliary Field Hinds County Airport Lime Prairie Auxiliary Field
Troop Carrier Command Grenada Army Airfield, Grenada 443d Air Force Base Unit Now: Grenada Municipal Airport
References 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. . Thole, Lou (1999), Forgotten Fields of America : World War II Bases and Training, Then and Now - Vol. 2. Pictorial Histories Pub . Military Airfields in World War II - Mississippi
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