California State Military
DepartmentCalifornia State Military
DepartmentThe history of the present day Merced Municipal Airport (formerly New Merced Municipal Airport) is an important part of the early history of the former Merced Army Air Field. Its history, and that of the original Merced Municipal Airport, are deeply intertwined with that of the Merced Basic Flying School. As a result, its history actually begins in 1940 as the U.S. Army was attempting to establish a 30,000 per year basic pilot training facility in the Merced area.
During this time frame, Merced Municipal Airport was deemed unsuitable for use as a major training facility due to expansion limitations. Nevertheless, three other sites in the Merced area were being considered by War Department for this purpose -Athlone, Cuba Station and El Nido. The Cuba Station site was ultimately chosen. A lease between the City of Merced and the United States of America was entered on 16 June 1941 for initial acquisition of property for a basic flying school in Merced.
Construction on the Cuba Station site began on 8 July 1941 and was officially dedicated on 20 September 1941 by the Adjutant General from the West Coast Air Corps Training Center at Moffett Field, California (redesignated West Coast Army Air Forces Training Center). At that time the facility became known as the Air Corps Basic Flying School, Merced. Seven days later, on 27 September 1941,the War Department ordered the 98th Bombardment Group and its subordinate units from Moffett Field to take control of the Air Corps Basic Flying School. The actual move, however, was delayed because of the construction delays caused by heavy rains that year. The first base personnel arrived on 8 October 1941. These men were quartered in nearby hotels. A makeshift headquarters was set up at the Tioga Hotel. The hotel was utilized until 1 December 1941, when construction at the base had advanced to a point where the offices could be used. These delays in construction resulted in the first aircraft being assigned to the Air Corps Basic Flying School being stored at the nearby Merced Municipal Airport.
The Merced Municipal Airport, aforementioned, was located off Highway 99 at the intersection of Snelling Road near the Santa Fe Railroad, three miles northwest of the city of Merced. Dedicated on 3 April 1932, the City of Merced had sought to expand its 66-acre site to 123.25 acres utilizing Works Project Administration (WPA) funds and in May 1936 had begun the task of expanding the property, grading and drainage of the field, construction of one 8-hangar unit and a cobble stone administration building. The construction delays at the Cuba Station site forced the Army to lease the Merced Municipal Airport (not to be confused with New Merced Municipal Airport), giving the Air Corps Basic Flying School its first usable auxiliary field.[15]
Meanwhile, the property for the present airport site, soon to be known as New Merced Municipal Airport, located off Grogan Road and West Avenue, was acquired in 1940 by the City of Merced from the Delinquent Tax Rolls. Upon acquisition of the site, the City Council had approved a two phase Work Project Administration (WPA) construction project consisting of grading, leveling and drainage of the land, developing access roads and general preparation of the land (clearing, removing trees and bushes) for final development. Additional Federal funds were obtained under the Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA) for continuation of the WPA program.
On 7 April 1942, Air Corps Basic Flying School was renamed the Merced Army Flying School and authorized the District Engineer to construct three auxiliary fields near Merced Army Flying School to support the flight training program. These were located at Howard Ranch, Athlone,and Planada. Air Corps Basic Flying School was renamed the Merced Army Flying School. The disapproval of the Planada site as an auxiliary field by the engineers in mid September 1942, initially lead to two additional auxiliary flying fields being authorized, one at Ballico, the other at Potter, and a third, in 1943, at New Merced Municipal Airport.
Due to the United States having entered World War II, the CAA and the Corps of Engineers assumed the responsibility for the second phase of the New Merced Municipal Airport program. Funds were diverted from the former Merced Municipal Airport so as to complete the paving two 150 x 4,000' runways, taxi strips, installation of perforated drain pipe, runway and threshold lights. This phase of the work was completed in February 1942. Upon completion of this project, the Air Corps assumed custody of the entire property and thereby acquired its sixth auxiliary field known as the New Merced Municipal Airport.
In March 1943, the Army Air Forces activate
the 301st Basic Flying Training Group in an attempt to consolidate
training. In May 1943, the Merced Army Flying School became the
Merced Army Air Field (AAF) as part of the Western Flying Training
Command. The Fourth Air Force assumed jurisdiction over Merced
AAF and all of its auxiliary fields from the Western Flying Training
Command on 1 July 1945. At that time, the Army announced plans
to stage B-29s and bomb crews from Merced. In January 1946, Merced
AAF was renamed Castle AAF for Brigadier General Frederick W.
Castle. During this period, the auxiliary fields were declared
excess to the needs of the U.S. Army. With the end of the war,
six months later, Castle Army Air Field laid virtually abandoned
until the Strategic Air Command (SAC) gave the base new life on
13 January 1948, redesignating the installation Castle Air Force
Base.