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construction and operation of Semitropic Auxiliary Field No. 5 from 11 landowners. The acquisition included 556.7 acres of land by lease in March 1942, 1.2 acres by easement in May 1942, and 43.3 acres by fee in March 1943. For the leased property, the U.S. Government reserved the right to remove or dispose of its improvements prior to the expiration of the leases.
Semitropic Auxiliary Field No.5 was auxiliary to Minter Field, an Army Air Forces base for flight training located in Shafter, California. Improvements to Semitropic Auxiliary Field No. 5 included a crash truck shelter, stage house, latrine, mat and runway, and a fence. In addition, a noncontiguous parcel of 1.2 acres of land was acquired for the development of a drainage ditch. All improvements were made between 1942 and 1945 while the property was under the War Department control.
Semitropic Auxiliary Field No. 5 was declared surplus to the War Assets Aqroinistration (WAA) on November 15, 1945. Custody and accountability for all improvements to the property were
assumed by WAA on November 20, 1946. The date and conditions of that War Department-owned property disposal is unknown. However, the Army specified in the leases it held, that the lessors waived their rights to make claims against the government for damages related to the construction of the airfield. The site is currently used for agricultural purposes and is owned by three private parties.
Extract, US Army Air Forces Directory of Airfields (January 1945)
