|
 Call Field
N 33° 52.318 W 098° 33.142
14S E 541399 N 3748050
Texas Historical Marker in front of a former post office at 4312 Call Field Rd, Wichita Falls, TX, noting this as the location of Call Field, constructed for aviation purposes for World War I.
Waymark Code: WMVC4R
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 03/30/2017
Views: 3
Marker Number: 630
Marker Text:
When the United States entered World War I, April 1917, the Aviation Section, Signal Corps, U.S. Army, had only 112 pilots. Yet the Allies, relying heavily on the U.S., planned the greatest of all aerial fleets, and the U.S. moved at once to meet the expectations. In August, Wichita Falls was chosen, because of good winter weather, as location for a new aviation field for pilot training programs. Through efforts of local citizens, this 640-acre site was leased and named for Lt. Loren H. Call, a pilot killed on duty in Texas, 1913.
Construction began Sept. 4, 1917, on primary flight training school; 50 to 60 buildings went up north of this spot on Call Field Road; runways and 12 hangars were situated south of the road. Planes used included the standard JL and Curtis JN4.
Major John Brooks (later Maj. Gen. Brooks) was the first commanding officer. (His horse stable, 360' north, is only surviving Call Field building.) With him came 15 enlisted men from 6th Aero Sqn., Hawaiian Terr., and five flying cadets from San Diego, Calif. In time, over 3,000 officers, cadets and enlisted men were based here. Before Call Field closed in July 1919; the school gave commissions and wings to some 500 men and sent two aero squadrons overseas for combat duty. (1973)
|
Visit Instructions:
Please include a picture in your log. You and your GPS receiver do not need to be in the picture. We encourage additional information about your visit (comments about the surrounding area, how you ended up near the marker, etc.) in the log.
|