Langley Field: Creating an Air Force
Posted by: 
turnersrugs
N 37° 01.467 W 076° 20.620
18S E 380481 N 4098428
Erected 2005 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number WY 96.)
Waymark Code: WMGBKR
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 02/10/2013
Views: 10
In Dec. 1916, the U.S. Army purchased land four miles north of here to build an airfield to use jointly with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. During World War I, the Army trained aircrews and tested aircraft there. In 1921, Brig. Gen. William "Billy" Mitchell led bombing trials from Langley to demonstrate that air power could destroy battleships. On 1 March 1935, Air Corps Combat units were realigned nationwide under the GHQ Air Force. Led from Langley by Maj. Gen. Frank Andrews, that combat air command was the forerunner of the Army Air Forces of World War II and marked the first real step toward the U.S. Air Force.
Marker Number: WY-96
Marker Title: Langley Field: Creating an Air Force
Marker Location: Hampton Va
County or Independent City: Hampton County
Web Site: Not listed
Marker Program Sponsor: Not listed
|