News Letter 1941 Jul-Dec - Air Force Historical Studies Office

FRESNO BASE FIRST SINCE CIVIL WAR
The establishment of the future home of
the Fifteenth Bombardment GrOlZp at the Fresno
Air Base marks the first time since the
C1v.il War that military personnel have been
located in this section of California. This
e:1r base, about 100 miles inland, is strategically
situated midway between two great
metropol1 tan areae of the Pacific Coast--San
Francisco and Los Angeles, and is a key point
in the defense plan for both of these areall.
When completed, on or about July 20, the
base will cover approximately 1,000 acres.
Under construction at present are 124 buildings,
and additional construction involving
the sum of $29,624, is being planned for the
future. The four wells being. dug and expected
to furnish an average of three million
gallons of water per day will serve a very
useful purpose, since the average day time
temnerature in Fresno during the summer is
around 100 degrees.
Headquarters
In Postofflce
At present, the headquarters of the Fresno
Air Base is situated in an abandoned post
office building in the heart of the city of
Fresno. So keen an interest in the new bombing
base has been exhibited by the citizens
of Fresno and the neighboring towns that
since June 1st no less than 15 requests were
received from various organizations for
speeches by members of the command, or an
average of one speech per day.
Mosquito Dive Bombers
The only uncooperative element in Fresno
seems to be a constant swarm of overly-active
mosquitoes. The commanding officer of
the medical detachment at the air base has
formulated plans for eliminating this pest
on the military reservation. Civilian agencies
are planning immediate steps to extend
this mosquito abatement work in the environs
of Fresno.- Malaria, a mosqui to-spread disease
- "epidemic encephalitis" (sleeping
sickness)- is on the increase in California,
12 deaths in Fresno County during the last
six months of 1940 being attributed to this
disease. Hope is expressed that, with
the combined action of military and civil
authori ties, an early solution of this problem
may be reached.
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THE DEVELOPl-tENTOF GRAY FIELD
Gray Field, adjacent to Fort Lewis A
Wash.,
which started out in 1936 as just a landing
field, I. has now attained the importance' of
an air base headquarters.
lery regimental station to its present size.
Personnel of the post point with pride to
new construction and landscaping. Engineering
classes were initiated by the post engineering
officer, 1st Lt. Roy W. Gustafson,
and the new men arriving daily are being instructed
as rapidly as possible.
Ninety-First Departs For Maneuvers
The Ninety-First Observation Squadron, in
command of Major K.R. Crosher, is participating
in the Fourth Army maneuvers in California.
Master Sgt. Steven B. Young is making
excellent progress in training recruits
to be crew chiefs. Although he has twice
before served as First Sgt. in line branches,
"Top Kick" Harry Stevenson is busily acquainting
himself with the d.uties of a first
sergeant in the Air Corps.
New Photo Squadron
]'!ight "F," First Photographic Squadron,
commanded by Major George G. Northrup, is
to become the nucleus of the Second Photographic
Squadron under the ~ame leadership.
It is stated that reports of the flight putting
out 2500 prints a day, or from 30,000
to 35,000 a month are not mere rumors. The
supervisor of the laboratory work is 2nd
Lieut. George W. Fisher, former instructor
in the Photographic School at Lowry Field,
Colo.
A Long Trek By Motor Convoy
The Third :Barrage Balloon Squadron left
very early one morning in June for Wilmington,
N.C., by truck convoy. Lieut. Colonel
M.E. McHugo was in command. Three warrant
officers and two master sergeants accompanied
the unit on the trip down south, two of the
former, Robert E. Lassiter and Arvin E.
Miller, accepting commissions aa captain and
second lieutenant, respectively.
With the Gray Field tactical units absent
on maneuvers, the Air Base Detachment, activated
only six months ago, waS confronted
with the task of carrying out the functions
of the post. In a very short time, however,
everything was r~ing smoothly under
the able gui.dance of the several veteran
noncommissioned officers on duty with this
unit.
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SAFETY BELTS ARE REALLY SAFE
Safety belts on airplanes at Scott Field
BelleVille, Ill., were recently subjecte!
to the regular bi-annual tests, under the
direction of the plane crew chiefs, and no
replacements were found necessary.
In June, 1936, the Ninety-First Obs. Squad- Removed from the airplanes every six
ron was transferred to Fort Lewis from the months, the end of each safety belt is at-
Presidio of San FranCiSCO, Calif., and about tached to a heavy concrete block and the
a year later it was joined by the Third Bal- other end to a weight-testing machine. A
loon Squadron, from Moffett Field, Calif. lever is then pulled which suspends the
These two units performed the cooperative block from the machine by the safety belt.
missions and photographic work for the Fort While under the strain, the belt 1s careful-
Lewis troops as the post grew from an artil- 1y checked for stretching or weaknesses.
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