Clinton-Sherman Industrial Airpark - History

History

For more details on this topic, see Clinton-Sherman Air Force Base.

The United States Navy established a naval air station on 5,000 acres (20 km²) at this location in 1942 to train pilots during World War II. The outlines of the original runways are still visible in some overhead photos of the current airport. After the war ended, the naval air station was closed and the site was temporarily turned into a civilian airport. A portion of the airfield was leased by Sherman Iron Works for use in salvaging surplus combat aircraft and parts from thousands of surplus aircraft from the war. The military returned in 1954 and converted the site into an Air Force facility known as Clinton-Sherman Air Force Base. The name is derived from the nearby city of Clinton and the Sherman Iron Works. The Air Force built the long runway to support B-52 bombers. The base was closed at the end of 1969, although the military still intermittently uses the airport for training purposes, such as touch-and-go landings of tankers and cargo aircraft. The base has now become the Clinton-Sherman Industrial Airpark, home to a limited amount of industrial and general aviation activity.

Read more about this topic:  Clinton-Sherman Industrial Airpark

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