Ardmore Today
The official closing of Ardmore Air Force Base occurred on 31 March 1959 returning the facility to the City of Ardmore for the second time in 1959. The release came without the recapture clause but with a stipulation that it would be used as Ardmore's Municipal Airport and be maintained in perpetuity for airport purposes.
The Ardmore Industrial Airpark, owned by the City of Ardmore, is presently leased to the Ardmore Development Authority. Although all of the wartime and USAF runways and taxiways exist, only the north/south 14/35 remains open and in use. Several large parking aprons, also from its Cold War service remain. Several World War II hangars remain along with a large USAF hangar built in the 1960s. The bass is largely obliterated by a large manufacturing firm which built a large facility, including shipping and receiving with over 100 over the road trailers on the facility. Isolated wartime/USAF roads remain and a few military buildings can still be found.
The 463d Troop Carrier Wing's first Lockheed C-130A, the "City of Ardmore" (AF Ser. No. 55-023) eventually flew missions in Europe, Africa, Japan, Okinawa and South Vietnam. It was retired October 9, 1989, and is now on static display at the Dyess Air Force Base Linear Air Park in Abilene, Texas.
In December 2002, a memorial stone was erected in the Remembrance Memorial Park, near the entrance of Ardmore Industrial Airpark. The monument identifies and honors those airmen from Ardmore AFB who died in training accidents during World War II and the Cold War. It was officially dedicated Memorial Day, 2003.
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