History
Del Valle Airfield (aka Del Valle Army Air Base) was activated on 19 September 1942 on 3,000 acres (12 km²) leased from the City of Austin. The lease agreement stipulated that the land would revert back to the city if the government abandoned it.
The name of the base was changed to Bergstrom Army Airfield (AAF) on 3 March 1943, in honor of Captain John August Earl Bergstrom, a reservist in the 19th Bombardment Group, who was killed at Clark Field, Philippines on December 8, 1941. He was the first Austinite killed in World War II. The base was again renamed Bergstrom Field on November 11, 1943.
With the establishment of the United States Air Force in September 1947, the name of Bergstrom again changed to Bergstrom Air Force Base on 24 June 1948.
Major commands which Bergstrom was assigned were:
- Army Air Service Command, 23 May 1942 - 19 June 1942
- Third Air Force 19 June 1942 - 4 October 1942
- I Troop Carrier Command 4 October 1942 - 16 April 1945
- Continental Air Forces 16 April 1945 - 23 March 1946
- Tactical Air Command 23 March 1946 - 1 December 1948
- Continental Air Command 1 December 1948 - 21 March 1949
- Strategic Air Command 21 March 1949 - 1 July 1957
- Tactical Air Command 1 July 1957 - 1 October 1958
- Strategic Air Command 1 October 1958 - 1 July 1966
- Tactical Air Command 1 July 1966 - 1 June 1992
- Air Combat Command 1 June 1992 - Closing
Host units assigned to Bergstrom were:
- United States Army Air Force
- 316th Troop Carrier Group
- 89th Troop Carrier Group
- 349th Troop Carrier Group
- 62d Troop Carrier Group
- 313th Troop Carrier Group
- United States Air Force
- 447th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy)
- 27th Strategic Fighter Wing
- 4130th Strategic Wing
- 340th Bombardment Wing
- 75th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
- 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
- 602nd Tactical Air Control Wing
Read more about this topic: Bergstrom Air Force Base
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