History of Marianna Municipal Airport

History of Marianna
Municipal Airport
“Soar i nto the Future”
S ketc h D r a w i n g fro m Pa u l D o n o fro an d A s s o c i at e s
“While aviating
through the past”
Marianna Municipal Airport | 2014
2
A BRIEF
HISTORY OF
MARIANNA
MUNICIPAL
AIRPORT
By Dale Cox, Jackson County Historian
T
he si te of today’s Mar ianna
Muni c ip al Air p or t has
playe d a signif icant role in
t h e h i sto ry o f N or thwest Flor ida, the
S out h e ast and th e Nation f or more
t h a n 300 ye ars.
A n AT- 6 “ Tex an” ai rcraft fli es over th e
M ar i an n a A r my A i r F i eld d u r i n g W W I I w h e n i t
was an ad van ced pi lot t rai n i n g base .
T he fi rst k no wn descr ip tion of the lan d
o n w hi c h the ai r p or t was later b uilt dat e s
f rom the 1686 e x p edition of Sp anish ex pl o re r
M arc o s D e lg ado . Marching nor thwest f rom
M i ssi o n San L ui s at p resent-day Tallaha s s e e
wi t h a fo rc e o f s oldier s and allied Ap ala c h e e
I nd i ans, D e lg ado crossed the air p or t
pro pe rty i n ro ute f rom B lue Sp r ings to t h e
C h i p o la R i ve r. T he ear liest sur vey p lats o f
J ac kso n Co unty show that the tr ail f ollo w e d
b y De lg ado was still in use at the time o f
F l or ida’s transfe r f rom Sp ain to the Uni t e d
S t at es i n 1821.
B y the m i d-182 0 s, the f orests and na t u ra l
pr a i r i e s o f the la nd had given way to f ie l d s
o f S ea I sland c o tton, cor n and other cro p s .
Par t o f the fam ed “Chip ola Countr y,” th e
f u t ure ai rpo rt site was q uickly claimed
b y s ettle rs who estab lished ex tensive
plantati o ns i n th e vicinity. These vast f a rm s
sur v ive d unti l th e end of the Civil War
i n 1 865, but m o st of the air p or t p rop er ty
re mai ne d i n use f or agr icultur al p ur p ose s
unt i l the o utbre ak of Wor ld War II. The C i t y
o f M ari anna had estab lished a cr ude dirt
r u n w ay o n a po rtion of the site af ter av i a t i o n
b ec a m e po pular dur ing the ear ly 2 0 t h ce n t u ry.
W W II A r my A i r Fo rce P h o to
Fo l l o w i n g t h e bo m bi n g o f Pe a rl Ha rb or b y
t h e E m p i re o f J a p a n o n D e c e m be r 7 , 1 941,
t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s be g a n a n a g g re s s i v e eff or t
t o t ra i n p i l o t s fo r s e rv i c e i n t h e n a t i o n ’s
fl e d g l i n g a i r fo rc e , w h i c h w a s t h e n u nd er t h e
c o m m a n d o f t h e U .S . Arm y.
Fo rt u n a t e l y, t h e re w a s a l re a d y a ru n w a y
n e a r M a ri a n n a , o n a 6 3 5 - a c re s i t e p a ra l l el
t o t h e C a v e rn s Ro a d . T h i s ru n w a y h a d
be e n c o n s t ru c t e d y e a rs e a rl i e r by t h e Wor ks
Pro g re s s Ad m i n i s t ra t i o n (WPA) a s p a rt of a
1 9 3 0 ’s a i rm a i l ro u t e be t w e e n J a c k s o n v il l e
a n d N e w Orl e a n s . T h ro u g h t h e p o l i t i c a l
p u l l o f t h e n C o n g re s s m a n B o b S i k e s o f
C re s t v i e w, a n d F l o ri d a S e n a t o r C l a u d e
Pe p p e r, t h e fe d e ra l g o v e rn m e n t a c q u i red t h e
a i rp o rt p ro p e rt y fro m t h e C i t y o f M a ri a n n a
a n d i n Ap ri l 1 9 4 2 1 ,9 1 5 a c re s o f a d d i t i on a l
s u rro u n d i n g fa rm l a n d w a s a d d e d i n or d er t o
c o n s t ru c t t h e M a ri a n n a Arm y Ai r F i e l d ( A A F)
fo r t h e U .S . Arm y Ai r Fo rc e s .
T h e a i rfi e l d w a s bu i l t w i t h re m a rk a b l e
s p e e d , c o m p l e t e d i n i t s e n t i re t l y i n j u s t
s i x m o n t h s . I t w a s a c t i v a t e d o n Au g u s t 8,
1 9 4 2 u n d e r t h e c o m m a n d o f C o l o n e l J oh n W.
Pe rs o n s . T h e a i r fi e l d e v e n t u a l l y h a d s ix
h a rd s u rfa c e ru n w a y s a v e ra g i n g 5 ,0 0 0 f eet
i n l e n g t h a n d w a s a v i t a l c o g i n t h e E a s t er n
Arm y Ai r Fo rc e F l y i n g Tra i n i n g C o m m a n d . In
Marianna Municipal Airport | 2014
ad d i ti o n to the main air b ase, Mar ianna AAF
also had fo ur aux iliar y f ields.
O ffi c e rs and enlisted men were housed
i n a c o m ple x tha t included q uar ter s, a me s s
hall, c hape l, supp ly b uildings and other
st r uc ture s.
T he fac i li ty provided b oth ground and
ai r t r ai ni ng fo r future comb at p ilots, ma n y
o f t h e m fro m China, which was a key U. S .
ally i n the war a gainst Jap an in the Paci fi c .
T h ree L i nk Trai ner b uildings housing 2 4
t r ai ne rs we re o per ated 1 6 hour s p er day a n d
b et w e e n 75 and 1 0 0
AT- 6 ai rc raft fi lled the
sk i es o v e r the base.
re c o g n i z e d , bu t c ri t i c a l l y i m p o rt a n t s er v ice
i n h e l p i n g t o p re p a re Am e ri c a ’s c o m ba t pil ot s
fo r s e rv i c e i n Wo rl d Wa r I I .
T h e ba s e c o n t i n u e d t o p ro v i d e s i n g l e
e n g i n e a d v a n c e d p i l o t t ra i n i n g u n t i l
S e p t e m be r 1 5 , 1 9 4 4 , w h e n i t w a s a s s i g n ed
t o t h e 3 rd Ai r Fo rc e a n d t h e m i s s i o n w a s
c h a n g e d t o C o m ba t C re w Tra i n i n g . T h e
AT- 6 t ra i n i n g a i rc ra ft w e re re p l a c e d w i t h
t h e D o u g l a s A- 2 6 “ I n v a d e r” , a t w i n e n g in e
l i g h t a t t a c k bo m be r. T h e fi rs t A- 2 6 a i rcr a f t
a rri v e d i n Oc t o be r 1 9 4 4 , a n d re m a i n e d a t
M a ri a n n a AAF u n t i l t h e e n d o f Wo rl d Wa r II
M ost o f the
i nst r uc to rs at
M ar i a nna Arm y A ir
F i eld we re se asoned
c om bat pi lo ts wh o
we re se nt ho m e b y
t h e Arm y to assist in
t r ai ni ng o the r pilots
f or ac ti o n. Se v e ral
o f t h e se de c o rated
he roe s lo st the i r lives,
alo ng wi th the s tudent
pi lo ts the y we re
t r ai ni ng , i n a se r ies
o f unfo rtunate flying
ac ci de nts that took
plac e aro und J ackson
C ounty.
A de tac hm e nt
o f WAC s fro m the
Wom e n’s Arm y Cor p s
ar r i ve d at Mari an na
A A F i n 1943. Most
re ce iv e d trai ni ng in
t h e Li nk D e partment
and so o n be g an
i nst r uc ti ng student
pi lo ts o n the trainer s.
I n d oi ng so , the y
pro v i de d li ttle
Th i s i s an overhead v i ew of the cur ren t M ar i an n a A i r p o rt
r unways an d ai rcraft parki n g area. A lso pi ct u red i n th e
center i s S un lan d C en ter, a resi d en t i al faci li ty fo r
Flori d i an s w i th d evelopm en tal d i sab i li t i es.
A r i a l Ph o to b y 2 0 0 6 US G S a i r p h o to
3
Marianna Municipal Airport | 2014
4
whe n the base was
c l ose d and the facilities
re t urne d to the City of
M ar i a nna. I n 19 4 7 the
S t at e o f F lo ri da took
o v e r the base hosp ital
b u i l d i ng and c o nver ted
i t i nto a Tube rc ulosis
S a n i tari um . I t w as
use d to tre at T. B.
pat i ents unti l a new,
lar ge r ho spi tal w as
b u i l t i n Tallahassee.
T h e mai n adm i nistr ation
b u i l d i ng s and base
c h a p e l we re o c c u p ied
b y C hi po la J uni or
A f li gh t of AT- 6 ai rcraft i n t i ght for m at i on over J ack s o n
C olle g e fro m 1947 until
County a fter d epar t i n g from on e of the fou r au x i li a r y
1953. The fli g ht line,
f i elds, whi ch ser ved the M ar i an n a A r my A i r F i eld from 194 2
hang e rs and run ways
unti l i t was closed i n 19 4 6 . W W II A r my A i r Fo rce P h o to
we re o pe rate d by the
C i t y o f Mari anna and used b y National A i r
o f Ae ro n a u t i c s h a d s t a rt e d a c i v i l i a n p il ot
L i n es and pri vat e p ilots.
t ra i n i n g o p e ra t i o n . Gra h a m w a s c o n t ra ct ed
by t h e Ai r Fo rc e t o p ro v i d e p ri m a ry t ra in in g
Whe n the K o rean War b roke out in 1 9 5 0 ,
t o n e w p i l o t s . T h e v e n e ra bl e AT- 6 t ra in er
A i r Fo rc e re qui rements f or additional p i l o t s
o f WW I I fa m e w a s a g a i n p re s s e d i n t o u s e.
g re w. Se v e ral air b ases closed at the en d
I n 1 9 5 2 t h e Ai r Fo rc e o p t e d t o a g a i n t a ke
o f W W I I we re reop ened, including the o n e
o v e r t h e ba s e a t Gre e n v i l l e , fo rc i n g Gr a h a m
i n Gre e nv i lle , Mississip p i, where the Gr a h a m
Av i a t i o n t o m o v e .
Av i ati o n D i vi si o n of the Pittsb ur gh Instit u t e
T h e y s e l e c t e d t h e fo rm e r M a ri a n n a A r m y
Ai r F i e l d a s t h e i r n e w h o m e , a n d a ft e r
a p p ro x i m a t e l y a y e a r o f re n o v a t i o n t h e
ba s e re t u rn e d t o o p e ra t i o n i n M a rc h 1953
w h e n i t w a s re a c t i v a t e d a s a U n i t e d S ta t es
Ai r Fo rc e C o n t ra c t Pri m a ry F l y i n g Tra i n in g
B a s e . I t w a s re n a m e d Gra h a m Ai r B a s e , in
h o n o r o f Wi l l i a m J . Gra h a m , Pre s i d e n t of
Gra h a m Av i a t i o n . Gra h a m w a s a w a rd ed
t h e Ai r Fo rc e ’s h i g h e s t c o m m e n d a t i o n ,
t h e E x c e p t i o n a l S e rv i c e Aw a rd , fo r h a vin g
a c c o m p l i s h e d t h e re a c t i v a t i o n a n d re l oca t ion
t o M a ri a n n a w i t h o u t i n c i d e n t .
P ic ture d a bove i s Colonel Joh n W.
Per s o ns , C o mm andi ng Of f i cer of the
pi lo t t ra inin g wi ng at Mari anna A r my
Air Fie l d duri ng m ost of WW II .
W W II Ar my Air Force Photo
M a n y o f Am e ri c a ’s t o p c o l d w a r a n d
Vi e t n a m e ra p i l o t s w e re t ra i n e d a t Gra h a m
be t w e e n 1 9 5 3 a n d 1 9 6 0 . T h e 3 3 0 0 t h Pi l o t
Tra i n i n g Gro u p w a s ba s e d t h e re a n d t r a in in g
w a s p ro v i d e d p ri m a ri l y o n AT- 6 , PA- 1 8 , T- 28
Marianna Municipal Airport | 2014
G ra ha m Air Base Entrance 19 53-60
On e v e ry s p e c i a l e v e n t t o o k p l a c e t h e
w e e k e n d o f Fa t h e r’s D a y, 1 9 5 8 , w h e n D a v e
Ga rro w a y, h o s t o f t h e N B C “ To d a y” s h o w,
bro a d c a s t t h e e n t i re p ro g ra m fro m t h e b a s e.
T h e s h o w i n c l u d e d d e m o n s t ra t i o n fl i g h t s
o f v i n t a g e Ai r Fo rc e a i rc ra ft , a s i g h t - s eein g
t ri p o v e r M a ri a n n a n a rra t e d by Ga rro w a y
fro m t h e c o c k p i t o f a T- 3 7 j e t t ra i n e r a n d
a l i v e p e rfo rm a n c e by t h e U . S . Ai r Fo rce
T h u n d e rbi rd s .
Contr ibuted Photo
and T-34 pro pe ller aircr af t until 1 9 5 7 wh e n
t h e Ai r Fo rc e ’s n ewest jet aircr af t, the t w i n
e n gi ne T-37 be c a me the p r imar y tr ainer. T h e
b a s e o pe rate d w ith T-3 4 and T-3 7 aircr aft
unt i l D e c e m be r 19 6 0 when the A ir Force
c l ose d all c o ntra ct p r imar y tr aining b as e s .
T h e p ro pe rty wa s retur ned to the City of
M ar i a nna i n 1961.
Am o n g t h e p i l o t s w h o t ra i n e d a t Gra h a m
Ai r B a s e w a s M a j o r D o u g l a s B . “Pe t e ”
Pe t e rs o n , w h o re c e i v e d t h e S i l v e r S t a r, L eg ion
o f M e ri t , Pu rp l e He a rt a n d Pri s o n e r o f Wa r
M e d a l . He w a s s h o t d o w n o v e r Vi e t n a m on
S e p t e m be r 1 0 , 1 9 6 6 , a n d s p e n t s i x a n d on eh a l f ye a rs i n a N o rt h Vi e t n a m e s e p ri s on
be fo re re t u rn i n g h o m e t o be e l e c t e d t o t h e
U .S . C o n g re s s fro m F l o ri d a a n d e v e n t u a l l y
be i n g a p p o i n t e d a s t h e fi rs t U .S . Am ba s s a d or
t o Vi e t n a m d u ri n g t h e p o s t - w a r e ffo rt .
A D ougl a s A-26 Invader takes of f on a t rai n i n g m i ssi on . M ar i an n a A r my A i r F i e l d
c e a se d AT-6 s ingle engi ne advance d t rai n i n g i n the m i d d le of 19 4 4 an d sta rte d
t rai ning c o mbat ready crews i n the A- 26 tw i n - en gi n e b om b er s on S eptem be r 15,
19 4 4. T ha t was th e p ri m ar y m i ssi o n un t i l the war en d ed . Ph o to b y Ji m Ha r t
5
Marianna Municipal Airport | 2014
6
Pi ctured are ( L- R ) the T- 28, T-37 an d T-3 4, three of th e
ai rcraf t used to t rai n pi lot s at M ar i an n a after the old W W II
base was reactivated i n 19 53 as G raham A i r B ase an d u s e d a s
a US A i r Force P r i m ar y P i lot t rai n i n g faci li ty. U S A i r Fo rce P h oto
T he mai n entrance gate
g u a rd ho us e th at ser ved Mari ann a
Ar my Air Fi eld duri ng WW II.
WW II Ar my Air Force P hoto
Marianna Municipal Airport | 2014
u n s o l v e d i n t h e Ai r Fo rc e ’s P rojec t B l u e B o o k
re p o rt .
M a n y o f t h e o ri g i n a l bu i l d i n g s fro m b ot h
t h e M a ri a n n a Arm y Ai r F i e l d a n d Gra h a m
Ai r B a s e c a n be s e e n t o d a y a t t h e M a r ia n n a
M u n i c i p a l Ai rp o rt a n d a d j a c e n t S u n l a n d
fa c i l i t y. T h e o ri g i n a l t o w e r bu i l d i n g s t i l l
s e rv e s a s t h e a i rp o rt t e rm i n a l t o d a y a n d
m a n y o t h e r t ra c e s o f Am e ri c a ’s 2 0 t h c en t u r y
e ffo rt t o “ p ro v i d e fo r t h e c o m m o n d e f en s e”
d o t t h e a re a a c re a g e .
T he co nt rol tower used at Mari ann a
A r my Air Field duri ng WW II. Th i s
fa c il ity housed p ersonnel who
m a inta ine d radi o contact wi th p ilot s
and ke pt the busy A r my A i r Force
Ba s e s a fe d uri ng h i gh levels of f li g ht
ac t ivity. The tower was converted i n to
a re s ta ura nt for a short ti m e. Today i t
is n o longer i n use.
T h e a i rp o rt t o d a y fe a t u re s t w o 4 ,9 0 0 fo o t by 1 0 0 - fo o t h a rd s u rfa c e ru n w a ys, a n d
i s c l a s s i fi e d a s a g e n e ra l a v i a t i o n a i rp or t .
I t s e e s s i g n i fi c a n t c i v i l i a n u s e , a l t h o u g h
o n e - t h i rd o f i t s d a i l y o p e ra t i o n s c o n s i s t
o f m i l i t a ry t ra i n i n g fi g h t s i n c l u d i n g Ar m y
h e l i c o p t e rs fro m Fo rt Ru c k e r, Al a ba m a , a n d
N a v y T- 6 “T E X AN I I ’s ” fro m Wh i t i n g F i el d n ea r
Pe n s a c o l a . M u c h o f t h e s u rro u n d i n g p roper t y
h a s be e n t u rn e d i n t o t h e M a ri a n n a I n d u s t r ia l
Pa rk , w h i c h p ro v i d e s s i t e s fo r m a n u fa c t u r in g
fa c i l i t i e s a n d h u n d re d s o f j o bs fo r a rea
re s i d e n t s .
WW II Ar my Air Force P hoto
B r i g adi e r G e ner al James H ar t also tr a i n e d
at G r aham , who as a b oy, watched p ilot s
t r ai n at the o ri g inal Mar ianna Ar my Air F i e l d
d ur i n g Wo rld War II.
A lso g raduati ng f rom Gr aham was Dr. B o b
H o ff , who late r a ttended medical school
f ollo wi ng se rvi c e in Viet Nam and retur n e d
t o M ari anna where he p r acticed in f ami l y
m e d ic i ne fo r 28 year s.
I n an i nte re st ing f ootnote, one of the
f i r st do c um e nte d UFO (Unidentif ied Flyin g
O b j ec t) si g hti ng s b y the U.S. militar y
i nv o lve d G raham Air B ase. On Decemb er 6 ,
1955, a radar o p er ator at Gr aham ob ser ve d
a U FO trave li ng nor th up the A p alachicol a
and C hattaho o c hee River s across Jackson
C ounty. T he natu re of the ob ject was ne v e r
d e t e r m i ne d and the sighting was listed a s
P i ct ured ab ove i s the C hapel a s i t
appeared i n 19 4 2. I t i s on e of o n l y a
few b ui ld i n g s or i gi n ally con st r u c te d fo r
the base that are st i ll used tod ay.
WW I I Ar my Ai r Fo rce P h o to
7
Marianna Municipal Airport | 2014
8
T h e ma in te r m i nal bui ldi ng and new, m ore m od er n con t rol tower that wa s th e
ce nter of f li ght trai ni ng act iv i ty after the ai r por t reopen ed as
G ra ham A i r Base i n 19 53. A fter closi n g i n 19 60, the b u i ld i n g was
o ccupie d by th e ai r p ort di rector an d fi x ed base operat i on s. W W II A r my A i r Fo rce P h oto
visitjacksoncountyfla.com
www.cityofmarianna.com
P h o t o b y D al e Co x
TIMES
cityofmarianna.com/128/
Jackson County
Main-Street
Designed by Stephanie Parker
www.jacksoncountytimes.net