Lawson Army Airfield
Encyclopedia
Lawson Army Airfield is a military airport
located at Fort Benning
in Chattahoochee County
, Georgia
, south of the city of Columbus, Georgia
. It is Fort Benning
's primary Force Projection Platform.
:
and later as a justice of the Georgia Supreme Court. The Army created a rudimentary landing field at Benning in 1919 with the initial mission of determining if data obtained by balloon observation would benefit the infantry. The airfield consisted of two small hangars that housed the balloon unit.
In 1922, the Army made the facility a permanent Army post renaming the camp Fort Benning
. From 1921 to 1931, aircraft from Maxwell Field
near Montgomery, Alabama
occasionally utilized the airfield for maneuvers and other purposes. In 1928, the balloon unit transferred and the airfield was without any permanent occupation for three years.
In August 1931, the Army named the airfield in honor of Capt. Walter R. Lawson, a Georgia native who had been killed in the crash of a Martin MB-2 at McCook Field, Ohio
on 21 April 1923. Lawson served with the 41st French Escadrille during World War I
, had one victory, and received the Distinguished Flying Cross
for heroism in action. The same year, Flight B of Ft. Riley, Kansas
' 16th Observation Squadron, consisting of five officers and 35 enlisted men, moved to Lawson. Flight B operated three Douglas 0-25 aircraft out of a double hangar. Units from Fort Bragg
, North Carolina
later joined Flight B. The mission of Flight B involved directing artillery fire and spotting enemy positions during maneuvers.
In 1933, the Army spent $855,060 upgrading Lawson's facilities. On 1 September 1940, Lawson Field separated from the Infantry School and became an Army Airfield under the Commanding General of the Army Air Corps
. By the fall of 1940, the 16th Reconnaissance Squadron
, the 97th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron
and the 15th Bombardment Squadron
(Light) had been transferred to the field.
The continued growth of parachute training at Lawson led the Army to turn the field over to the I Troop Carrier Command
on 26 August 1942. The 316th Troop Carrier Group (TCG) with four C-47 squadrons had already arrived at Lawson on 8 August.
Other Army Air Force Troop Carrier C-47 units assigned to Lawson during World War II were:
For all of the war, a Troop Carrier Group (TCG) was always present at Lawson conducting training and providing aircraft for the Parachute School. In June 1943, the 10th TCG became a Replacement Training Unit in addition to the mission of dropping troopers for the Parachute School. The 3rd Composite Squadron
was also present at Lawson from April 1942 to November 1945 with a wide variety of fighter, light bombers, and liaison/observation aircraft to provide aerial support for training by the Infantry School.
Lawson and Ft. Benning had many distinguished visitors during the war including Gen. George C. Marshall, Gen. Hap Arnold, Lord Louis Mountbatten
and Anthony Eden
, the British Foreign Secretary. When President Franklin Roosevelt visited the base on 15 April 1943, the School conducted a parachute drop for his viewing.
. Postwar Air Force units assigned were:
In 1954, the Air Force turned Lawson over to the Army, and t has operated continually since that time as Lawson Army Airfield.
Lawson received a major expansion program in 1965 including an 8,200-ft. runway capable of handling large jet transports. In 2005, Army aviation assets at Lawson support the Infantry School and other units stationed at Ft. Benning.
In 1967, Lawson Army Airfield was used for filming as part of the production of The Green Berets (film)
. It served as a stand-in for Da Nang Air Base
, South Vietnam.
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
located at Fort Benning
Fort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...
in Chattahoochee County
Chattahoochee County, Georgia
Chattahoochee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on February 13, 1854. The 2000 Census reported a population of 14,882. The 2009 Census Estimate shows a population of 14,402. It is part of the Columbus, Georgia-Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, south of the city of Columbus, Georgia
Columbus, Georgia
Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Muscogee County, Georgia, United States, with which it is consolidated. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, which, in 2009, had an estimated population of 292,795...
. It is Fort Benning
Fort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...
's primary Force Projection Platform.
Facilities
Lawson Army Airfield has one runwayRunway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
:
- Runway 15/33: 10,000 ft. x 150 ft. (3,048 x 46 m), Surface: AsphaltAsphaltAsphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
Origins
In late 1918, the U.S. Army established a new camp for the Infantry School of Arms south of Columbus on the Bussey Plantation. The camp was named in honor of Henry Lewis Benning, a Columbus native who served as a Confederate general during the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and later as a justice of the Georgia Supreme Court. The Army created a rudimentary landing field at Benning in 1919 with the initial mission of determining if data obtained by balloon observation would benefit the infantry. The airfield consisted of two small hangars that housed the balloon unit.
In 1922, the Army made the facility a permanent Army post renaming the camp Fort Benning
Fort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...
. From 1921 to 1931, aircraft from Maxwell Field
Maxwell Field
Maxwell Field was the football stadium located behind the former location of Louisville Male High School, 911 S. Brook St., Louisville, Kentucky, 40203 which was bounded by the streets of Brook, Breckinridge, Floyd, and Caldwell streets in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1984 a double murder known locally...
near Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
occasionally utilized the airfield for maneuvers and other purposes. In 1928, the balloon unit transferred and the airfield was without any permanent occupation for three years.
In August 1931, the Army named the airfield in honor of Capt. Walter R. Lawson, a Georgia native who had been killed in the crash of a Martin MB-2 at McCook Field, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
on 21 April 1923. Lawson served with the 41st French Escadrille during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, had one victory, and received the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
for heroism in action. The same year, Flight B of Ft. Riley, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
' 16th Observation Squadron, consisting of five officers and 35 enlisted men, moved to Lawson. Flight B operated three Douglas 0-25 aircraft out of a double hangar. Units from Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg (North Carolina)
Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
later joined Flight B. The mission of Flight B involved directing artillery fire and spotting enemy positions during maneuvers.
In 1933, the Army spent $855,060 upgrading Lawson's facilities. On 1 September 1940, Lawson Field separated from the Infantry School and became an Army Airfield under the Commanding General of the Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
. By the fall of 1940, the 16th Reconnaissance Squadron
16th Reconnaissance Squadron
The 16th Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 311th Photographic Wing, stationed at Buckley Field, Colorado. It was inactivated on 12 April 1945.-History:...
, the 97th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron
97th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron
The 97th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 76th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, stationed at Thermal Army Airfield, California...
and the 15th Bombardment Squadron
15th Bombardment Squadron
The 15th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Twelfth Air Force, based at Nouvion Airfield, Algeria...
(Light) had been transferred to the field.
World War II
During 1941, a major project took place at Lawson with the construction of barracks, runways, parking aprons and other facilities. Several additional observation, reconnaissance, and light bomber squadrons passed through Lawson during 1941 and the first of 1942. The 74th Observation Group (February 27, 1942 – April 10, 1942) Trained personnel in aerial reconnaissance, medium bombardment, and fighter techniques.The continued growth of parachute training at Lawson led the Army to turn the field over to the I Troop Carrier Command
I Troop Carrier Command
The I Troop Carrier Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the First Air Force, based at Stout Army Air Field, Indiana.Its primary mission was theater troop and logistics transport training...
on 26 August 1942. The 316th Troop Carrier Group (TCG) with four C-47 squadrons had already arrived at Lawson on 8 August.
Other Army Air Force Troop Carrier C-47 units assigned to Lawson during World War II were:
- 314th Troop Carrier Group (February 20, 1943 – May 1943)
- 63d Troop Carrier Group63d Troop Carrier GroupThe 63d Troop Carrier Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 63d Troop Carrier Wing, Eastern Transport Air Force , stationed at Hunter Air Force Base, Georgia. It was inactivated on 18 January 1963....
(May 7, 1943 – June 3, 1943) - 10th Troop Carrier Group10th Troop Carrier GroupThe 10th Troop Carrier Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Troop Carrier Command, based at Alliance Army Airfield, Nebraska. It was inactivated on 14 April 1944....
(November 30, 1943 – January 21, 1944)
- 438th Troop Carrier Group (October 1 – November 15, 1945) (Used Lawson for unit deactivation)
For all of the war, a Troop Carrier Group (TCG) was always present at Lawson conducting training and providing aircraft for the Parachute School. In June 1943, the 10th TCG became a Replacement Training Unit in addition to the mission of dropping troopers for the Parachute School. The 3rd Composite Squadron
3rd Composite Squadron
The 3rd Composite Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the XIX Tactical Air Command, based at Lawson Army Airfield, Georgia...
was also present at Lawson from April 1942 to November 1945 with a wide variety of fighter, light bombers, and liaison/observation aircraft to provide aerial support for training by the Infantry School.
Lawson and Ft. Benning had many distinguished visitors during the war including Gen. George C. Marshall, Gen. Hap Arnold, Lord Louis Mountbatten
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas George Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC, FRS , was a British statesman and naval officer, and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
and Anthony Eden
Anthony Eden
Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon, KG, MC, PC was a British Conservative politician, who was Prime Minister from 1955 to 1957...
, the British Foreign Secretary. When President Franklin Roosevelt visited the base on 15 April 1943, the School conducted a parachute drop for his viewing.
Postwar use
Following the war, Troop Carrier Squadrons remained at Lawson in support of the Parachute School with the C-46. Lawson Air Force Base came into existence in 1947 with the creation of the United States Air ForceUnited States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
. Postwar Air Force units assigned were:
- 434th Troop Carrier Wing (January 23, 1952 – February 1, 1953) Curtiss C-46 Commando
- 464th Troop Carrier Wing (February 1, 1953 – September 21, 1954) C-119 Flying BoxcarC-119 Flying BoxcarThe Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar was an American military transport aircraft developed from the World War II-era Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter patients, and mechanized equipment, and to drop cargo and troops by parachute...
In 1954, the Air Force turned Lawson over to the Army, and t has operated continually since that time as Lawson Army Airfield.
Lawson received a major expansion program in 1965 including an 8,200-ft. runway capable of handling large jet transports. In 2005, Army aviation assets at Lawson support the Infantry School and other units stationed at Ft. Benning.
In 1967, Lawson Army Airfield was used for filming as part of the production of The Green Berets (film)
The Green Berets (film)
The Green Berets is a 1968 war film featuring John Wayne, George Takei, David Janssen, Jim Hutton and Aldo Ray, nominally based on the eponymous 1965 book by Robin Moore, though the screenplay has little relation to the book....
. It served as a stand-in for Da Nang Air Base
Da Nang Air Base
Da Nang Air Base was a Republic of Vietnam Air Force facility. The United States used it as a major base during the Vietnam War , stationing Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine units there...
, South Vietnam.
See also
- Georgia World War II Army AirfieldsGeorgia World War II Army AirfieldsDuring World War II, the United States Army Air Force established numerous airfields in Georgia for antisubmarine defense in the Gulf of Mexico and for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers....
- Troop Carrier Command
External links
- Lawson Army Airfield (GlobalSecurity.org)