Foster Air Force Base: Difference between revisions

Foster Air Force Base
Part of Tactical Air Command
Located near: Victoria, Texas
USGS 1996 airphoto
Coordinates	28°51′09″N 96°55′07″W / 28.85250°N 96.91861°W / 28.85250; -96.91861
Type	Air Force Base
Site history
Built	1941
In use	1941-1945; 1953-1950

Foster AFB

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Location of Foster Air Force Base, Texas

For the civil use of this facility and airport information, see Victoria Regional Airport

Foster Air Force Base (1941-1945, 1952-1959) is a former United States Air Force base, located approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) east-northeast of Victoria, Texas. A flying training airfield during World War II, it was part of Tactical Air Command during the Cold War as a tactical fighter and command base.

• Established as Victoria Army Airfield on 15 May 1941
• Foster Army Airfield, 15 Jan 1942-31 Oct 1945
• Foster Air Force Base, 1 May 1952-1 Jan 1959

• Air Forces Training Command, 15 May 1941

Redesignated: Army Air Forces Flying Training Command, 15 Mar 1942

Redesignated: Army Air Forces Training Command, 31 Jul 1943-31 Oct 1945

• Air Training Command, 1 May 1952-30 Jun 1954
• Tactical Air Command, 1 Jul 1954-1 Jan 1959

• 77th Flying Training Wing (Advanced Single Engine), 15 May 1941-31 Oct 1945
• 2540th Army Air Forces Base Unit, 1 Jan-31 Oct 1945
• 3580th Pilot Training Wing (Basic, Single-Engine), 1 May 1952-30 Jun 1954
• 450th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 1 Jul 1954

Redesignated: 450th Fighter-Day Wing, 8 Mar 1955

Redesignated: 450th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 Jul-18 Dec 1958

• 322d Fighter-Day Group, 1 Jul 1954-18 Nov 1957

Not operational, 24 Oct-18 Nov 1957

• Nineteenth Air Force, 8 Jul 1955-1 Sep 1958

Foster Field began as a United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) facility established in 1941 as an advanced single-engine flying school for fighter pilots.^[1] Originally known as Victoria Field, it was renamed in 1942 in memory of 1st Lt Arthur L. Foster, a United States Army Air Corps instructor killed in a crash at Brooks Field in 1925.^[1] Foster's son received his training and commission at the base in the spring of 1942.^[1] A local funding campaign had raised some $17,000 to locate the base at Victoria as an economic asset. Subsequent government construction cost more than $4 million.^[1]

The first class of cadets arrived in September 1941 and served under Lt Col Warren R. Carter, the first commander.^[1] WACs began to arrive the following May. Foster became a major pilot training base for the AAF Training Command, with cadets using the North American AT-6 "Texan" and Curtiss P-40 trainers to drill in aerial gunnery, though actual practice took place on ranges located on Matagorda Island and Matagorda Peninsula.^[1] In addition to these bombing ranges on Matagorda, at least ten auxiliary landing fields and a sub-base (Aloe AAF, built in 1943 5 miles southwest of Victoria) was controlled by Foster for emergency landings and aircraft overflow. Many pilots returning from overseas service were taught to become aerial gunnery instructors at Foster Field.^[1]

In addition to the pilot training mission, Foster also served as a medical evacuation facility for injured veterans. There were several housing facilities located on the base.^[1]

After World War II, Foster Field was deactivated and the site was returned to its private owners, the Buhler and Braman estates.^[1]

The Air Force retained a recapture right, which it exercised at Foster and at many other former bases to accommodate the Korean War training surge.^[1] Foster Field was designated Foster Air Force Base on an inactive status on September 1, 1952, by Department of the Air Force General Order No. 38, dated August 29, 1952.^[1] The base was activated on January 1, 1953 by Department of the Air Force General Order No. 33, dated August 20, 1953, as part of Tactical Air Command (TAC).^[1]

The initial USAF unit at Foster AFB was the 3580th Pilot Training Wing.^[1] Activated on January 1, 1953 flying T-33 Shooting Stars, a training version of the F-80. After additional construction was completed, the 450th Fighter-Bomber Wing, was activated at Foster, on July 1, 1954, replacing and absorbing the assets of the 3580th PTW.^[1] Four operational squadrons, the 720th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, the 721st Fighter-Bomber Squadron, the 722nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron and the 723rd Fighter-Bomber Squadron were assigned to the 450th Fighter-Day Group, equipped with the F-86F Sabre^[1]. In addition to the 350th, the 322d Fighter-Day Group was activated with three additional F-86F squadrons, the 450th Fighter-Day Squadron, the 451st Fighter-Day Squadron, and the 452nd Fighter-Day Squadron). Base personnel increased to about 6,000.^[1]

On July 8, 1955, Foster AFB became the location of Headquarters, Nineteenth Air Force (19 AF), although the 450th TFW remained assigned to Ninth Air Force. Nineteenth Air Force used temporarily attached units to carry out the first overseas deployment of a complete tactical fighter force, as a unit, in a training flight to Europe in 1956. The next year three Foster-based F-100s flew the first TAC single-engine, nonstop, round-trip mission over a great distance when they "attacked" Panama in a training maneuver.

In late 1955, the 450th was upgraded to the North American F-100C Super Sabre and the wing was redesignated as the 450th Tactical Fighter Wing.^[1] The 322d was upgraded to the F-100C in early 1958.^[1]

On August 28, 1957, despite the fact that President Dwight D. Eisenhower appropriated funds for new construction at the base, the base was ordered closed by the spring of 1959, with the resident 450th TFW and both groups inactivating.^[1]

Today Victoria has several hospitals that have eventually branched off the medical facilities located on the base.^[1] It's estimated that approximately 1583 troops were housed in the critical care facilities during 1952-1958.^[1] The numbers of deaths that resulted from the war are unknown.

With a great adverse cost impact to the local economy, the base closed in December 1958.^[1] It was formally inactivated on January 1, 1959 by Department of the Air Force General Order No. 7, dated February 9, 1959.^[1]

The local economy suffered greatly from the closure of Foster AFB. In the summer of 1960, the General Services Administration approved the exchange of Aloe Field for Foster Field, and Victoria County Airport was moved to the latter site. The growth of the county airport slowly replaced the loss of Foster AFB as numerous businesses located there.

Two of the largest businesses to locate at Victoria County Airport were the Devereux Foundation, a therapeutic-education center, and Gary Aircraft, which repaired surplus C-54 Skymaster (Douglas DC-4) aircraft in 1968. In 1976 Foster became the site of Victoria Regional Airport, which provides passenger service and connections with major carriers.

• Texas World War II Army Airfields

• Victoria Regional Airport (official web site)
• FAA Airport Form 5010 for VCT PDF