Tucson Daily Citizen from Tucson, Arizona • Page 24

PAGE SBC T8b 3lzoni Daily Star--'AAT 40tK ANNIVERSARY--Tucson Dally Citizen TUCSON, ARIZONA, AUGUST I 184T Oldest Municipal Airport Named Davis Monthan In 1928 Tucson's citizenry named the Tucson airport the Davis-Mon- field, in honor of Samuel H. Davis and Oscar Monthan. This act commemorated the lames of two Tucsonans who were killed In the line of duty as pilots in the U. S. Army Air Corps.

In the early war years the name Davis-Monthan Field was officially adopted by the War Department. LIEUTENANT SAMUEL HOWARD DAVIS Samuel Howard Davis, of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Davis, came to Tucson with his parents at the age of eight. He attended the Tucson public schools, graduating from Tucson high school in 1913, and entered the University of Arizona.

He enlisted in the United States Army at the time the U. S. entered the World War. He received his preliminary air training, and commissioned a 2nd lieutenant. His advanced flying training was received at the Austin Flying School, Austin, Texas.

Returning to Kelly Field, Lt. Davis became a flying instructor for the duration of the war. After his discharge, Lt. Davis returned to Tucson and was put in charge of a flying field which was operated by a number of air- minded business men of Tucson. In 1920 he was called back in service and was stationed at Carlstrom Field, Arcadia, Florida.

On December 28, 1921, he was killed in an airplane accident near the field. LIEUTENANT OSCAR MONTHAN Oscar Monthan was born In England and came to Canada at the age of 12. Three years later with his family he carfle to the United States, finally settling In Tucson. His family farmed and ranched at both Tanque Verde and, latterly, at their Rancho del Lago, near Vail. Arizona.

Mr. Monthan enlisted in the then U. S. Army Air Corps as a private in 1917, and was trained as a ground officer and commissioned in 1918. He was first stationed at Maxwell Field, Montgomery, Alabama.

Following the armistice, Lt. Monthan trained as a pilot, and was stationed at Rockwell Field in 1919 and at McCook Field in 1922. In August, 1922, he married Miss Anne Paquette, of Plattsburgh, N. Y. His next transfer was to Honolulu, T.

and while stationed there hs and four others were killed in the crash of a Martin bomber on March 27, 1924. While stationed at Rockwell Field and Luke Field, Hawaii, Lt. Monthan was chief engineer officer. At McCook Field he had charge of the air corps engineer-' ing school. In the early day Army Air Corps Lt.

Monthan was known as one of the best and foremost engineers. During the war years Tucson's Junior Red Cross wai one of the groups most consistently supporting the Davis-Monthan Field base hospital. Remembered Lt. Howard Davis Lt. Oscar Monthan One of ths best known wartime Davis-Monthan Field organ- izatlons was the band, a must at every public ceremony in Tucson.

It was formed and directed by Warrant Officers Robert Horton and F. G. Nierlich. D-M Develops From Idea The present day Davis-Monthan field, with its long concrete run ways, buildings, barracks, am scores of B-29's, is the finished product in a drive for Tucson air installations that goes back as far as the closing days of World War I It was late In 1918 that five Tucsonans began plans to construct an airport here. Those five with others in 1919 carried out their plans and the following year an airport was built on an 80-acre site at what Is now the rodeo field on South Sixth avenue.

The air-minded group pushing the project was Harry A. Holbert at that time vice-president of the Valley National Bank; Herbert Chambers, then with the. state highway department; the late Kirk T. Moore, an attorney; Pete Waggoner, a Tucson merchant and Charlie Mayse, a pioneer pilot. Before the new airport was con structed the few pilots who wan dered into the Arizona, skies ant picked on Tucson for a stopping point had to select a spot in the desert and come in to "a wing a prayer." Tucson aviation goes back even further than 1919, for in 1910 the first flight was made over the city when Charles Hamilton took off on an exhibition hop at Elysian Grove.

Airfield Is Born From the time "Swede" Myer hoff landed the first plane on the city's first field, aviation became a local interest. Through the years cross country flyers, army pilots and struggling airlines used the Tucson landing strip. Then in 1925 the city acquired a section of land where Davis-Mon than field now stands for 'a new airport which for a few years was the largest municipal airport in the nation. In 1927 the field was opened in dedication ceremonies presided over by Col. Charles A Lindbergh, the famous lone-Eagle who was making a personal ap pearance tour following his New York to Paris non-stop flight.

Early Hangars Two hangars were obtained from the government, one which had been at the old Municipal air port and the other from Nogales Later the army consti-ucted a larger hangar along with an ad ministration building and a metero logical station. The first paved runway, 5,200 feet long, was built by the WPA in 1937 and until the army began construction in 1940 it was the only paved strip on the field. At that time its length was suitable for most craft and accommodated the take-offs of such bombers as the B-17 Flying Fortress, sistei ships of the Super-Forts now dotting the field. The struggle has been great and aviation has had its trials of a skeptic public since Tucson hac its first airport, from those humble beginnings in -1919 has grown a great army base that proved its value time and time again during the recent war. Many crews were trained here, many combat crews returned here, and many war-needed tests carried out as Davis-Monthan field rose to new as a military installation.

The late Brigadier General D. Lackland, whose First Bombardment Wing activated Davis-Monthan Field in the spring of 1941 and brought heavy bombardment to. Tucson and Southern Arizona. Colonel Hubert V. Hopkins, second commanding officer of Davis-Monthan Field in 1941 and early 1942.

During Colonel Hopkins' tour of duty here the first phase, of construction was completed on the airbase. The air world of tomorrow Is the challenge of the airplane maker of today. The late. Colonel Lowell H. Smith, commanding officer of Davis-Monthap Field during, the early 1942 and 1943, when the all-important task of training four-engined bomber crews was given to this station.

Under Colonel Smith, ell war-time construction and expansion was accomplished. A AF Day Gets Top Salute WHEREAS the Army Air Force contributed immeasurably to our victory over the enemy In Europe and Asia, stands ever ready to defend our nation in time of danger; and WHEREAS our appreciation of liberty is strengthened by our recollection of the achievements of the living and the" sacrifice of dead, which through four have nurtured the growth American air power; NOW, THEREFORE, Harry S. Truman, President of the United States of America that we may justly honor the men and women of the.Army Air Forces and more fully acknowledge the contributions of all those who have developed and maintained our nation's air strength, do hereby proclaim Friday, August 1, 1947, as Force Day, and invite the nors of all the states to issue lamations calling for the observance of that day; AND I also direct that the of the United States displayed on all public-buildings on that day. I remind all our citizens that the air power of the nation is essential to the preservation of our Ubertyi and that the continued development of the science of air transportation is vital to the trade and our commerce of a peaceful world. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States of America to be affixed.

DONE at the City of Washing ton this tenth day of July in the year aid of the Independence the United States of America one hundred and seventy- second. HARRY TRUMAN of the GLASS WING Some day you may fly in an all- glass fiber airplane, for the Army Air Forces researh and develop- devel- ment laboratories at Wright Field, Ohio, already have successfully tested a glass fiber wing. The wing Air withstood more than the required gover- design load. Demonstrating mod- proc-ern concept of structural design, the wing is made of a new basic material consisting of 55 per cent flag glass fibers and 45 per cent resin. in Tucson it's SUNSET Symbols of the Finest Colonel Ames S.

Albro, first commanding officer of Davis- Monthan Field. Now retired and a Tucson business man, Colonel Albro was the first ranking air officer to come to Tucson, in the winter of 1940-41 to supervise ths construction of the airbase. 'BABY LUNG' The Army Air Forces has developed a "baby lung," weighing only a few ounces, which fits Into the palm of a hand and can be attached to most standard oxygen equipment in general use today. Its function is to convert the constant pressure imitted from an oxygen tank into i pulsating pressure simulating actual breathing. The "baby lung" can be used for artificial respiration and for emergency treatment in nfantile paralysis cases.

During the Midwest outbreak of polio in 1946 he "baby lung" was credited with aving a number of lives. Grade A Pasteurized Special Guernsey Homogenized Phone 1805 I Buttermilk Cottage Cheese Butter Eggs Cream Ice Cream 'F Today the United States Army Air Force and its 375,000 officers and men represent the finest in military air preparedness. Today the name Andy Anderson with superb fabrics from over the world, represents the finest in custom tailoring for men and women. AT YOUR STORE AT YOUR DOOR Andy Anderson, Ltd. Tucson Nogalet A I IS PEACE POWER Greetings to the Air Force" on its 40th Anniversary! The Pioneer is proud to have been host to so many of the a i who have made civil and military aviation history come again, you'll always find a warm I a a Greetings to the AAF on Its 40th Anniversary! BU-CAS RE6.U.S.PAT.

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