Luke Field/Air Force Base and 56th Fighter Wing Heritage Pamphlet ...

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Luke Field/AFB Chronology
World War II
8 August 1940 President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered military to produce
12,000 pilots annually for proposed 54-group Army Air Corps.
1 October 1940 Lt Col Arthur L Wilson, Army's airport engineer chief, arrived in
Phoenix, Arizona, to discuss possible establishment of flying
training base.
26 November 1940 Brig Gen Henry W. Harms, West Coast Training Center
commander, recommended Phoenix site to War Department for
construction of advanced single engine flying training base.
17 December 1940 President Roosevelt increased target for annual pilot production
from 12,000 to 30,000.
13 February 1941 Phoenix City Manager Donald C. Scott announced War Dept
okayed for site just north of Litchfield Park, Arizona, for
construction of air base and leased to Army for $1 annually.
31 March 1941 Del Webb Construction Company broke ground for first building.
21 April 1941 Litchfield Park Air Base, Arizona, formally designated.
1 June 1941 2d Lt Martin D. Mulligan, a flight instructor piloting a
North American AT-6 Texan, made first landing at base.
6 June 1941 Base renamed Luke Field for 2d Lt Frank Luke, Jr., Phoenix
native who achieved triple ace status in WW I and first aviator
awarded Medal of Honor.
7 June 1941 Class 41-F began training at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.
20 June 1941 Army Air Corps redesignated Army Air Forces.
15 July 1941 Flight operations moved from Sky Harbor to Luke Field.
15 August 1941 Class 41-F and 43 students first class to complete training.
5 September 1941 President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8892 withdrawing
federal lands at Gila Bend, Arizona, from public use and set land
aside for bombing/gunnery practice.
29 September 1941 Luke Field formally dedicated.
7 December 1941 Nation's entry into World War II saw Luke construction 95
percent complete with facilities for 3,700 personnel.