Commemorating the Centennial of Wheeler Army Airfield
Wheeler Army Airfield Played a Significant Role in World War II Events Wheeler Army Airfield in central O’ahu was established in 1922 by a small detachment of men from Luke Field at Ford Island. This working party cleared the area of weeds, guava, and algaroba trees, built housing, and erected two canvas hangers in the flying field. The area was officially christened Wheeler Field on November 11, after the late commander of Luke Field, Major Sheldon H. Wheeler, who was killed when his plane crashed on Ford Island the previous year. In June 1923, oil storage tanks, a new flying field, shop hangers, and new airplane hangars were all constructed. ln 1930 the first permanent structures were erected. Due to Hawai‘i’s year-round climate, Wheeler Field was a popular area for aviation training. During the pre-World War II era, Wheeler Field witnessed multiple historic events. Several "firsts" in flight history occurred here. These included the 1927 first mainland-to-Hawai‘i nonstop flight; the 1928 trans-pacific flight from Australia to the United States; a 1927 nonstop flight from Oakland, California to Wheeler and in 1935, Amelia Earhart’s departure on the first solo flight between Hawaii and California, the first of several subsequent visits by the famed female pilot. Kingsford Smith, in his plane the Southern Cross, used the airfield on his historic flights across the Pacific. Amelia Earhart's airplane, the Vega, at Wheeler Field as she prepares for her Oahu to Oakland flight in January 1935 Photo courtesy of http://americahurrah.com Just years before United States involvement in World War II, Wheeler Field had transitioned into the primary base for Army Air Corps pursuit aircraft, the first generation of real fighter planes. This garrison of aircraft was tasked with patrolling [...]