Matagorda Island Air Force Base
  | |
|---|---|
| Matagorda Island, Calhoun County, Texas | |
 2006 USGS airphoto | |
| Coordinates | Coordinates: 28°19′48″N 96°27′36″W / 28.33°N 96.46°W |
| Type | USAAF Training Airfield/Gunnery Range |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1942 |
| In use | 1942-1975 |
Matagorda Island Air Force Base was a military installation on the north end of Matagorda Island, northeast of Corpus Christi, Texas.
History[]
The bombing and gunnery range constructed in 1943 was a Texas Army Airfield deactivated after World War II and reactivated by Strategic Air Command in 1949. Matagorda Island Bombing Range was a SAC satellite base of various USAF installations in Texas and Louisiana during the Cold War with 5 active runways at one time. In 1965, the Reeves AN/MSQ-77 Bomb Directing Central was tested by the 1st Combat Evaluation Group at the range for Combat Skyspot ground directed bombing in the Vietnam War. After 1975, the property was turned over to the Department of the Interior as a federal wildlife refuge.
Today, the runways and taxiways, although infested with vegetation, are in very good condition. There are several structures, hangars, and buildings of various types in various stages of deterioration. Also there is a usable dock and a small port facility.
See also[]
References[]
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.
- Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), Locating Air Force Base Sites History’s Legacy, Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC, 2004.
- Thole, Lou (1999), Forgotten Fields of America : World War II Bases and Training, Then and Now - Vol. 2. Publisher: Pictorial Histories Pub, ISBN 1-57510-051-7
The original article can be found at Matagorda Island Air Force Base and the edit history here.