Pinellas Army Air Field: Difference between revisions
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After World War II, the Airport property was given to Pinellas County by the U.S. Government to operate as a commerical airport. |
After World War II, the Airport property was given to Pinellas County by the U.S. Government to operate as a commerical airport. |
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A plaque dedicated at the airport terminal in 1994 by the P-51 fighter Pilots Association and Brigadier General James H. Howard, the only European Theater fighter pilot to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in WWII and the last wartime base commander of Pinellas Army Airfield |
A plaque dedicated at the airport terminal in 1994 by the P-51 fighter Pilots Association and Brigadier General James H. Howard, the only European Theater fighter pilot to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in WWII and the last wartime base commander of Pinellas Army Airfield |
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===Major units assigned=== |
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* [[304th Fighter Squadron]], 30 August 1942-1 May 1944 |
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* [[440th Fighter Squadron]], 15 April 1943-1 May 1944 |
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* Pinellas Replacement Training Unit (Fighter, Single Engine), 1 May 1944-30 September 1945 |
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* III Fighter Command Rocket School, 1 December 1944-30 September 1945 |
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* [[77th Troop Carrier Squadron]], 18 August 1956-16 November 1957 (Not equipped) |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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Revision as of 22:38, 29 July 2012
Pinellas Army Airfield
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|---|---|
| Part of Third Air Force | |
| Located near: St. Petersburg, Florida | |
 Pinellas Army Airfield - 1951   Pinellas Army Airfield | |
| Coordinates | 27°54′34″N 082°41′17″W / 27.90944°N 82.68806°W |
| Site history | |
| In use | 1942-1945 |
- For the civil airport, see: St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport
St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport, was a World War II United States Army Air Force located 9.8 miles northwest of St. Petersburg, Florida.
History
Constructed on the site of the Pinellas County Municipal Airport, Construction of the Airport at its present site started in March 1941.
Pinellas Army Airfield became operational in August 1942. Serving as a sub-base to Sarasota Army Airfield, the airfield was used as a military flight-training base. The 304th Fighter Squadron, a combat training unit of the 337th Fighter Group (Third Army Air Force) based P-40's and, later, P-51's here for the duration of World War II. As many as 1,500 Third Army Air Force trainees, could be found at this site at any one time.
Current use
After World War II, the Airport property was given to Pinellas County by the U.S. Government to operate as a commerical airport. A plaque dedicated at the airport terminal in 1994 by the P-51 fighter Pilots Association and Brigadier General James H. Howard, the only European Theater fighter pilot to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in WWII and the last wartime base commander of Pinellas Army Airfield
Major units assigned
- 304th Fighter Squadron, 30 August 1942-1 May 1944
- 440th Fighter Squadron, 15 April 1943-1 May 1944
- Pinellas Replacement Training Unit (Fighter, Single Engine), 1 May 1944-30 September 1945
- III Fighter Command Rocket School, 1 December 1944-30 September 1945
- 77th Troop Carrier Squadron, 18 August 1956-16 November 1957 (Not equipped)
See also
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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