Merced Army Flying School - Yearbook (Merced, CA)

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OF THE ARMY AIR FORCES WEST COAST TRAINING CENTER The Army Air Forces Wesf Coasf Training Cenfer was founded in Augusf, l94O, when a hand- ful of officers armed wifh orders from The War Deparfmenf fook over a few desks af Moffeff Field, California lunfil fheir advenf a facfical basel. Previous fo fhis, flying fraining in fhe Air Forces had been resfricfed fo Randolph Field and ifs few branches in Texas. The eleven Wesfern Sfafes: California, Oregon, Washingfon, Idaho, Nevada, Ufah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming and Monfana-plus fhe small wesfernmosf porfions of Texas, Nebraska, Norfh Dakofa and Soufh Dakofa-was fhe ferrifory assigned fo AAFWCTC. Ifs quofa was, and is, one-fhird of fhe nafion's flying officers. ln fhose opening monfhs fwo years ago AAFWCTC had under ifs iurisdicfion only fhree flying schools-Glendale, Sanfa Maria and San Diego, all primary- wifh a fofal enrollmenf of 250 Aviafion Cadefs. lfs sighfs were aimed af 2,000 flyinq officer graduafes a year. Wifhin a year, by Augusf, I94I, AAFWCTC was expanding af a rapid pace. lfs schools grew fo I7 acfivafed and five under consfrucfion. Basic schools like lvlinfer Field af Bakers- field, advanced schools like Albuquerque and lvlafher and Sfockfon, supplemenfed fhe primary schools. Three fhousand Cadefs were enrolled. Today, wifh AAFWCTC well info ifs fhird year, ifs iurisdicfion covers dozens of schools fhroughouf fhe Wesfern Sfafes. The exacf number, of course, cannof be published, buf if's a far cry from fhose sfarfing days of 'rwo years ago. Headquarfers of AAFWCTC moved from Moffeff Field fo Sanfa Ana, California, when fhe former was refurned fo fhe sfafus of a Navy lighfer-fhan-air base in April, I942. The firsf Commanding General and organizer of fhe AAFWCTC was Brigadier General Henry W. Harms. Affer slighfly less fhan a year he was ordered fo Washingfon in June, I94I, and Colonel lnow Brigadier Generali Edwin B. Lyons femporarily assumed Command. In July, I94I, Major General Barfon K. Younf arrived from a facfical command in Florida fo fake over. Affer six monfhs as head of AAFWCTC, General Younf was called fo Washingfon in Janu- ary, I942, and appoinfed head of fhe new Flying Training Command, now headquarfered af Forf Worfh, Texas. His successor was Major General Ralph P. Cousins, Wesf Poinf graduafe and member of fhe sfaff of Lieufenanf General Henry H. Arnold. Today AAFWCTC includes a huge recepfion, classificafion and pre-flighf fraining cenfer af The Sanfa Ana Army Air Base: primary, basic, and single-engine, fwin-engine and four-engine pilof advanced fraining schools: pre-glider schools in Texas and Colorado: glider pilof schools: gunnery schools in Nevada and Arizona: navigafion school af iviafher Field, Sacramenfog and six bombardier schools fhroughouf fhe Soufhwesf.

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MARTIN F. SCANLON L. A. WALTON Brigadier General Brigadier General Executive Assistant to Commanding General General Staff Corps Army Air Forces West Coast Training Center Chief of Staff Army Air Forces West Coast Training Center ARTHUR E. EASTERBROOK JOHN H. PIRIE Colonel l Colonel General Staff Corps A-I r j 3' General Staff Corps A-2 '5 1 -RIF? 'i'4NVY4av ALVIN C. KINCAID JAMES F. POWELL Colonel Colongl 50'1lfIl sflff COYPS A-3 General Staff Corps A-4

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