1941

1941 

As America is still far from the war in Europe and the Pacific, the government is taking the invitation from Mohave County and Kingman in building an Army Air Corps airfield just north of town. Military personnel start making visit to Kingman. By the end of 1941, the United States has declared war on Japan and Germany to enter World War II. So having this base in Northwest Arizona was a great asset to the war effort.

January
9—The Mohave County Chamber of Commerce urges U. S. 93 to be completed & should be des­ignated as a Military Access Road. (mcm)

March
14--The Brazilian Air Force pilots arrived at Port Kingman to pick up aircraft. The scheduled aircraft have been delayed because of the soft landing strip. This is due to the large amounts of water in the past several weeks in the King­man area. (mcm)
16--The Brazilian Air Force leaves Port Kingman with 10 North American fighters. (mcm)
17--Four squadrons of P-40s from Kelly Field, TX started training at Port Kingman. The Ca­dets are here to do more intense training in the Curtiss Aircraft fighter. Port Kingman offers more space than the coastal fields. The airfield may be used more often for this kind of training in the future. (mcm)
27-- Major Horton sends a wire earlier to Wil­liam Lawe, Chairman of the Board of Supervi­sors. The wire was to inform Mr. Lawe that he was coming to Kingman for a visit. Major John C. Horton & Captain Mauhan from Moffet Field, Ca arrived in Kingman for a 2-day inspection of possible sites for a new training facility. (mcm)

April
3--Major Horton will send a report to the head­quarters of the commander of the West Coast Air Training Corps at Moffet Field, Ca. (mcm)
14--Major Horton, assistant director of the West Coast Air Training Corps, makes another trip to Kingman. He will inspect the Hualapai Valley for more sites. (mcm)

17--Majors Higgins and Estell did a following up inspection after the latest visit by Major Horton. Higgins did the engineering evalua­tions and Estell did the medical evaluations. Later in the week, Brigadier General Henry W. Harns made his inspection visit. He is the first commanding officer of Army Air Force Western Flying Training Command. (mcm)

28--Major Horton receives a letter from the Board of Supervisors. They sent him informa­tion about the bus and train schedules, the land ownership, availability of fresh meat, and state­ments on water, electricity and gas utilities along with info about mineral rights. (mcm)

29--Major Horton along with Colonel Charles R. Glenn of the medical corps made another visit to Kingman. Their interest has more promise in establishing a field in Hualapai Valley. (mcm)

May

1--An airfield in the Hualapai Valley is now up to the officials in Washington, D.C. The Army Air Corps is satisfied with the location. This project would bring in two to three thousand additional people to Kingman. (mcm)

31--Major John C. Higgins of the Army Corps of Engineers inspects the water condition at King­man. (mcm)

June

3--Brigadier General H. W. Harns receives a letter from the Board of Supervisors. They informed the General that Kingman Water Co. can put in another well for the proposed airfield water needs. (mcm)

5--AIRPORT CONSTRUCTION STARTS JULY 1ST: a banner headline from the Mohave County Miner. Bids are being taken for the advance bomber training school. (mcm)

12--Federal engineers start a final survey for a new Kingman military airport. The location is ten miles north of Kingman along U. S. Route 66. The chief engineer is R. W. Bittle. (mcm)

26--The rumor mill started about no army airfield in Kingman. Press reports out of Wash­ington states, that the government will not use Kingman. The main reasons are the lack of water and the isolation of the town. The water problems are non-existence and the isolation will not be a problem.(mcm)

July

1--Camp Sibert is established close to Boulder Dam. Some 850 troops will be stationed there. (mcm)

4--An Army Air Corps convoy makes a stop in Kingman on their way to Las Vegas Gunnery School. The convoy consists of 60 men in 15 ve­hicles. The men enjoyed their stay in Kingman. (mcm)

7--Harry Duberstein, Arizona Department of Transportation, is in Kingman looking over the land near U. S. Route 66 for a possible landing strip. (mcm)

August

7--The Local Elks Lodge to sponsor the “Keep 'em Flying” Program. The program is for the Army Air Corps and recruiting service. This is to assist in securing qualified applicants for aviation cadet training. One of the first steps in being ready for war with pilots. The Elks Na­tional Defense Committee working with the Ad­jutant General of the Army to make this specific program a success for the national defense. The official program started earlier in the summer. (mcm)

October

9--“Officer Request Army Air Cadets” Major G. F. MacDonald, commanding officer of the Arizona Recruiting District was still search­ing qualified applicants for aviation cadets for the Army Air Corps. So he made a pitch to the young men of Kingman to sign up as an appli­cant. Requirements: over 21, but younger than 27; unmarried; in good physical condition; High School Graduate, or at least two years of college; and show a capability to become proficient in the tasks at hand. (mcm)

November

27--Fifty planes from Luke Field (west of Phoe­nix, AZ) made a refueling stop at Port Kingman. The aircraft were AT-6As & P-40s. (mcm)

December

10--In a telegram, the Army informs the Sher­iff's Office to set up a volunteer program. The program is to guard the local Civil Aeronautics Authority airway radio stations. Kingman has been placed into the Coastal Defense Blackout Area. George F. Williston is the chairman of the home defense committee for the county & O. W. Gruninger is the chief warden for Kingman. (mcm)

18--There will be no blackouts unless order by the Army. Kingman is divided into 11 districts.

American Legion will organize plane spotters for the county. (mcm)

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