01132004
UNCLASSIFIED
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03-01-1999
WILLIAMS, JAMES W.
HISTORY OF THE MILITARY AIRFIELD AT NOME, ALASKA
CINCAL HISTORICAL REPORT 1967
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FOCUS IS 1941 TO 1956. ORIGINALLY KNOWN AS NOME FIELD, RENAMED MARKS FIELD AK FOR MAJ JACK MARKS. AIRFIELD OPENED IN RESPONSE TO JAPANESE THREAT. CONSTRUCTION BEGAN ON LADD FIELD, FAIRBANKS AK, IN 1939 WITH APPROPRIATIONS FOR ANCHORAGE, KODIAK AND DUTCH HARBOR. IN 1941, BEGAN EXTENSIVE PROGRAM TO CONSTRUCT EMERGENCY MILITARY AIRFIELDS. JAPANESE ATTACKED DUTCH HARBOR IN 1942 AND OCCUPIED ALEUTIAN ISLANDS OF ATTU AND KISKA. GEN SIMON BOLIVAR BUCKNER, COMMANDER OF ALASKAN DEFENSE COMMAND, ORDERED MASSIVE AIRLIFT KNOWN AS OPERATION BINGO TO BRING TROOPS AND SUPPLIES FOR DEFENSE OF NOME. FERRY OPERATIONS FOR LEND-LEASE DELIVERY OF AIRCRAFT OT SOVIET UNION BEGAN IN SEP 1942 WITH FORWARD SUPPORT LOCATED AT MARKS FIELD. 11 AIR FORCE (AF) FOCUSED ON WAR EFFORT IN ALEUTIANS. MARKS/NOME FIELD ON FRONT LINE DURING COLD WAR. CONDUCTED AERIAL INTELLIGENCE TO MONITOR SOVIET UNION. DURING 1950S, TWENTY-TWO UNITED STATES AIRCRAFT ATTACKED AND SHOT DOWN BY SOVIETS. PROBABLY BEGAN PENETRATION FLIGHTS INTO SOVIET UNION IN 1947. LADD FIELD AK TRANSFERRED TO 11 AF 1 NOV 1945. THREAT OF SOVIET ATTACK ACROSS NORTH POLAR REGION NECESSITATED EARLY WARNING SYSTEM, DISTANT EARLY WARNING (DEW) LINE. MARKS FIELD BECAME MARKS AIR FORCE BASE (AFB) SEP 1947. MOONLIGHT SPRINGS SATELLITE FIELD DECLARED SURPLUS ON 16 MAY 1949. MARKS AFB REDUCED TO CARETAKER STATUS 1 NOV 1950. 46 RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRON (VERY LONG RANGE) PHOTOGRAPHIC WAS STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND (SAC) FIRST OPERATIONAL UNIT. ARRIVED AT LADD FIELD JUN 1946 FLYING B-29 (REDESIGNATED F-13) AIRCRAFT. FORLORN TURKEY AIRCRAFT OVERDUE FROM CLASSIFIED MISSION INTO SOVIET AIRSPACE, PORTION OF CREW RESCUED BY LOCALS. MARKS WAS HOME TO ARCTIC INDOCTRINATION SCHOOL. SUPPORTED ANVIL MOUNTAIN RADIO RELAY, DEW LINE, AND WHITE ALICE OPERATIONS. MARKS AFB RENAMED NOME FIELD AND BECAME SUBSIDIARY OF LADD. SUPPORTED NORTHWEST COASTAL AIRCRAFT CONTROL AND WARNING (AC&W) CONSTRUCTION, ARMED FORCES RADIO SERVICE (AFRS), ARMY SECURITY AGENCY DETACHMENT, NAVY PHOTO RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRON DETACHMENT.
NONE
ALASKAN AIR COMMAND
INCLUDES PHOTOGRAPHS. AUTHOR WAS STATIONED AT NOME FIELD AK 1955 THROUGH 1956. COMPILED HISTORY AS GIFT TO CITY OF NOME AND ALASKAN AIR COMMAND.
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