Blytheville Air Force Base

	Blytheville Air Force Base Strategic Air Command (SAC) Alert and Weapons Storage Areas Historic District
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	4701 Memorial Drive, Blytheville, Arkansas
Coordinates	35°57′33″N 89°57′47″W / 35.95917°N 89.96306°W
Area	247 acres (100 ha)
NRHP reference #	100001999[2]
Added to NRHP	January 26, 2018

Eaker Air Force Base; Blytheville Air Force Base; Blytheville Army Airfield
	Part of Strategic Air Command/Tactical Air Command
	Blytheville, Arkansas
	USGS 2006 airphoto
	Eaker AFB
Coordinates	35°57′52″N 89°56′38″W / 35.96444°N 89.94389°WCoordinates: 35°57′52″N 89°56′38″W / 35.96444°N 89.94389°W
Type	Air Force Base
Site information
Controlled by	461st Bombardment Wing (1956–1958); 97th Bombardment Wing (1959–1991)
Site history
Built	1942
In use	1942–1946, 1953–1992

Blytheville Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base from 1942 until it closed in 1992. It was renamed in 1988 to be Eaker Air Force Base.^[1] It was located 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of Blytheville, Arkansas. The facility is now operated as the Arkansas International Airport.

It was known as Blytheville Army Airfield during 1942–1948, as Blytheville Air Force Base during 1948–1988, and as Eaker Air Force Base during 1988–1992.

Historic district

The Blytheville Air Force Base Strategic Air Command (SAC) Alert and Weapons Storage Areas Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.^[2]

It is a 247 acres (100 ha) historic district which included 23 contributing buildings, 33 contributing structures, two contributing sites, and a contributing object, as well as two non-contributing buildings.^[3]

Major commands to which assigned

Emblem of the 461st Bombardment Wing, 1956–1958

Emblem of the 97th Bombardment Wing, 1959–1992

Army Air Force Flying Training Command, 10 June 1942 – 16 June 1945
Continental Air Forces, 16 June 1945 – 21 March 1946

Redesignated Strategic Air Command, 21 March 1946 – 1 April 1946

Tactical Air Command, 1 April 1946 – 15 August 1946, 10 June 1953 – 1 October 1953
Air Materiel Command, 1 October 1953 – 1 July 1954
Tactical Air Command, 1 July 1954 – 1 April 1958
Strategic Air Command, 1 April 1958 – 1 June 1992
Air Combat Command, 1 June 1992 – 15 December 1992 (Not operational)

Major units assigned

25th Twin Engine Flying Training Group, 25 July 1942 – 29 February 1944
Army Air Force Pilot School, 3 May 1942 – 31 May 1945
211th Army Air Force Base Unit, 1 May 1944 – 15 June 1945
809th Army Air Force Base Unit, 16 June 1945 – 31 March 1946
334th Army Air Force Base Unit, 1 April 1946 – 25 November 1946
461st Bombardment Wing, 8 April 1956 – 1 April 1958
4329th Air Base Squadron, 1 April 1958 – 1 July 1959
97th Bombardment Wing, 1 July 1959 – 1 September 1991

Redesignated: 97th Wing, 1 September 1991 – 1 April 1992

Major aircraft assigned

North American AT-6, 1942–1944
Curtiss AT-9, 1942–1944
Beech AT-10, 1942–1944
Republic AT-12, 1942–1944
North American TB-25, 1944
Curtiss C-46, 1945
Douglas C-47, 1945
Martin B-57 Canberra, 1956–1958
Boeing B-52G Stratofortress, 1960–1992
Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker, 1961–1992

References

↑ "Eaker Air Force Base".
1 2 "National Register of Historic Places: Weekly list". National Park Service. January 26, 2018.
↑ Edward Salo; Edward Harthorn; Zach Mitchell; Frank Walker; Travis Raterman (September 11, 2017). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Blytheville Air Force Base Strategic Air Command (SAC) Alert and Weapons Storage Areas Historic District" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved February 19, 2018. With maps and 23 photos.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[arkencyc-1] "Eaker Air Force Base".

[weekly-2] 1 2 "National Register of Historic Places: Weekly list". National Park Service. January 26, 2018.

[nrhpdoc-3] Edward Salo; Edward Harthorn; Zach Mitchell; Frank Walker; Travis Raterman (September 11, 2017). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Blytheville Air Force Base Strategic Air Command (SAC) Alert and Weapons Storage Areas Historic District" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved February 19, 2018. With maps and 23 photos.