Memorial Day: The story behind the names of AFLCMC bases

  • Published
  • By Allyson B. Crawford, AFLCMC Public Affairs
Until 1971, Memorial Day was known as Decoration Day. The act of visiting cemeteries to remember the war fallen included loved ones decorating gravesites. The first official Decoration Day was May 30, 1868.
 
Originally, Decoration Day only honored those lost during the Civil War. During World War I, the holiday evolved and now the fallen of all American wars and conflicts are remembered on Memorial Day.
 
Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act in 1968 making Memorial Day the last Monday in May, creating a three-day weekend for federal employees. The same law also declared Memorial Day a federal holiday. The change went into effect in 1971, the first federally recognized Memorial Day.
 
The Life Cycle Management Center is home to many memorials across different installations. Some people may not realize that Air Force bases are also memorials, generally named after Airmen killed in the line of duty.
 
The AFLCMC is headquartered at Wright-Patterson AFB near Dayton, Ohio. The naming of Wright-Patterson is a little unique. Originally, Wilbur Wright Field, established in 1917 in Area A, was a training base for pilots, armorers and mechanics. Aviation buffs probably know that Wilbur Wright died in 1912. Despite the fact that he was not military, the naming of the Field is in line with precedence.
 
The organization ceased in 1919, but the name was still used for some time after that. The remaining functions were called variations of Fairfield Air Depot, named for the nearby town. When Area B was under construction in 1926, there was some debate over what to call it. Patterson Field was one option, but it was eventually named Wright Field to honor both brothers. The Army eventually renamed the Fairfield Depot section Patterson Field in 1931. Frank Patterson was a test pilot who died in a crash in Area A.
 
Hill AFB, near Ogden, Utah, is named for Wright Field’s chief test pilot, Maj. Ployer Hill. He died in a crash at Wright Field while flying in the B-17 prototype. In 1939, the War Department named the site of the Ogden Air Depot “Hill Field.” Hill Field was renamed Hill Air Force Base in 1948.
 
Eglin AFB, near Valparaiso, Florida is named after Lt. Col. Frederick Eglin. He was a career officer and pilot in the United States Army Air Service and United States Army Air Corps. Eglin was flying a Nomad attack bomber through heavy rain and fog on January 1, 1937. He crashed and was killed instantly. Valparaiso Bombing and Gunnery Base was renamed after Eglin in 1937.
 
Hanscom AFB, near Bedford, Massachusetts, is named for Laurence Hanscom. Unlike most other namesake bases, Laurence Hanscom was not in the U.S. military. He was an aviator and journalist and served as a Commander of the Civilian Aviation Reserve (Massachusetts Wing). Laurence Hanscom was killed in a single-motor biplane crash in 1941. The Bedford airport leased by the War Department was renamed after Hanscom in 1943.
 
Tinker AFB, near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is named for Maj. Gen. Clarence Tinker. Tinker grew up on a reservation as a member of the Osage Indian tribe. He spent more than 30 years as a military aviator and eventually became the Army’s highest ranking Native American. Tinker died in 1942 when his B-24 Liberator disappeared over the Pacific Ocean. The plane was never found. Members of the Osage tribe continue to remember Tinker.

Gunter Annex is located near Montgomery, Alabama. It is under the command of Maxwell AFB. Gunter Annex is named for former Montgomery mayor William Adams Gunter. The mayor was an aviation advocate and a major force behind the construction of the original Montgomery Municipal Airport. Mayor Gunter died in 1940, the same year construction began on the flying field that would eventually become Gunter Annex. The flying field was named after Gunter in 1941.
 
Robins AFB, near Warner Robins, Georgia, is named after Brig. Gen. Augustine Robins. The general is considered the father of Air Force logistics. Brig. Gen. Robins created a system for cataloging supplies and materials and was eventually chief of the Air Corps Materiel Division. Robins died in 1940. Construction on what would eventually become Robins AFB began in 1941.