Williams Field (Ariz.)
Organization
Historical Note
Williams Field was a United States Air Force training base, teaching pilots to fly. Established in 1941, Williams Field was originally known as Mesa Military Airport. Shortly after opening, the name changed to Higley Field due to its proximity to Higley, Arizona. In February 1942, the name was changed again to Williams Field in honor of Arizona native 1st Lieutenant Charles Linton Williams (1898–1927), who died in an aircraft crash. The final name change occured in January 1948, when it was re-designated Williams Air Force Base. The base was active until its closure in 1993.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Merle M. Coons Fighter Ace Collection
Collection
Identifier: 2002-02-13-1284
Abstract
Colonel Merle Coons (1921-1997) was a United States Air Force fighter pilot, earning ace status during World War II. The collection is a subset of the American Fighter Aces Collection and includes primarily textual materials, such as military orders and records, flight records and a log book, and a scrapbook, as well as a photograph album and a small amount of loose photographs.