Historical Note

The 49th Aviation Squadron was activated on July 1, 1942 in Pendleton, Oregon and assigned to the 2nd Air Force at Fort George Wright. It was a segregated unit comprised solely of Black servicement. The unit was transferred from Pendleton to Walla Walla Air Base on a temporary change of station on August 30, 1942. The unit was then sent to Smoky Hill Army Air Field (SHAAF) in Salina, Kansas where they performed maintenance on aircraft, including the Boeing B-17. Documentation indicates 160 of the 250 men in the unit were classified as Aircraft Handlers, while the remaining 90 were likely mechanics. According to a March 1944 newspaper article in the Omaha Guide, the 49th Aviation Squadron had been become the Aviation Detachment within the 376th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron at SHAAF. The unit was disbanded effective April 1, 1944. Further information is unknown.