Fri, Mar 05, 2010
Greenville, SC Base Closed In 1963
A reunion is being held for all the officers, enlisted and
civilian personnel who served or worked at Donaldson Air Force
Base May 14-17, 2010 in Greenville, SC. The former air base, seven
miles south of the City of Greenville, was open from 1942 to 1963,
except for some time after World War II when it was in standby
status. During World War II, the base was a training site for
bomber crews for B-24 and B-25 aircraft. In the early 1950s, the
base became a large airlift center with operations world wide
earning it the title of Airlift Capital of the World.
B24 File Photo
After closing in 1963, the base property was acquired jointly by
the City of Greenville and Greenville County for economic
development. Presently known as the South Carolina Technology and
Aviation Center, the 2,600 acre site is now home to some 80
industrial, commercial and military reserve organizations employing
some 4,000 people with an annual payroll of $200 million.
Those attending the reunion will be offered trolley tours of
downtown Greenville and a visit to the American Legion's War Museum
on North Main Street. The museum has many photos, artifacts, charts
and other memorabilia of the base's history with the emphasis on
the global airlift missions flown during the 1953-1963 Cold War
period.
The tours will also include a visit to the former air base
property which has retained the name Donaldson Field for the 1,400
airfield acres that include runways, taxiways, parking ramps and
hangars. The Field is the largest general aviation airport in South
Carolina with more than 50,000 aircraft operations per year.
Originally known during World War II as Greenville Army Air Base,
it was changed to Greenville Air Force Base in 1948 to reflect the
Air Force becoming a separate service. In 1951, it was renamed for
Greenville native John O. Donaldson who was a fighter pilot in
World War I and became an ace by downing eight enemy aircraft.
The reunion will conclude with a banquet on Sunday night. The
featured speaker will be retired Lieutenant General Gary Mears
whose first assignment after earning his pilot wings in 1960 was
flying C-124 aircraft at Donaldson. He retired from the Air Force
in 1994 after holding many high level airlift associated
positions.
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