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Posted

More almost forgotten California history.

https://www.militarymuseum.org/RiceAAF.html

 

 
Historic California Posts, Camps, Stations and Airfields
Rice Army Air Field
 
RiceAAF.jpg
Rice Army Air Field, 1942 (courtesy San Bernardino County Library).
 
 
Located two miles southeast of the town of Rice, Rice AAF was a small airfield and a sub-base of Thermal Army Air Field and later, San Bernardino Army Air Field. It was used to train pilots and crews of aircraft whose mission it was to support ground troops. This included a wide variety of aircraft from observation planes to bombers. The airfield consisted of two paved 5,000' runways and numerous dispersal pads extending off the runways to the south.   In order to house the more than 3,000 men, the Army constructed temporary barracks and other buildings. By 1944, the airfield was assigned to March Field as a sub-base. Rice Army Air Field was closed later mid-1944, and declared surplus at the end of 1944.   Source: World War II Sites in the United States: A Tour Guide and Directory by Richard E. Osbourne   https://cali49.com/mojave/tag/Rice+Army+Air+Field   https://www.deserttrainingcenter.com/rice.html Bell%20P-39%20Airacobra.jpg

Rice Army Airfield was acquired on September 29, 1942 by the USAAF as a sub-base for Thermal Army Airfield. The base housed over 3,000 officers and enlisted men, and had barracks, latrines, showers, mess halls, and operations buildings. The base had two 5,000 foot long  V-shaped runways.

When the airfield originally opened in 1942, its role was to support the DTC maneuvers. The 71st Reconnaissance Group and 85th Bombardment Group flew the North American A-36 Apache, Douglas A-24 Dauntless and Taylorcraft L-2 Grasshopper aircraft on missions in support of Army ground troops.  

By mid-1943, Rice AAF focused on the training of pilots and aircrews in preparation for overseas deployment. The two units who flew out of Rice AAF during this time were;  

-312th Bombardment Group (April-August 1943)

-339th Fighter Group (September 1943-March 1944) 

Both air groups flew the Bell P-39 Airacobra and Curtis P-40 Warhawk. 

Flight operations at Rice AAF ceased in August, 1944, and soon after was declared surplus by the USAAF. 

Today, concrete building foundations, roads and rock-lined walkways still exist, but many are covered with desert shrubs and wind-blown sand. The old asphalt runways and taxiways are cracked and deteriorating, although the large concrete parking apron is in good condition.

 

Rice%20AAF.jpg
Rice Army Airfield as seen today on Google Earth. The runway, roads and concrete building foundations are over-run with desert shrubs and sand.

 

 

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Posted

there are a good number of airfields we built across the globe that now look like that , the hardstand on saipan that was my fathers overseas place of employment is all overgrown these days 

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Posted
20 hours ago, watab kid said:

there are a good number of airfields we built across the globe that now look like that , the hardstand on saipan that was my fathers overseas place of employment is all overgrown these days 

The US is beginning to refurbish Tinian for use in case things get hot with China.  

Posted
3 hours ago, Abilene Slim SASS 81783 said:

The US is beginning to refurbish Tinian for use in case things get hot with China.  

thats interesting , we already have 'possession' of saipan , wonder why we dont reclaim that airfield , 

Posted
15 hours ago, Abilene Slim SASS 81783 said:

The airfields were bigger and better suited for modern needs. 

both saipan and tinian had the same size airfields , they were handling the exact same aircraft , only thing i can think is saipan is a tourist destination so tinian might be better suited to an isolated military base 

Posted
6 hours ago, watab kid said:

both saipan and tinian had the same size airfields , they were handling the exact same aircraft , only thing i can think is saipan is a tourist destination so tinian might be better suited to an isolated military base 

Makes sense. 

Posted
13 hours ago, Abilene Slim SASS 81783 said:

Makes sense. 

and they are very close to the same location , a great position to be in , the marianas offer a really good position i think , 

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