Description

On May 2, 1941, the following news release went out over the nation’s press wire service: “SELMA, ALA., May 2 – As determined and void of frills as a volunteer – which she.really is – this one-time arsenal of the confederacy opens tomorrow as an “arsenal of democracy” the largest flying field in the United States, civilian or military. It is a new unit of the Southeast Air Corps Training Center, where flying cadets will get advanced schooling in the handling of multi-mile-a-minute pursuit planes – the kind that go up to intercept bombers, beat off machine gunners” So it was that Craig started its history. In slightly over a year, Craig had attained expanded size indicative of the growing strength of the country’s air arm. When on August 1, 1942, Col. Julian B. Haddon celebrated his first anniversary as commandant of the post, Craig boasted of a post mechanic school, a sheet metal school, classes in radio, link trainer, map reading, meteorology, chemical warfare, and various other technical branches of Air Force work – all in addition to its regular program of training ever-increasing groups of advanced cadets. From its very start, Craig earned for itself a reputation for pioneering – new and advanced methods of teaching together with more thorough and comprehensive training techniques – these were Craig Field’s contribution to the Air Force’s pursuit school program. Craig Field was named in honor of Lieut. Bruce Craig, a native of Selma, who died while serving as a test engineer on a new Army bomber. The post is located on-Highway 80, about 5 miles East of the city of Selma, Alabama.