Columbia Army Air Base was a World War II United States Army Air Forces base. It was primarily used for advanced combat training of B-25 Mitchell medium bomber units and replacement pilots.
102-659: It was used as a training base in early 1942 for Doolittle's Raiders . It was closed during the summer of 1945, and turned over for civil use as the Columbia Metropolitan Airport. In 1940 the United States Army Air Corps indicated a need for the Lexington County Airport as part of the buildup of its forces after World War II began in Europe. The earliest recorded Air Corps use of the airport
204-458: A .30-caliber (7.62 mm) machine gun in the nose. The aircraft were clustered closely and tied down on Hornet ' s flight deck in the order of launch. Hornet and Task Force 18 got underway from San Francisco Bay at 08:48 on 2 April with the 16 bombers in clear view. At noon the next day, parts to complete modifications that had not been finished at McClellan were lowered to the forward deck of Hornet by Navy blimp L-8 . A few days later,
306-413: A North American B-25C Mitchell medium bomber (AAF Ser. No. 41-12634 (c/n 82-5269)) was recovered from Lake Murray , about fourteen miles northwest of Columbia Army Airfield. It crashed into Lake Murray on 4 April 1943 due to engine failure. All of its crewmen were able to abandon the plane and were picked up by local fishermen as the plane sank to the bottom in about 100 feet of water. The starboard engine
408-704: A code sharing agreement with flights to American's hub in Nashville from 1986 until 1992. The carrier flew Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner and British Aerospace Jetstream 31 commuter prop jet aircraft. By 2012, service to Meridian became subsidized under the Essential Air Service act, and Silver Airways was selected to serve the city after the departure of Delta Connection. Silver provided flights to Atlanta using Saab 340 aircraft for two years, ending service in 2014. American Eagle returned to Meridian in 2014 with flights to Dallas/Fort Worth and Chicago. This service
510-548: A code sharing agreement, brought back Republic service in 1985 with flights to Memphis. Republic then merged with Northwest Airlines in 1986 and Northwest Airlink took over Republic Express on behalf of Northwest. The carrier operated Jetstream 31 and Saab 340 turboprop aircraft, with this service continuing until 2002. The flights to and from Memphis would also make stops at Columbus, Georgia , Jackson, Mississippi, Tupelo, Mississippi , or Laurel/Hattiesburg. American Eagle served Meridian on behalf of American Airlines via
612-638: A copy of the Bible and a few other books. They were freed by American troops in August 1945. Four Japanese officers were tried for war crimes against the captured Doolittle Raiders, found guilty, and sentenced to hard labor, three for five years and one for nine years. Barr had been near death when liberated and remained behind in China recuperating until October, by which time he had begun to experience severe emotional problems. Untreated after transfer to Letterman Army Hospital and
714-544: A few enemy fighters (made up of Ki-45s and prototype Ki-61s , the latter being mistaken for Bf 109s ) over Japan, no bomber was shot down. Only the B-25 of 1st Lt. Richard O. Joyce received any battle damage, minor hits from antiaircraft fire. B-25 No. 4, piloted by 1st Lt. Everett W. Holstrom, jettisoned its bombs before reaching its target when it came under attack by fighters after its gun turret malfunctioned. The Americans claimed to have shot down three Japanese fighters—one by
816-737: A few months. Before merging with Air Midwest in 1985, Scheduled Skyways was operating four direct flights a day into Meridian from Memphis with Nord 262 and Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner commuter prop jets , with all of these flights making an intermediate en-route stop in Tupelo, Mississippi . Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA), operating as the Delta Connection on behalf of Delta Air Lines, resumed Delta service to Meridian. The carrier used Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante , Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia , and de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7 turboprop aircraft and added service to Memphis for several years during
918-523: A joint-use public/military airfield. It is located 3 nautical miles (5.6 km ; 3.5 mi ) southwest of Meridian , a city in Lauderdale County, Mississippi , United States. The Meridian Airport Authority owns the airport. At 10,003 feet (3,049 m), Key Field is home to the longest public use runway in Mississippi. It is mostly used for general aviation and military traffic , but it
1020-517: A large parking apron and a control tower. Several large hangars were also constructed. Buildings were ultimately utilitarian and quickly assembled. Most base buildings, not meant for long-term use, were constructed of temporary or semi-permanent materials. Although some hangars had steel frames and the occasional brick or tile brick building could be seen, most support buildings sat on concrete foundations but were of frame construction clad in little more than plywood and tar paper. While under construction,
1122-541: A military hospital in Clinton, Iowa , Barr became suicidal and was held virtually incommunicado until November, when Doolittle's personal intervention resulted in treatment that led to his recovery. DeShazer graduated from Seattle Pacific University in 1948 and returned to Japan as a missionary, where he served for over 30 years. When their remains were recovered after the war, Farrow, Hallmark, and Meder were buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery . Spatz
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#17331047709711224-807: A military trial in China, and then transported to Tokyo. There the Army Ministry reviewed their case, with five of the sentences being commuted and the other three being executed (presumably also in Tokyo or nearby). Out of the 80 crewmen, 3 died, 8 were captured (as seen here) and 3 were killed in captivity by the Japanese. The surviving captured airmen remained in military confinement on a starvation diet, their health rapidly deteriorating. In April 1943, they were moved to Nanjing , where Meder died on 1 December 1943. The remaining men—Nielsen, Hite, Barr and DeShazer—eventually began receiving slightly better treatment and were given
1326-474: A tail wind as they came off the target, which increased their ground speed by 25 kn (46 km/h; 29 mph) for seven hours. The crews realized they would probably not be able to reach their intended bases in China, leaving them the option of either bailing out over eastern China or crash-landing along the Chinese coast. All 15 aircraft reached the Chinese coast after 13 hours of flight and crash-landed or
1428-656: A third was removed from the mission because of a nose wheel shimmy that could not be repaired in time. On 25 March 1942, the remaining 22 B-25s took off from Eglin for McClellan Field , California. They arrived two days later at the Sacramento Air Depot for inspection and final modifications. According to notes written at the time, five crews did additional training on March 30 and 31 at the Willows-Glenn County Airport . A total of 16 B-25s were flown to Naval Air Station Alameda on 31 March. Fifteen made up
1530-414: Is 4,599 by 150 feet (1,402 x 46 m) with an asphalt surface. Most of the site is paved in asphalt, with a large parking area in front of the terminal. Only small areas around the buildings are unpaved, and landscaping is limited to the terminal, which has shrubbery and an ornamental tree. The old terminal building, hangar, and powerhouse at Key Field together form the earliest surviving airport complex in
1632-465: Is a small office and washroom on the east end, and a staircase leads to a narrow second floor room that overlooks the workroom and hangar storage area. Located on the east side of the hangar, the Powerhouse is a one-story, one-by-one bay building with another gabled roof and parapet walls. Entrance is gained through a door on the south side of the building, and the only other openings are a metal window on
1734-521: Is also served by one commercial airline with scheduled passenger service subsidized by the Essential Air Service program. According to the Federal Aviation Administration , Meridian Regional Airport had 19,599 passengers board (enplanements) in 2008, 18,560 in 2009, and 16,871 in 2010. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a primary commercial service facility. Meridian Regional Airport
1836-399: Is made of brick and has a concrete foundation. The roof is gabled, and the walls have parapets. The end walls are capped by pent roofs and decorative brick panels encased by stucco . The north and south ends contain eight large sliding metal doors which allow planes to roll in. The interior has a concrete floor, unfinished brick walls, and an unfinished ceiling with exposed steel trusses. There
1938-780: The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission Report, the 186 ARW is to be reassigned per recommendation #97, distributing its KC-135R aircraft between the Air National Guard 's 101 ARW, 128 ARW, and 134 ARW, in Maine , Wisconsin , and Tennessee , respectively. The BRAC Report also states that the 186 ARW's aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) positions are to be reassigned to the Mississippi Air National Guard's 172nd Airlift Wing (172 AW), an AMC-gained C-17 Globemaster III unit at Jackson International Airport . These transfers are to take place in 2010 and 2011, although
2040-483: The 65th Observation Group used the unfinished facilities at the airfield between 1 September and 1 December 1941, flying a mixture O-47s, O-49 Vigilant and O-52 Owl light observation planes as part of the " Carolina Maneuvers " in the fall of 1941 performing reconnaissance and aerial photo duties. On 8 December 1941, the Columbia Army Airbase was activated with Lt. Colonel Dashe W. Reeves as commander. It
2142-841: The Air Mobility Command (AMC), the 186 ARW operates a fleet of KC-135R Stratotanker aerial refuelling and cargo aircraft. Key Field is also home to the Mississippi Army National Guard 's 111th Army Aviation Support Facility, Company B. The 111th operates a fleet of CH-47 Chinook helicopters, a multipurpose transport/cargo helicopter capable of carrying 55 troops and gear and can also sling-load up to 25,000 pounds. Navy T-45 Goshawk aircraft from nearby NAS Meridian and Air Force T-6A , T-1A and T-38 C aircraft from Columbus AFB also frequently practice approaches and other procedures over Key Field. Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) capabilities are provided by
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#17331047709712244-534: The Air National Guard due to Key Field's stationing of the 186 ARW. In 2008, the 186 ARW entered into an arrangement with the active Air Force, hosting an operational training detachment for USAF-operated MC-12W aircraft under a program known as Project Liberty. The MC-12W is a USAF intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platform which was fielded in 2008 and 2009 to meet Iraq War and War in Afghanistan ground support ISR requirements. A derivative of
2346-584: The C-12 Huron , the MC-12W Liberty platform was created in response to Defense Secretary Robert Gates ' initiative to better support war fighters on the ground with increased ISR in theatre. USAF plans to procure 38 MC-12W aircraft. Mission qualification training in the MC-12W is currently conducted by a combined active Air Force and Air National Guard detachment embedded with the 186 ARW at Key Field. According to
2448-474: The Delta Connection via a code sharing agreement by Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA). Delta flew nonstop from both Atlanta and Memphis flown with de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7 and Embraer EMB-110 Bandeirante turboprop aircraft. Southern Airways began serving Meridian in 1962 with direct flights to Atlanta, Memphis, and New Orleans, making intermediate stops en route at other cities. Southern
2550-507: The Joint Chiefs of Staff in a meeting at the White House on 21 December 1941 and said that Japan should be bombed as soon as possible to boost public morale after Pearl Harbor. Doolittle recounted in his autobiography that the raid was intended to bolster American morale and to cause the Japanese to begin doubting their leadership: "An attack on the Japanese homeland would cause confusion in
2652-728: The Mediterranean theater after returning to the United States, four of whom were killed in action and four becoming prisoners of war. Nine crew members served in the European Theater of Operations ; one was killed in action, and one, David M. "Davy" Jones , was shot down and became a POW in Stalag Luft III at Sagan, where he played a part in The Great Escape . Altogether, 12 of the survivors died in air crashes within 15 months of
2754-558: The Official Airline Guide (OAG) listed two flights a day operated by Delta with the DC-9, including a daily nonstop flight from Atlanta and a daily direct flight from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport , which made two intermediate stops en route at Monroe, Louisiana and Jackson, Mississippi . Delta's mainline jet service ended in the spring of 1979. Delta would eventually return to Meridian with its service in 1985, operating as
2856-640: The Silver Star for helping the wounded crew members of Lt. Lawson's crew to evade Japanese troops in China. Finally, as Doolittle noted in his autobiography, he successfully insisted that all of the Raiders receive a promotion. Twenty-eight of the crewmen remained in the China Burma India theater , including the entire crews of planes 4, 10, and 13, flying missions, most for more than a year; five were killed in action. Nineteen crew members flew combat missions in
2958-511: The Tokyo Raid , was an air raid on 18 April 1942 by the United States on the Japanese capital Tokyo and other places on Honshu during World War II . It was the first American air operation to strike the Japanese archipelago . Although the raid caused comparatively minor damage, it demonstrated that the Japanese mainland was vulnerable to American air attacks. It served as an initial retaliation for
3060-994: The Twelfth Air Force in North Africa, the Fifteenth Air Force in the Mediterranean, and the Eighth Air Force in England during the next three years. All 80 Raiders were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross , and those who were killed or wounded during the raid were awarded the Purple Heart . Every Doolittle Raider was also decorated by the Chinese government. In addition, Corporal David J. Thatcher (a flight engineer/gunner on Lawson's crew) and 1st Lt. Thomas R. White (flight surgeon/gunner with Smith) were awarded
3162-741: The 16 aircraft then proceeded southwest off the southeastern coast of Japan and across the East China Sea toward eastern China. One B-25, piloted by Captain Edward J. York, was extremely low on fuel, and headed instead for the Soviet Union rather than be forced to ditch in the middle of the East China Sea. Several fields in Zhejiang province were supposed to be ready to guide them in using homing beacons, then recover and refuel them for continuing on to Chongqing,
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3264-566: The Americans escape, the grateful Americans, in turn, gave them whatever they had on hand. The people who helped them paid dearly for sheltering the Americans. Most of them were tortured and executed for giving aid. During the search an estimated 250,000 Chinese lives were taken by the Japanese Imperial Army. Eight Raiders were captured , but their fate was only known in April 1943. [1] Some of
3366-514: The Atlantic coast using O-47s and L-4 Grasshoppers . The 96th Air Base Squadron was initially assigned as the base host unit for ground support squadrons, being replaced by the 19th Air Base Group in February 1942. The antisubmarine patrol mission was reassigned to Charleston AAF which was much better suited for it, as Charleston was located right on the Atlantic coast. Columbia Army Airfield's mission
3468-794: The B-25 pilots, including Doolittle, had ever taken off from a carrier before, all 16 aircraft launched safely between 08:20 and 09:19, though Doolittle's bomber was witnessed to have almost hit the water before pulling up at the last second. The B-25s then flew toward Japan, most in groups of two to four aircraft, before flying singly at wave-top level to avoid detection. The aircraft began arriving over Japan about noon Tokyo time, six hours after launch, climbed to 1,500 feet (460 m) and bombed 10 military and industrial targets in Tokyo, two in Yokohama , and one each in Yokosuka , Nagoya , Kobe , and Osaka . Although some B-25s encountered light antiaircraft fire and
3570-486: The B-25's, reducing the number that could be taken aboard a carrier and posing risks to the ship's superstructure. The B-18 was one of the final two types that Doolittle considered, and he rejected it for the same reason. The B-25 had yet to see combat, but tests indicated that it could fulfill the mission's requirements. Doolittle's first report on the plan suggested that the bombers might land in Vladivostok , shortening
3672-674: The B-25B Mitchell to carry out the mission. The range of the Mitchell was about 1,300 miles, so the bombers had to be modified to hold nearly twice the normal fuel reserves. Doolittle also considered the Martin B-26 Marauder , Douglas B-18 Bolo , and Douglas B-23 Dragon , but the B-26 had questionable takeoff characteristics from a carrier deck and the B-23's wingspan was nearly 50-percent greater than
3774-467: The B-25s to use the flight deck. The combined force was two carriers ( Hornet and Enterprise ), three heavy cruisers ( Salt Lake City , Northampton , Vincennes ), one light cruiser ( Nashville ), eight destroyers ( Balch , Fanning , Benham , Ellet , Gwin , Meredith , Grayson , Monssen ), and two fleet oilers ( Cimarron and Sabine ). The ships proceeded in radio silence. On
3876-475: The December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor , and provided an important boost to American morale. The raid was named after Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle , who planned and led the attack. It was one of six American carrier raids against Japan and Japanese-held territories conducted in the first half of 1942. Under the final plan, 16 B-25B Mitchell medium bombers, each with a crew of five, were launched from
3978-601: The Doolittle Raid were most severely felt in China: in reprisal for the raid, the Japanese launched the Zhejiang-Jiangxi campaign , killing 250,000 civilians and 70,000 soldiers. Of the 16 crews involved, 14 returned to the United States or reached the safety of American forces, though one man was killed while bailing out. Eight men were captured by Japanese forces in eastern China (the other two crew members having drowned in
4080-707: The Japanese forces put what remained of the city to the torch. "This planned burning was carried on for three days," one Chinese newspaper reported, "and the city of Nancheng became charred earth." When Japanese troops moved out of the Zhejiang and Jiangxi areas in mid-August, they left behind a trail of devastation. Chinese estimates put the civilian death toll at 250,000. The Imperial Japanese Army had also spread cholera , typhoid , plague infected fleas and dysentery pathogens. The Japanese biological warfare Unit 731 brought almost 300 pounds of paratyphoid and anthrax to be left in contaminated food and contaminated wells with
4182-533: The Mediterranean Theater of Operations with the Twelfth Air Force for the remainder of the war. After the raid, the Japanese Imperial Army began the Zhejiang-Jiangxi campaign (also known as Operation Sei-go) to prevent these eastern coastal provinces of China from being used again for an attack on Japan and to take revenge on the Chinese people. An area of some 20,000 sq mi (50,000 km )
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4284-450: The Soviet Union, under the guise of an escape—they returned to the United States or to American units elsewhere by way of Allied-occupied Iran and North Africa. Doolittle initially believed that the loss of all of his aircraft would lead to his court-martial —instead he received the Medal of Honor and was promoted two ranks to brigadier general . President Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke to
4386-573: The US Navy aircraft carrier USS Hornet , in the Pacific Ocean. There were no fighter escorts . After bombing the military and industrial targets, the crews were to continue westward to land in China. On the ground, the raid killed around 50 people and injured 400. Damage to Japanese military and industrial targets was minimal, but the raid had major psychological effects. In the United States, it raised morale. In Japan, it raised fear and doubt about
4488-627: The USSR was not at war with Japan, and the Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact was officially in force, the Soviet government was officially unable to immediately repatriate any Allied personnel involved in hostilities who entered Soviet territory. Furthermore, at the time, the Soviet Far East was vulnerable to military action by Japanese forces. Consequently, in accordance with international law,
4590-611: The ability of military leaders to defend the home islands, but the bombing and strafing of civilians created a desire for retribution—this was exploited for propaganda purposes. The raid also pushed forward Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto 's plans to attack Midway Island in the Central Pacific—an attack that turned into a decisive defeat of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) by the US Navy in the Battle of Midway . The consequences of
4692-503: The afternoon of 17 April, the slow oilers refueled the task force, then withdrew with the destroyers to the east while the carriers and cruisers dashed west at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) toward their intended launch point in enemy-controlled waters east of Japan. At 07:38 on the morning of 18 April, while the task force was still about 650 nautical miles (1,200 km; 750 mi) from Japan (around 35°N 154°E / 35°N 154°E / 35; 154 ), it
4794-451: The ages of 10–65, and before burning the town they thoroughly looted it ... None of the humans shot were buried either". The Japanese entered Nancheng ( Jiangxi ), population 50,000 on June 11, "beginning a reign of terror so horrendous that missionaries would later dub it 'the Rape of Nancheng ' ", evoking memories of the infamous Rape of Nanjing five years before. Less than a month later,
4896-469: The base from overseas to inactivate during September and October. It was inactivated on 30 November and returned to civil authorities, which converted it back to an airport, however, the 350th Bombardment Squadron was assigned to Columbia Metropolitan Airport on 16 July 1947 as part of the Air Force Reserve , but it was never equipped or manned. It was inactivated on 27 June 1949 On 19 September 2005,
4998-563: The border into Allied-occupied Iran . The Americans presented themselves to a British consulate on 11 May 1943. A cover story was concocted that York had bribed a smuggler to assist them in escaping from Soviet custody. The fact that the "smuggling" had been staged by the NKVD was later confirmed by declassified Soviet archives. Doolittle and his crew, after parachuting into China, received assistance from Chinese soldiers and civilians, as well as John Birch , an American missionary in China. As did
5100-560: The brothers flew over Meridian for a total flight time of over 27 days. Key Field is named in their honor. The hangar and offices used by the Key brothers preceding and following the flight are still in use today and are listed in the National Register of Historic Places . During World War II , the facility operated under the name Key Field Air National Guard Base and was controlled by the United States Army Air Corps . Delta Air Lines began
5202-407: The carrier met with Task Force 16 , commanded by Vice Admiral William Halsey Jr. —the carrier USS Enterprise and her escort of cruisers and destroyers in the mid-Pacific Ocean north of Hawaii. Enterprise ' s fighters and scout planes provided protection for the entire task force in the event of a Japanese air attack, since Hornet ' s fighters were stowed below decks to allow
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#17331047709715304-900: The combined airlines were renamed Republic Airlines . The Dec. 1, 1979 OAG lists Republic as the only airline serving Meridian at this time, with the carrier operating Douglas DC-9-10 and larger McDonnell Douglas DC-9-50 jets on nonstop and direct one-stop flights from Atlanta. The carrier also operated nonstop from Laurel/Hattiesburg, nonstop Convair 580 turboprop flights from Memphis, and direct one-stop Convair 580 flights from New Orleans . Republic continued to serve Meridian with DC-9 jets as well as Convair 580 turboprop aircraft until 1984. Three commuter airlines came to Meridian in 1984 after Republic ended service. Scheduled Skyways and Sunbelt Airlines began service to Memphis, and Atlantic Southeast Airlines started flights to Atlanta. Sunbelt went out of business later in 1984, and Skyways merged into Air Midwest in 1985 but ended service to Meridian within
5406-554: The crew members were interned, despite official US requests for their release, and the B-25 was impounded. York would later report that he and his crew had been treated well by the Soviet authorities. Several months later, they were relocated to Ashgabat (Ashkhabad), in what was then the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic , 20 miles (32 km) from the Soviet-Iranian border. In mid-1943, they were allowed to cross
5508-428: The crews bailed out . One crewman, 20-year-old Corporal Leland D. Faktor, flight engineer/gunner with 1st Lt. Robert M. Gray, was killed during his bailout attempt over China, the only man in that crew to be lost. Two crews (10 men) were missing. The 16th aircraft, commanded by Capt. Edward York (eighth off – AC #40-2242) flew to the Soviet Union and landed 40 miles (64 km) beyond Vladivostok at Vozdvizhenka . As
5610-459: The crews received concentrated training for three weeks in simulated carrier deck takeoffs, low-level and night flying, low-altitude bombing, and over-water navigation, operating primarily out of Eglin Auxiliary Field #1 , a more secluded site. Lieutenant Henry L. Miller, a U.S. Navy flight instructor from nearby Naval Air Station Pensacola , supervised their takeoff training and accompanied
5712-445: The crews to fly to Chongqing . Bombers attacking defended targets often relied on a fighter escort to defend them from enemy fighters, but accompanying fighters were not possible. When planning indicated that the B-25 was the aircraft that best met all of the requirements of the mission, two were loaded aboard the aircraft carrier USS Hornet at Norfolk and were flown off the deck without difficulty on 3 February 1942. The raid
5814-429: The crews to the launch. For his efforts, Miller is considered an honorary member of the Raider group. Doolittle stated in his after-action report that the crews reached a "safely operational" level of training, despite several days when flying was not possible because of rain and fog. One aircraft was written off in a landing accident on 10 March and another was heavily damaged in a takeoff accident on 23 March, while
5916-595: The east coast of the United States. When the group arrived in Columbia its combat crews were offered the opportunity to volunteer for an "extremely hazardous" but unspecified mission which ultimately turned out to be the famous Doolittle Raid on Japan . On 17 February, 24 full combat crews from amongst the group were detached from Eighth Air Force and transferred to Eglin Field , Florida where they received intensive training for three weeks in simulated carrier deck takeoffs, low-level and night flying, low altitude bombing, and over water navigation. Contrary to popular belief,
6018-449: The east side, and a small vent on the west side. For the 12-month period ending March 31, 2021, the airport had 86,751 aircraft operations: 71% military , 25% general aviation , 4% air taxi , and <1% scheduled commercial . At that time there were 78 aircraft based at this airport: 44 single- engine , 7 multi-engine, 5 jet , 3 helicopter , 1 glider, and 18 military . Meridian Regional Airport Authority operates Meridian Aviation,
6120-497: The entry of the United States into the war was to the U.S. Eighth Air Force . The 17th BG, then flying antisubmarine patrols from Pendleton, Oregon , was immediately moved cross-country to Columbia Army Air Base at West Columbia, South Carolina , ostensibly to fly similar patrols off the East Coast of the United States, but in actuality to prepare for the mission against Japan. The group officially transferred effective 9 February 1942 to Columbia, where its combat crews were offered
6222-432: The first commercial air service to Meridian in 1930. Meridian became a stop on Delta's mainline route between Dallas, Texas and Charleston, South Carolina . Various prop aircraft were used over the years, including the Lockheed Model 10 Electra , Douglas DC-3 , Douglas DC-4 , Convair 340 , and Douglas DC-6 . By the 1970s, Delta had initiated jet service to Meridian using the McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 . On Feb. 1, 1976,
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#17331047709716324-445: The flight by 600 nautical miles (1,100 km) on the basis of turning over the B-25s as Lend-Lease . Negotiations with the Soviet Union were fruitless for permission to land because it had signed a neutrality pact with Japan in April 1941. China's Chiang Kai-shek agreed to the landing sites in China despite the concern of Japanese reprisals. Five possible airfields were selected. These sites would serve as refueling stops, allowing
6426-426: The front section went on display there. [REDACTED] This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency Doolittle%27s Raiders Second Sino-Japanese War Taishō period Shōwa period Asia-Pacific Mediterranean and Middle East Other campaigns Coups The Doolittle Raid , also known as Doolittle's Raid , as well as
6528-399: The gunners of the Whirling Dervish , piloted by 1st Lt. Harold Watson, and two by the gunners of the Hari Kari-er , piloted by 1st Lt. Ross Greening. Many targets were strafed by the bombers' nose gunners. The subterfuge of the simulated gun barrels mounted in the tail cones was described afterwards by Doolittle as effective, in that no airplane was attacked directly from behind. Fifteen of
6630-405: The help of Chinese civilians and soldiers. Of the 16 planes and 80 airmen who participated in the raid, all either crash-landed, were ditched, or crashed after their crews bailed out, with the single exception of Capt. York and his crew, who landed in the Soviet Union. Despite the loss of these 15 aircraft, 69 airmen escaped capture or death, with only three killed in action . When the Chinese helped
6732-450: The last, Hite, died 29 March 2015. Immediately following the raid, Doolittle told his crew that he believed the loss of all 16 aircraft, coupled with the relatively minor damage to targets, had rendered the attack a failure, and that he expected a court-martial upon his return to the United States. Instead, the raid bolstered American morale. Doolittle was promoted two grades to brigadier general on 28 April while still in China, skipping
6834-401: The men who crashed were aided by Patrick Cleary , the Irish Bishop of Nancheng . The Japanese troops retaliated by burning down the city. The crews of two aircraft (10 men in total) were unaccounted for: those of 1st Lt. Dean E. Hallmark (sixth off) and 1st Lt. William G. Farrow (last off). On 15 August 1942, the United States learned from the Swiss Consulate General in Shanghai that eight of
6936-401: The mid-1980s. By the late 1990s, service to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) was operated with a stop in Lafayette, Louisiana . By the early 2000s, the DFW flights had ended, and ASA introduced Bombardier CRJ100/200 regional jets on nonstop flights to Atlanta. ASA/Delta Connection service to Meridian ended in 2012. Republic Express, operated by Express Airlines I on behalf of Republic Airlines via
7038-494: The minds of the Japanese people and sow doubt about the reliability of their leaders. ... Americans badly needed a morale boost." The concept for the attack came from Navy Captain Francis S. Low , Assistant Chief of Staff for antisubmarine warfare. He reported to Admiral Ernest J. King on 10 January 1942 that he thought that twin-engined Army bombers could be launched from an aircraft carrier, after observing several at Naval Station Norfolk Chambers Field in Norfolk , where
7140-715: The missing crew members were prisoners of the Japanese at the city's police headquarters. Two of the missing crewmen, bombardier S/Sgt. William J. Dieter and flight engineer Sgt. Donald E. Fitzmaurice of Hallmark's crew, were found to have drowned when their B-25 crashed into the sea. Both of their remains were recovered after the war and were buried with military honors at Golden Gate National Cemetery . The other eight were captured: 1st Lt. Dean E. Hallmark, 1st Lt. William G. Farrow, 1st Lt. Robert J. Meder , 1st Lt. Chase Nielsen , 1st Lt. Robert L. Hite , 2nd Lt. George Barr, Cpl. Harold A. Spatz, and Cpl. Jacob DeShazer . All eight captured in Jiangxi were tried and sentenced to death at
7242-701: The mission force and the 16th, by last-minute agreement with the Navy, was loaded so that it could be launched shortly after departure from San Francisco to demonstrate to the Army pilots that there was sufficient deck space for a safe takeoff. Instead, that bomber was made part of the mission force. In order of launching, the 16 aircraft were: On 1 April 1942, the 16 modified bombers, their five-man crews, and Army maintenance personnel, totaling 71 officers and 130 enlisted men, were loaded onto Hornet at Naval Air Station Alameda in California . Each aircraft carried four specially constructed 500-pound (225 kg) bombs. Three of these were high-explosive munitions and one
7344-451: The mission was changed from training B-25 crews to A-26 Invader Light bombardment crews. The 319th Bombardment Group (light) arrived at Columbia on 28 February 1945 from Twelfth Air Force in Italy for conversion training from B-25s to A-26s. The group left for Okinawa on 27 April 1945. Training at Columbia Army Air Base was phased down during the summer of 1945. Several units arrived at
7446-488: The missions of the Continental US NORAD Region and 1st Air Force (Air Forces Northern) at Tyndall Air Force Base , Florida. The new group belongs to Key Field's 186th Air Refueling Wing.. Key Field covers an area of 1,000 acres (405 ha ) at an elevation of 298 feet (91 m) above mean sea level . It has two runways : 1/19 is 10,003 by 150 feet (3,049 x 46 m) with an asphalt and concrete surface; 4/22
7548-666: The opportunity to volunteer for an "extremely hazardous", but unspecified mission. On 19 February, the group was detached from the Eighth Air Force and officially assigned to III Bomber Command . Initial planning called for 20 aircraft to fly the mission, and 24 of the group's B-25B Mitchell bombers were diverted to the Mid-Continent Airlines modification center in Minneapolis , Minnesota. With support provided by two senior airline managers, Wold-Chamberlain Field's maintenance hangar
7650-488: The others who participated in the mission, Doolittle had to bail out, but he landed in a heap of dung (saving a previously injured ankle from breaking) in a paddy in China near Quzhou . The mission was the longest ever flown in combat by the B-25 Mitchell medium bomber, averaging about 2,250 nautical miles (4,170 km). Following the Doolittle Raid, most of the B-25 crews who had reached China eventually found safety with
7752-611: The raid. Two survivors were separated from the USAAF in 1944 due to the severity of their injuries. The 17th Bomb Group, from which the Doolittle Raiders had been recruited, received replacement crews and transferred to Barksdale Army Air Field in June 1942, where it converted to Martin B-26 Marauder medium bombers. In November 1942, it deployed overseas to North Africa, where it operated in
7854-554: The rank of colonel, and was presented with the Medal of Honor by Roosevelt upon his return to the United States in June. When General Doolittle toured the growing Eglin Field facility in July 1942 with commanding officer Col. Grandison Gardner , the local paper of record (the Okaloosa News-Journal , Crestview, Florida ), while reporting his presence, made no mention of his still-secret recent training at Eglin. He went on to command
7956-792: The recent addition of the MC-12W Project Liberty program at Key Field may delay or eliminate the ARFF reassignment. In 2011, the same year that the 2005 BRAC realignments were to be completed, the 186th ARW expected to receive two new missions. According to former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour and State Adjutant General Harold Cross, these missions were to be a new Joint Cargo Aircraft mission and an Air Force War Fighting Headquarters. According to Tom Williams, CEO of Meridian Airport Authority, this would result in an increase in local jobs at Meridian's Air National Guard facility. The 286th Air Operations Group activated on April 8, 2011, to support
8058-402: The runway was painted with the outline of a carrier deck for landing practice. Doolittle, a famous military test pilot, civilian aviator, and aeronautical engineer before the war, was assigned to Army Air Forces Headquarters to plan the raid. The aircraft to be used would need a cruising range of 2,400 nautical miles (4,400 km) with a 2,000-pound (910 kg) bomb load, so Doolittle selected
8160-480: The sea), and three of them were later executed. All but one of the 16 B-25s were destroyed in crashes, while one of the planes landed at Vladivostok in the Soviet Union . Because the Soviet Union was not officially at war with Japan, it was required, under international law , to intern the crew for the duration of the war, and their B-25 was confiscated. However, within a year, the crew was secretly allowed to leave
8262-421: The state of Mississippi. After being listed under the National Register for Historic Places , the buildings were rehabilitated for use as a Cessna flight training school and repair shop. The old terminal building is a two-story brick building with a gabled roof and parapeted end walls. Facing east toward Highway 11 , the building is supported by a concrete foundation. The side wings and front pavilion of
8364-538: The terminal and hangar, and handling airmail delivery schedules. With the onset of the Great Depression , the City of Meridian considered abandoning the airport because of the cost of maintenance. The Key Brothers, wanting to keep the airport in business, planned to break the standing flight endurance record of 23 days and therefore focusing worldwide attention on Meridian and its airport. From June 4 until July 1, 1935,
8466-431: The terminal have flat parapet roofs and a gable-roofed porte-cochère extends from the front pavilion and terminates at a taller brick wall that contains a large arched opening. The front pavilion has another arched opening that leads to a recessed entrance. A one-story polygonal porch is in the rear, facing the airfield. Arched openings in the side wings flank the porch. The second floor, a single room that originally housed
8568-591: The volunteers who made up the crews of the Doolittle Raid did not train for the Raid itself at Columbia. The 21st Bombardment Group became the B-25 Operational training unit at Columbia on 21 April 1942, until the unit was reassigned organizationally to Key Field , Mississippi on 22 May. The 21st was replaced by the 309th Bombardment Group , which exchanged designations with the 21st, being reassigned from Key Field. The 329th Bomb Group (and its successor designations)
8670-451: The wartime Kuomintang capital. The primary base was at Zhuzhou, toward which all the aircraft navigated, but Halsey never sent the planned signal to alert them, apparently because of a possible threat to the task force. The raiders faced several unforeseen challenges during their flight to China: night was approaching, the aircraft were running low on fuel, and the weather was rapidly deteriorating. None would have reached China if not for
8772-409: The weather bureau, has a central door that opens onto the porch roof, forming an observation deck overlooking the airfield. The interior of the building contains a waiting room with the former manager's office to the north and the baggage and mailroom to the south. All the walls in the building are plastered and the floors are vinyl tile. The rectangular hangar accommodates 10 planes. The building
8874-414: The withdrawal of the army from areas around Yushan, Kinhwa and Futsin. Around 1,700 Japanese troops died out of a total 10,000 Japanese soldiers who fell ill with disease when their biological weapons attack rebounded on their own forces. Key Field Meridian Regional Airport ( IATA : MEI , ICAO : KMEI , FAA LID : MEI ) is a joint civil-military public use airport located at Key Field,
8976-484: Was a bundle of incendiaries. The incendiaries were long tubes, wrapped together to be carried in the bomb bay , but designed to separate and scatter over a wide area after release. Five bombs had Japanese "friendship" medals wired to them—medals awarded by the Japanese government to U.S. servicemen before the war. The bombers' armament was reduced to increase range by decreasing weight. Each bomber launched with two .50-caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns in an upper turret and
9078-502: Was assigned to Third Air Force , III Air Support Command . The 121st Observation Squadron was moved to the new air base from nearby Owens Field , replacing the 105th OS which was sent to Langley Field , Virginia and the Marine Corps airfield at Cherry Point North Carolina to fly antisubmarine patrols. The 121st OS, which had also been flying observation flights as part of the " Carolina Maneuvers ", began antisubmarine patrols over
9180-512: Was buried with military honors at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific . Total crew casualties : 3 KIA: 2 off the coast of China, 1 in China; 8 POW: 3 executed, 1 died in captivity, 4 repatriated. In addition, seven crew members (including all five members of Lawson's crew) received injuries serious enough to require medical treatment. Of the surviving prisoners, Barr died of heart failure in 1967, Nielsen in 2007, DeShazer on 15 March 2008, and
9282-479: Was changed become a training base for B-25 Mitchell medium bomber aircrews. In addition to the main facility, Columbia AAB had jurisdiction over several satellite and auxiliary airfields in support of the bomber training mission: One of the earliest units to train at Columbia AAB was the 17th Bombardment Group , which arrived on 9 February 1942. The squadrons of the 17th Bomb group came to Columbia AAB from Pendleton Field , Oregon to fly antisubmarine patrols off
9384-541: Was established in 1928 and opened in November 1930 with the completion of the terminal , hangar , powerhouse , and a graded and packed dirt runway . Meridian city officials asked Al and Fred Key , who operated the Key Brothers' Flying School at Bonita, to co-manage the new facility. The brothers maintained their flying school at the new field as well as their other duties, such as selling commercial airline tickets, operating
9486-500: Was immediately approved and the 17th Bombardment Group (Medium) was chosen to provide the pool of crews from which volunteers would be recruited. The 17th BG had been the first group to receive B-25s, with all four of its squadrons equipped with the bomber by September 1941. The 17th not only was the first medium bomb group of the Army Air Corps, but in early 1942, also had the most experienced B-25 crews. Its first assignment following
9588-519: Was laid waste. "Like a swarm of locusts, they left behind nothing but destruction and chaos", eyewitness Father Wendelin Dunker wrote. The Japanese killed an estimated 10,000 Chinese civilians during their search for Doolittle's men. People who aided the airmen were tortured before they were killed. Father Dunker wrote of the destruction of the town of Ihwang: "They shot any man, woman, child, cow, hog, or just about anything that moved, They raped any woman from
9690-738: Was operated by SkyWest Airlines using Bombardier CRJ100/200 regional jets. In 2020, service was shifted to United Express with flights to the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. The United Express flights are operated by SkyWest Airlines with CRJ-200 jets. Key Field is home to the Mississippi Air National Guard 's 186th Air Refueling Wing (186 ARW), at the Air National Guard enclave, Key Field Air National Guard Base . Operationally gained by
9792-606: Was operating Douglas DC-3 and Martin 4-0-4 prop aircraft at this time. By 1968, Southern had introduced DC-9 jet service to Meridian and began nonstop flights to Atlanta. According to the Feb. 1, 1976 OAG , Southern was operating five flights a day into Meridian, all with Douglas DC-9-10 jets, and nonstop from Birmingham, Alabama , Columbus, Mississippi and Laurel / Hattiesburg, Mississippi , with direct service from Atlanta, Chicago O'Hare Airport , Memphis and Tuscaloosa, Alabama . In 1979 Southern merged with North Central Airlines , and
9894-544: Was reassigned to III Bomber Command , and the training units were again re-designated as the Columbia Combat Crew Training Depot (Medium Bombardment). All sub-bases and satellite airfields were either reassigned or inactivated. On 1 February 1945, Columbia was relieved from assignment to Third Air Force, and was transferred to First Air Force . The base unit was re-designated as the 129th Army Air Force Base Unit (Combat Crew Training Station) (Light), and
9996-553: Was ripped off in the crash and landed elsewhere, but it was also recovered by divers in 2005. During the war, Air Force records indicate that 23 B-25s crashed into the lake during training missions, many at night with very inexperienced crews. Many of the airmen in these bombers were killed in these training accidents. The B-25 recovered from the lake was later shipped to the Southern Museum of Flight , Birmingham, Alabama to undergo preservation (not restoration). In December 2005
10098-711: Was sighted by the Japanese picket boat No. 23 Nittō Maru , a 70-ton patrol craft, which radioed an attack warning to Japan. The boat was sunk by gunfire from Nashville . The chief petty officer who captained the boat killed himself rather than be captured, but five of the 11 crew were picked up by Nashville . Doolittle and Hornet skipper Captain Marc Mitscher decided to launch the B-25s immediately—10 hours early and 170 nautical miles (310 km; 200 mi) farther from Japan than planned. After respotting to allow for engine start and runups, Doolittle's aircraft had 467 feet (142 m) of takeoff distance. Although none of
10200-501: Was the first modification center to become operational. From nearby Fort Snelling , the 710th Military Police Battalion provided tight security around this hangar. B-25B aircraft modifications included the following: Two bombers also had cameras mounted to record the results of the bombing. The 24 crews were selected and picked up the modified bombers in Minneapolis and flew them to Eglin Field , Florida, beginning 1 March 1942. There,
10302-493: Was the major operational training unit (OTU) at Columbia AAB during World War II, providing crew and replacement training in B-25s until 1 May 1944 when the 309th was re-designated as the 329th Bombardment Group. It was subsequently re-designated as the 329th Army Air Force Base Replacement Unit on 1 August 1944. Known B-25 Groups that trained at Columbia AAB were: Beginning in 1943, the 309th performed replacement training, rather than group training. On 1 October 1944, Columbia AAB
10404-399: Was when the 105th Observation Squadron began flying Douglas O-38 and North American O-47 observation aircraft beginning on 24 September. In 1941, the airport came under formal military control and an immediate construction program began to turn the civil airport into a military airfield. Construction involved runways and airplane hangars, with three concrete runways, several taxiways and
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