Oxnard Air Force Base | |
|---|---|
| Part of Air Defense Command | |
| Camarillo, California | |
 Convair F-106A-90-CO Delta Dart 57-2486 437th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. | |
  Oxnard AFB | |
| Coordinates | 34°12′50″N 119°05′40″W / 34.21389°N 119.09444°W |
| Type | Air Force Base |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1940 |
| In use | 1940-1945; 1951-1970 |
Oxnard Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base, located in the city of Camarillo, California.
History
Camarillo Airport was originally established in 1942 when the California State Highway Department constructed an auxiliary landing field with a 5,000 ft (1,500 m) runway. During World War II the 36th Flying Training Wing (U.S. Army Air Forces) supervised contractors training pilots at the airfield. The runway was later extended to 8,000 ft (2,400 m) in 1951 to accommodate what by then had developed into Oxnard Air Force Base. In the 1950s, the base was home to the 354th Fighter Interceptor Squadron. The base fielded F101 Voodoo interceptors, which had a cameo appearance in the movie "The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming (1966)". In the mid-1960s they were replaced when the base received 17 new F-106 Delta Darts. The base was highlighted in U.S. Air Force Training Film "Nuclear Attack Preparedness Procedures: Survive to Fight."
On January 1, 1970, Oxnard AFB was deactivated and the base became surplus property. Oxnard had 99 Officers and 990 enlisted assigned prior to its closing. The last commanding officer of the 414th Fighter Group was Colonel Paul D. Cofer.
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
U.S. Air Force Training Film "Nuclear Attack Preparedness Procedures: Survive to Fight." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSMcPNGyxME
