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Santa Ana Army Air Base
Nearly one-fifth of
Costa Mesa's land area was once an important training center for our
nation's effort during World War II.
History of the SAAAB
The Santa Ana Army Air Base (SAAAB) was under the jurisdiction of the
West Coast Army Air Corps Training Command Center, located on West 8th St in
Santa Ana, California. The other two centers were Southeast Army Air Corps
Training Center at Maxwell Field, Montgomery, Alabama and Gulf Coast Army
Air Corps Center at Randolph Field, San Antonio, Texas. The latter two
centers were activated on July 8, 1940, while SAAAB was activated on
February 15, 1942. On June 20, 1941, the Army Air Corps became the Army Air
Forces.
All three bases were classification centers, where aspiring cadets were
tested for
 aptitudes
and classified as
pilots, navigators or bombardiers - however the SAAAB, as the largest of the
three bases, was the only base to provide pre-flight training for all three
classifications. Combat personnel who trained at the three bases
contributed greatly in the battles of World War II. Numerous SAAAB cadets
returned to the Costa Mesa area after the war and became a major factor in
the growth of Orange County.
Today, the SAAAB land has been re-directed to other uses such as Orange
Coast College, Vanguard University, Costa Mesa High School, Davis Elementary
School, City of Costa Mesa Civic Center, Air National Guard 222nd Combat
Communications Squadron, Orange County/State Fairgrounds, Tewinkle Park, and
several commercial and residential areas.
In recognition of the role played by SAAAB and her personnel during
World War II, the Costa Mesa Historical Society formed a SAAAB Wing in 1979
to keep the memory of the "Old Base" alive. The Wing keeps former cadets,
military and civilian personnel, and friends of the Base informed of news,
reunions, and deaths of Wing members. News and information is disseminated
via The Cadet, a Wing newsletter that bears the same name as the Base
newspaper during World War II. In addition to the newsletter, the Costa
Mesa Historical Society supports Wing reunions and maintains a major
collection of SAAAB photographs, artifacts and memorabilia.
SAAAB Statistics
|
Official Ground Breaking |
October 23. 1941 |
|
Activation Date |
February 15,1942 |
|
Deactivation Date |
March 31,1946 |
|
Size of Base |
1,336.685 Acres. |
|
Location of Base |
Main entrance at Newport Boulevard;
Baker Street on the north, Harbor Blvd. on the west, Wilson Street on
the south, Newport Blvd. on the east |
|
Buildings |
Approximately 800 (including 1,357,120 sq ft of barracks) 28
Convalescent Hospital Wards, 18 School Buildings, 155,000 sq ft of
Administration buildings, 4 Chapels, 4 Theaters,17 Warehouses |
|
Utilities |
Water system adequate for 40,000 people with 33 miles of water main
lines, 28 miles of sewer lines, 31 miles of electric lines |
|
Maximum Number
of Personnel |
26,000 Air Force personnel, (excluding civilian personnel) |
|
Primary Function |
Classification and pre-flight training for pilots, navigators and
bombardiers.
Approximately 149,400 entered the training, about 128,000 graduated.
February 15, 1942 To October 31,1944.
Redistribution Center
Over 72,000 combat returnees processed between November 1, 1944 and
March 31, 1946
Temporary Separation Center
Over 38,000 combat veterans discharged plus other veterans discharged from the base
between September 14, 1945 and March 31, 1946 |
Events
and More Information
More
information on SAAAB Air Wing activities can be found at the following
links:
If you
are interested in joining or volunteering for the SAAAB, please fill out our
Membership-Volunteer form
|
