Yontan Airfield (also known as Yomitan Auxiliary Airfield) is a former military airfield located near

Yomitan is a village located in Nakagami District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Geography Yomitan is located on the western coast of the central part of Okinawa Island. The village is bound to the north by Onna, to the east by Okinawa City, to the ...

Village on the west coast of Okinawa. It was closed in July 1996 and turned over to the Japanese government in December 2006. Today it is home to the Yomitan Village Office and community complex, including baseball fields, running tracks, and community facilities. Yontan (Yomitan) Airfield was originally established by the

Imperial Japanese Army The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emper ...

in 1944 as . During the

Battle of Okinawa The , codenamed Operation Iceberg, was a major battle of the Pacific War fought on the island of Okinawa by United States Army (USA) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) forces against the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). The initial invasion of ...

on April 1, 1945, United States Marine Corps and United States Army forces seized the airfield on the first day of their landing. It was quickly repaired and became the first airfield on Okinawa to be used by the American forces. Later it was developed into a major American base for Army, Marine, and Navy aircraft. The

Boeing B-29 The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 ...

Bockscar ''Bockscar'', sometimes called Bock's Car, is the name of the United States Army Air Forces B-29 bomber that dropped a Fat Man nuclear weapon over the Japanese city of Nagasaki during World War II in the secondand most recent nuclear attack in ...

landed at Yomitan after the

atomic bombing of Nagasaki The United States detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August 1945, respectively. The two bombings killed between 129,000 and 226,000 people, most of whom were civilians, and remain the o ...

Postwar use

After 1947, there were no units permanently assigned to Yontan and the base was used as an auxiliary installation for

Kadena Air Base (IATA: DNA, ICAO: RODN) is a highly strategic United States Air Force base in the towns of Kadena and Chatan and the city of Okinawa, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It is often referred to as the "Keystone of the Pacific" because of its highl ...

until the mid-1950s. Later it was placed in auxiliary reserve status. In June 1948, the 170th Airway and Air Communications Service (AACS) Squadron was activated at Yontan to provide air traffic control and communications support for USAF units in Okinawa. Shortly after, the 170th was redesignated as the 1962d AACS Squadron. The unit moved to Kadena AB and redesignated as 1962d AACS Group (later, Communications Group) on 18 February 1955. By 1950, Yontan was redesignated as a parachute drop training facility because its runways were not suitable for large scale or jet aircraft operations. By that time, local residents were started farming at the airfield with the tacit permission of the Air Force, and there were no fences installed on the base boundaries, except in administrative area. 33 serious off-range drop accidents occurred, including the death of a girl on 2 August 1950 when a fuel tank fell into private house, and an 11 June 1965 accident in which a trailer landed off target crushing a 10-year-old girl who was playing in the family yard. After the Okinawa reversion in 1972, the Japanese Government continued to make Yomitan Auxiliary Airfield (FAC 6027) available for

USFJ is a subordinate unified command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). It was activated at Fuchū Air Station in Tokyo, Japan, on 1 July 1957 to replace the Far East Command. USFJ is commanded by the Commander, US Forces ...

requirements.Minutes of the 251st Meeting, Joint Committee established by Article XXV of the Status of Forces Agreement (PDF).
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Japan, 15 May 1972, pp. 82-84. Under the agreement of the 16th U.S.–Japan Security Consultative Committee in 1976, 250.78 acres of land at eastern portions of the airfield were partially returned to the Japanese Government in three release actions; 0.48 acres were released on 14 May 1977, 0.19 acres were released on 31 May 1977, and 250.11 acres were released on 30 April 1978. The remaining 191 acres were transferred from

Fifth Air Force The Fifth Air Force (5 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It is the U.S. Air Force's oldest continuously serving Numbered Air Force. The organiza ...

to the control of Commander Fleet Activities, Okinawa (COMFLEACTS Okinawa) on 27 July 1978. In addition, control of the Yomitan Auxiliary Airfield passed from COMFLEACTS Okinawa to Commanding General

Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler (or simply Butler Marine Base) is a United States Marine Corps base located in the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa. It was named after Marine Corps Major General and twice Medal of Honor recipient Smedley ...

on 9 October 1980. The last parachute drop training was conducted at Yomitan on 19 July 1996. Under the agreement of

Special Action Committee on Okinawa The ''Special Action Committee on Okinawa'' (SACO ) is a formal agreement made between the United States Government and the Government of Japan. The U.S. and the Japanese government established the SACO agreement in November 1995. About 75% of lan ...

(SACO) Final Report, the parachute drop training was relocated to Ie Jima Auxiliary Airfield (FAC 6005). Yomitan was retained as an electromagnetic interference restriction for

HF/DF High-frequency direction finding, usually known by its abbreviation HF/DF or nickname huff-duff, is a type of radio direction finder (RDF) introduced in World War II. High frequency (HF) refers to a radio band that can effectively communicate ov ...

operations at Sobe Communication Site. With the completion of the functional relocation of Sobe Communication Site into Camp Hansen, Yomitan Auxiliary Airfield was completely returned to the Japanese Government and landowners in December 2006.

Major USAAF units assigned to Yontan

In addition to the USAAF units, Yontan Airfield hosted several Naval and Marine Corps air squadrons equipped with

F4U Corsair The Vought F4U Corsair is an American fighter aircraft which saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Designed and initially manufactured by Chance Vought, the Corsair was soon in great demand; additional production contract ...

PBY Catalina The Consolidated PBY Catalina is a flying boat and amphibious aircraft that was produced in the 1930s and 1940s. In Canadian service it was known as the Canso. It was one of the most widely used seaplanes of World War II. Catalinas served wit ...

s and

F6F Hellcat The Grumman F6F Hellcat is an American Carrier-based aircraft, carrier-based fighter aircraft of World War II. Designed to replace the earlier Grumman F4F Wildcat, F4F Wildcat and to counter the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero, it was the United St ...

s. * Headquarters,

Seventh Air Force The Seventh Air Force (Air Forces Korea) (7 AF) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, South Korea. The command's mission is to plan and direct air component operations in ...

, July 12, 1945 – January 1, 1946 * Headquarters,

VII Bomber Command The VII Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Seventh Air Force, based on Okinawa. It was inactivated on 31 March 1946. It engaged in patrol operations from Hawaii from January 1942. On the n ...

, July 1945 – March 1946 * Headquarters, 38th Bombardment Group ::

B-25 Mitchell The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Major General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allied air forces, the B-25 served in ...

, July 25 – November 22, 1945 : 71st Bombardment Squadron, July 25 – November 22, 1945 : 405th Bombardment Squadron, July 25 – November 21, 1945 : 822d Bombardment Squadron, July 25 – November 22, 1945 : 823d Bombardment Squadron, July 25 – November 21, 1945 * 41st Bombardment Group

, June 7 – December 13, 1945 : 47th Bombardment Squadron, June 7 – December 13, 1945 :

48th Bombardment Squadron The 48th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 41st Bombardment Group, based at Manila, Philippines. It was inactivated on 27 January 1946. History Activated at March Field, California ...

, June 7 – December 13, 1945 :

396th Bombardment Squadron 396th may refer to: *396th Bombardment Group, inactive United States Air Force unit * 396th Bombardment Squadron, associate unit of the 15th Wing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii * 396th Fighter Squadron or 182d Fighter Squadron, unit of t ...

, June 7 – December 13, 1945 :

820th Bombardment Squadron The 820th Bombardment Squadron is a former Army Air Forces unit, inactivated on 4 January 1946. The squadron was first activated during World War II as the 521st Bombardment Squadron. The squadron was soon engaged in the antisubmarine campaig ...

, June 7 – December 13, 1945 * 494th Bombardment Group

B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...

, June 24 – December 8, 1945 : 373d Bombardment Squadron, July 21 – December 15, 1945 :

864th Bombardment Squadron The 864th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 494th Bombardment Wing at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, where it flew Boeing B-52 Stratofortresses under Strategic Air Command. It wa ...

, June 24 – December 13, 1945 :

865th Bombardment Squadron The 865th Technical Training Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 1st Missile Division at Redstone Arsenal. Alabama, where it trained Italian Air Force personnel on the SM-78 Jupiter. It was ina ...

, June 24 – December 13, 1945 : 866th Bombardment Squadron, June 24 – December 13, 1945 : 867th Bombardment Squadron, June 24 – December 13, 1945 * 35th Fighter Group

P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team headed by James ...

, June 28 – October 1945 : 39th Fighter Squadron, June 30 – October 10, 1945 : 40th Fighter Squadron, June 30 – October 10, 1945 : 41st Fighter Squadron, June 30 – October 10, 1945 *

312th Bombardment Group 31 may refer to: * 31 (number) Years * 31 BC * AD 31 * 1931 CE ('31) * 2031 CE ('31) Music * ''Thirty One'' (Jana Kramer album), 2015 * ''Thirty One'' (Jarryd James album), 2015 * "Thirty One", a song by Karma to Burn from the album ''Wild, ...

A-20 Havoc The Douglas A-20 Havoc (company designation DB-7) is an American medium bomber, attack aircraft, night intruder, night fighter, and reconnaissance aircraft of World War II. Designed to meet an Army Air Corps requirement for a bomber, it was or ...

August 13 – December 13, 1945 : 386th Bombardment Squadron, August 13 – November 28, 1945 (

B-32 Dominator The Consolidated B-32 Dominator (Consolidated Model 34) was an American heavy strategic bomber built for United States Army Air Forces during World War II, which had the distinction of being the last Allied aircraft to be engaged in combat duri ...

) : 387th Bombardment Squadron, August 13 – December 13, 1945 : 388th Bombardment Squadron, September – December 13, 1945 : 389th Bombardment Squadron, September – December 9, 1945 *

413th Fighter Group 413th may refer to: * 413th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit * 413th Flight Test Group, United States Air Force Air Force Reserve Command unit * 413th Flight Test Squadron (413 FLTS), part of the 46th Test Wing, b ...

, Eighth/

Twentieth Air Force The Twentieth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) (20th AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming. 20 AF's primary mission is Interco ...

* ::

P-47 Thunderbolt The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...

January 29 – October 1946 :

1st Fighter Squadron The 1st Fighter Squadron is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force. It was most recently based at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, where it operated McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle aircraft conducting advanced fighter training. Missio ...

, January 29 – October 15, 1946 :

21st Fighter Squadron The 21st Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It is a United States Air Force squadron that operates Taiwanese-owned General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting fighter and mainten ...

, January 29 – October 15, 1946 : 34th Fighter Squadron, January 29 – October 15, 1946 * 507th Fighter Group,

Eighth Air Force The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Force ...

, January 29 – May 27, 1946 : 463d Fighter Squadron, January 29 – May 27, 1946 : 464th Fighter Squadron, January 29 – May 27, 1946 : 465th Fighter Squadron, January 29 – May 27, 1946 * 51st Fighter Group,

, October 15, 1946 – May 22, 1947 : 16th Fighter Squadron, 15 October 1946-22 May 1947 : 25th Fighter Squadron, 15 October 1946-22 May 1947 : 26th Fighter Squadron, 15 October 1946-22 May 1947 * 4th Fighter Squadron (All Weather) ( 347th Fighter Group), February 20, 1947 – August 19, 1948 (

P-61 Black Widow The Northrop P-61 Black Widow is a twin-engine United States Army Air Forces fighter aircraft of World War II. It was the first operational U.S. warplane designed as a night fighter, and the first aircraft designed specifically as a night fight ...

)

* Eighth Air Force was reassigned to Mac Dill AAF,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

on June 7, 1946. All assigned units in the Pacific were reassigned to

that date.

References

*Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. .
www.pacificwrecks.com
*Harding, Stephen, (1993), Flying Terminated Inventory, Wings Magazine, April 1993 edition

External links

Research the Battle of Okinawa Here
*http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/yomitan.htm {{authority control Installations of the United States Air Force in Japan Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in Occupied Japan Airfields in the Pacific theatre of World War II Japan campaign Airports established in 1944 Defunct airports in Japan Closed installations of the United States Navy

Postwar use

Major USAAF units assigned to Yontan

See also

References

External links