Dodd Army Airfield was an airfield located within the current boundaries of Fort Sam Houston in
San Antonio, Texas. Dodd Field includes the area bounded on the north by Rittiman Road, on the west by Harry Wurzbach Memorial Highway, on the south by Winans (formerly Dashiell) Road and on the east by the
Fort Sam Houston Reservation boundary.
History
Known originally as Remount Station #1, the area was used as a
U.S. Army Remount Service depot which supported the cavalry troops assigned to Fort Sam Houston. Aviation started at Dodd Field about 1915, and continued through the early years of
World War II. Most of the first aircraft assigned to the Army were based here with the
1st Aero Squadron
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
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*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
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when it transferred from Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in 1915. The squadron deployed in support of the
1916–1917 Punitive Expedition into Mexico from the Remount Station. On 1 November 1916, the 3d Aero Squadron activated there and flew the
Curtiss JN-4. The 3d departed the Remount on 5 April 1917 to establish a new airfield to the southwest of San Antonio. This new field became Kelly Field by the summer of 1917. During
World War I, the aerodrome served as a supply depot.
Aviation returned to the airfield in June 1925, when the 12th Observation Squadron transferred there to support the 2d Division. On 10 May 1928, the field was designated Dodd Field in War Department General Order Number 5. It was named in honor of Colonel
Townsend Foster Dodd, Air Service, who was killed in an aircraft accident on October 5, 1919 at Bustleton Field near Philadelphia. At the time, he was serving as Commander of
Langley Field,
Virginia. The 12th remained at Dodd until 31 October 1931 when the squadron transferred to Brooks Field, south of San Antonio. In the 1930s, the Coast Guard briefly used Dodd for air support, and Kelly used the field to train bombardiers.
During
World War II, the
63d Troop Carrier Group based
C-47 Skytrain transport aircraft at Dodd Army Airfield from September though November 1942. The departure of the 63d ended flying operations at Dodd. In 1943, a prisoner of war camp was established there, and it held Axis POWs until 1946.
In 1949, Dodd was converted into a government housing area for Army personnel stationed at Ft. Sam Houston. The area eventually was absorbed into Fort Sam Houston.
See also
*
Texas World War II Army Airfields
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces established numerous airfields in Texas for training pilots and aircrews. The amount of available land and the temperate climate made Texas a prime location for year-round military training. By ...
References
*
* {{Cite web , last=Freeman , first=Paul , date=November 22, 2021 , title=Texas: Northeastern San Antonio area , url=http://www.airfields-freeman.com/TX/Airfields_TX_SanAntonioNE.htm , url-status=live , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220707003022/http://www.airfields-freeman.com/TX/Airfields_TX_SanAntonioNE.htm , archive-date=2022-07-07 , website=
Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields
External links
*An extensive history can be found on th
Fort Sam Houston website
Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces I Troop Carrier Command
Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in Texas
Airports in Texas
Military in San Antonio
History of San Antonio
1911 establishments in Texas
1945 disestablishments in Texas
Joint Base San Antonio