Gowen Field, Idaho Air National Guard, Boise,Idaho
VISUAL HISTORY OF GOWEN FIELD
HISTORY OF GOWEN FIELD - WORLD WAR II AND THE COLD WAR
Gowen Field’s history is intertwined with that of Boise, following the United States military through two wars—one “hot” and one “cold.” Gowen Field proudly carries the name of U.S. Army Air Corps pilot, Lt. Paul R. Gowen of Caldwell, Idaho, who was killed when his plane crashed in Panama on 11 July 1938. This symbolic link between the U.S. Army Air Corps base and a local pilot is just one thread of the interwoven relationship between the local community and Gowen Field.
Gowen Field originated when the Boise local government wanted to update and expand its new airport. Built partly with federal Works Progress Administration funds, Boise Air Terminal boasted the longest runway in the nation, at 8,800 ft, when it opened in 1939. It was not long before growing commercial use of the airfield necessitated further improvements and expansion, and the local government began seeking financial assistance from the federal government. One method for securing funds for airport expansion and improvements was by attracting military aviation.
At about the same time, the U.S. Army Air Corps began to expand the number of its bases. This was part of the program to increase U.S. air defenses in response to the demonstration of German air power in the war in Europe.
Seeing a clear opportunity to obtain assistance with the desired airport improvements, the City of Boise had its airfield certified as a property important to national defense. This placed it on the list of 400 sites hoping to be selected for one of the air bases planned by the Army Air Corps. On October 3, 1940, the Boise Air Terminal was chosen to be the site for one of 200 new Army Air Corps bases. The Boise Air Base officially became Gowen Field on 29 July 1941.
Construction
The local effect of the coming new Army Air Corps base could be felt almost immediately as the local firms Morrison-Knudsen Company and J.O. Jordan & Son received contracts to build it. J.O. Jordan & Son was responsible for constructing the original 119 buildings for the new air base. Morrison-Knudsen Company was contracted to build the rest of the air base, including paving the runways, improving the roads, providing water and utilities, and bringing a railroad spur from the Union Pacific’s mainline in Boise to the air base.
Construction of the base commenced on January 21, 1941, and the contract schedule called for the completion of the entire project in just 90 days. Morrison-Knudsen quickly began work on the railroad spur so it could be used to deliver building materials, and J.O. Jordan & Son soon started construction of the buildings. In order to meet such a tight schedule, J.O. Jordan & Son elected to construct the buildings in an assembly line manner. Rather than assign a single crew of carpenters to a building, workers were organized into specialized skills groups that moved from one building to another performing the same specific tasks. At the height of the building activity, some 900 men were employed in the construction of the air base, and by late May 1941, the Army estimated that construction of the base was 84 percent complete. By August 1941, all originally authorized base buildings were finished.
The Army Moves In
In early June 1941, while still under construction, the airfield’s first commander, Lt. Col. Robin A. Day, and a small group of officers moved onto the base along with members of the 42nd Bombardment Group, the 16th Reconnaissance Squadron and the 705th and 442nd Ordnance Companies. By the end of the month, 1,300 Army personnel were stationed at Gowen Field, as well as 16 of the expected 63 aircraft, including B-18 medium bombers, an A-17 attack ship, and some primary training planes. Actual bombing practice did not begin until later in the fall when the 2,500-acre bombing range 20 miles south of Boise was secured.
The Army Air Corps assigned specific, narrowly-defined missions to the air fields it was building, and the initial mission of Gowen Field was to train crews in the operation of medium bomber and reconnaissance aircraft for the U.S. Army Air Corps’s Second Air Force. At Gowen Field, the airplanes, crews, and ground support personnel were formed into groups. Members of a bombardment group or a reconnaissance group would train together with the intent that they would form bonds with one another and become a cohesive unit loyal to each other. These groups would then be deployed and serve together once their training was complete.
The mission of the Second Air Force and the training mission at Gowen Field changed when the United States entered World War II after the December 7, 1941, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Rather than train medium bomber crews, the Second Air Force— and Gowen Field—would be responsible for training heavy bomber crews for the entire U.S. Army Air Corps. In February 1942, the B-18 medium bombers were replaced with B-17 heavy bombers and by June, the 29th Bombardment Group was engaged in heavy bombardment combat training at Gowen Field.
World War II Training at Gowen Field
Gowen Field was busy with training activities in 1942, during which at least 42 Bombardment Squadrons from 10 Bombardment Groups received their full training. Before long, Gowen Field received recognition for its exemplary training methods and results. In 1942, the 29th Bomb Group of the Second Air Force at Gowen Field earned honors, including a first in the monthly efficiency ratings (July) and first in the area of aircraft maintenance.
Gowen Field acquired even more prestige when the Second Air Force named it the “model field” for 1942. Commanding officers from other airfields visited Gowen Field, which was promoted as the standard they were encouraged to achieve. Both of these distinctions came to Gowen Field while it was under the leadership of Brig. Gen. Robert Travis (for whom Travis Air Force Base was named in 1951).
In the spring of 1943, Gowen Field received a change in its heavy bomber aircraft from the B-17 “Flying Fortresses” to the newer B-24 “Liberators.” In response to the challenges faced by crews to adapt to the newer, larger, and much more sensitive aircraft, Consolidated Aircraft, the manufacturer of the B-24, traveled to Gowen Field to demonstrate its operation.
The arrival of new aircraft was not the only wind of change blowing at Gowen Field in 1943. In early May, the first contingent of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Corps (WAAC) arrived at the airfield, and by the end of the month, Gowen Field had 126 WAACs. At first, they performed mainly clerical tasks to free up the men for active duty, but their abilities to perform other tasks were recognized, and they were soon employed in a variety of occupations.
May 1943 saw the arrival at Gowen Field of 126 women of the WAAC. The auxiliary status was dropped in September 1943 with the formation of the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) with the same ranks, privileges, and pay as their male counterparts. The women were given the chance to leave the Corps at this time, and a mass enlistment ceremony was held at Gowen Field early in September for the members of the WAC that re-enlisted in the regular Army.
The jobs the WAC performed initially were limited to the traditional clerical positions, but soon their ability to perform more varied tasks was recognized. The WAC at Gowen Field performed jobs that included medical and dental technicians, decontamination experts, mechanics, a gunnery instructor, and even an ordnance specialist.
Also in 1943, the most famous person to be assigned to Gowen Field arrived—First Lt. James “Jimmy” Stewart. The Oscar Award- winning film star was already an Army Air Forces pilot when he came to Boise in February 1943. While at Gowen Field, Stewart served as an instructor, and was transferred to a combat unit in early August after being promoted to the rank of captain.
Gowen Field’s training mission changed somewhat in November of 1943, when it became a Combat Crew Training School (CCTS). Its well-respected bomber training program was even further recognized when Gowen’s 15th Wing Headquarters became the supervising unit of the rest of the Second Air Force’s training bases. The focus of the CCTS was no longer to train complete units that would serve together, but to train individual air and ground crew personnel as replacements in existing units. The training program specialized in B-24 heavy bomber flight and maintenance. Graduates from Gowen Field’s CCTS supplemented combat units in the Pacific Theater of Operations.
The level of training activity remained very high throughout 1944 and until the end of World War II, with 5,435 army personnel stationed at the base in May of 1945. The civilian workforce on base at this time was more than 1,000.
The End of World War II
B-24 training continued at Gowen Field, even after the Japanese surrender on August 14, 1945. In September 1945, Gowen was again recognized for excellence by having the best flying record of the Fourth Air Force. At this time, the flight training mission was cancelled and Gowen Field was designated as a separation center for demobilizing Army personnel when this mission was completed on November 30, 1945. Gowen Field was deactivated as a federal military base in January 1946.
Gowen Field had certainly fulfilled its mission during the war, training thousands of officers and enlisted men who fought bravely in Europe and the Pacific to achieve victory for the Allied Forces.
Gowen Field & The Idaho National Guard
Gowen Field came back to life and received a new mission when Idaho’s first Air Guard Unit, the 190th Fighter Squadron, was formed and assigned to Gowen Field in October 1946. The Adjutant General also announced that the Army National Guard warehouse units and ordnance company would be assigned there.
The 190th Fighter Squadron was the re- designated and reactivated 405th Bomber Squadron which flew combat missions during WW II over England, France, Germany, Belgium, and Luxembourg.
The first commander of the Idaho Air National Guard was World War II pilot Lt. Col. Thomas G. Lanphier, and the original cadre of pilots and support personnel who enlisted in the 190th also were World War II veterans. Lanphier is one of two pilots credited with the April 18, 1943 downing of the bomber carrying Japan’s Admiral Yamamoto — the architect of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The first airplane of the 190th was the P-51D Mustang, the first of which arrived at Gowen Field in November 1946. North American Aviation’s P-51, one of the most famous fighters in World War II, became the F-51 in 1947 when the newly formed United States Air Force reclassified its pursuit aircraft as fighters.
The Cold War Era at Gowen Field
In 1951, the 190th Fighter Squadron and its F- 51 Mustangs were called to active duty for the Korean War. Initially deployed to Moody Air Force Base, Valdosta, Georgia for additional training, they were eventually transferred to George Air Force Base, Victorville, California. Although the entire wing did not deploy to Korea, 15 pilots of the 190th transferred as replacements to other units that went overseas.
After the Korean War, the 190th Fighter Squadron was quickly re-established at Gowen Field and soon had a new mission: to aid in the defense of America’s northwest region as part of the Air Force Cold War strategy. Along with this new Cold War mission came new aircraft; the 190th traded the propeller-driven F-51s for jet power, and they began flying F-86A Sabre jets.
In 1953, Gowen Field was selected to host the Air National Guard Gunnery Exercise. Teams from all 48 states plus the territories of Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico flew to Gowen Field to participate in this prestigious event. The exercises were so successful that Gowen Field was chosen to host the event for three more years.
Also in 1953, Gowen Field was selected as a “Concentration Site” for the Idaho and Nevada Army National Guard, responsible for maintaining heavy equipment, such as tanks, used during training. The number of troops that trained at Gowen Field each year increased to an average of 10,000 to 20,000.
In 1956, the 124th Jet Fighter Group was activated at Gowen Field, incorporating the 190th as the 190th Fighter Interceptor Squadron as one of its components. In June 1956, the 124th Guardsmen received 25 F-89B Scorpions. These were larger two-seat, twin engine, all- weather jet interceptors.
The Idaho Air National Guard played a key role in defending America during the Cold War, assuming a 24-hour active duty alert commitment as part of the U.S. Air Force’s Air Defense Command. In support of this mission, the 190th continued to receive more modern and sophisticated aircraft, including the F-86L Sabre (1959-1964), F-102 Delta Dagger (1964- 1975), and RF-4C (1975-1991). Throughout, the Air Guard continued to expand Gowen Field with the facilities necessary to support the increasingly important role it performed in the nation’s defense during the Cold War (1946-89).
The Buildings at Gowen Field
Gowen Field Today
Gowen Field continues its historical function as an important base providing valuable training and contributing to the preparedness of today’s military. Today, the 124th Wing of the Idaho Air National Guard provides support for federal, state, and community interests by maintaining highly trained, well-equipped, and motivated military forces in order to provide combat-ready fighter aircraft.
The Idaho Air National Guard’s flying squadron, range squadron, and its many support units continue the tradition of aviation excellence, proudly living up to its motto “First Class or Not at All.”
Since the early 1960s, Gowen Field has been the home of a helicopter unit of the Army National Guard. The Army National Guard has continued to expand its training functions and facilities at Gowen Field. Guard and Reserve units from a five-state region surrounding Idaho come to Gowen Field to train in the Regional Training Site-Maintenance facility which was added to the base in 1989.
In addition to the Idaho Air and Army National Guard, other branches of the U.S. military services have a presence at Gowen Field including the Navy/Marine Reserve, the Army Reserve, and the Army Research Institute.
This Story Map was completed as part of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the National Guard Bureau, Idaho Air National Guard, and the Idaho State Historic Preservation Office. The MOA was completed, and a mitigation plan was developed, for required upgrades to the Munitions Storage Area of Gowen Field which has been determined to be eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places as an historic district.
References
1995 Cultural Landscape Evaluation of Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. Prepared for the Air National Guard Readiness Center, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.
2007 History of Gowen Field – World War II and the Cold War. Prepared for the National Guard Bureau, Air National Guard Readiness Center, Andrews AFB, Maryland.
2020 Integrated Cultural Resources Management Plan, Gowen Field, Ada County, Idaho Air National Guard.
2020 Survey of 14 Ammunition Storage Igloos, 124th Fighter Wing, Boise Airport, Boise, Idaho. Prepared for the Idaho Air National Guard and the Air National Guard Readiness Center, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.
All archival photographs courtesy of: Idaho Military History Museum, 4748 Lindbergh Street, Building 924, Boise, Idaho 83705. Website: http://inghro.state.id.us/museum/