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MacDill Air Force Base was first recognized as a suitable location for an airfield by US Army aviators flying mock warfare maneuvers over Tampa in May 1938. Satisfying the US War Departments geographical requirements for providing air defense of Americas southern Atlantic coast and supporting air operations over the Caribbean, the site was approved in July 1939 to become the location for the Army Air Force"planned Southeast Air Base. It was later renamed MacDill Field in honor of Army Air Force aviator and pioneer Col. Leslie MacDill. The base was formally dedicated on April 16, 1941, and B-17 Flying Fortress and B-26 Marauder combat crewmen began training in the business of making war. From bomber and tactical fighter wings to combatant commands and aerial refueling squadrons, MacDill Air Force Base"through global war, regional conflicts, and counterinsurgencies"has repeatedly answered the clarion call to arms and proven itself to be an unrivaled military juggernaut within Americas strategic arsenal.
About the author
To honor the men and women who have served on MacDill, local resident and military supporter Steven A. Williamson assembled a photographic and written history using vintage images, postcards, and archival materials to highlight MacDill's rich legacy and pilot the reader through its historical airspace.
