The origins of the facility date to the 1942 when Walnut Ridge was selected by the United States Army Air Corps for the establishment of a basic flying school as part of the 70,000 Pilot Training Program. It was one of many air fields created in the country's interior during the war. Constructed through the late spring and summer, the facility was opened on 15 August 1942 as Walnut Ridge Army Airfield. The airfield at Walnut Ridge consisted of a main runway 6,000 ft aligned 05/23. It also had two 5,000 ft secondary runways aligned 01/19 and 14/28; all were concrete. In addition to the main airfield, several auxiliary airfields were constructed to support the training mission:
Pocahontas Field AF Auxiliary #1
Biggers Field AF Auxiliary #2
Walcott Field AF Auxiliary #3
Bono Field AF Auxiliary #4
Beech Grove AF Auxiliary #5
Walnut Ridge AAF was placed under the jurisdiction of the Southeast Training Command, Army Air Forces Training Command. Its mission was the training of new pilots as part of their third-stage flight training. Training began of flight cadets in October 1943, the Army Air Forces Flying School at Walnut Ridge primarily flew Vultee BT-13 Valiant single-engine monoplane trainers. Training statistics show that during the period from 1 November 1942, thru 30 September 1943, the training hours flown at Walnut Ridge were 160,648. The average for all Basic Flying Schools in the Southeast Training Command was 129,474. Walnut Ridge had.49 accidents per 1000 hours versus.57 accidents per 1000 hours average for all schools; however, the fatal accident rate at Walnut Ridge was higher,.087 per 1000 hours versus a.052 average. The hours flown at Walnut Ridge through June 30, 1944, totaled 414,429. Graduates from the basic flight school then were transferred to one of Training Command's Advanced flying schools that operated AT-6 Texan Advanced trainers, and upon graduation, they were awarded their pilot's wings and commissioned as 2d lieutenants. During its operation, Walnut Ridge had over 4,600 graduates. Forty-two students and instructors died in training. In addition to the flight school, Air Technical Service Command operated a major maintenance facility at Walnut Ridge. C-47 Skytrains, P-40 Warhawks, P-51 Mustangs, B-17 Flying Fortresses and later in the war, B-29 Superfortresses, which were used for training in the United States, were flown here for phase maintenance and other necessary updates as directed. As part of the phase-down of Army Air Forces pilot training, the Basic school at Walnut Ridge was closed at the end of June 1944. The last class graduated on June 27, 1944, and the facility was transferred to the Department of the Navy.
Marine Corps Air Facility
Under Navy control, the facility was used by the United States Marine Corps as a pilot training school. VMF-513 was transferred to the base on 14 September 1944 and operated SBD-5's and FG-1D Corsair's. Apparently the school only operated until 4 December 1944 when the school was moved to MCAS Mojave, California. The Navy decommissioned the base on 15 March 1945.
RFC Walnut Ridge
With the end of World War II, the Reconstruction Finance Corporation established a disposal and reclamation facility at Walnut Ridge for aircraft excess to the needs of the United States military. RFC Walnut Ridge became one of the largest disposal sites for aircraft in the United States. It is estimated that approximately 10,000 warbirds were flown to Walnut Ridge in 1945 and 1946 for storage and sale. Some sources report the number to be over 11,000. Fighters, bombers, trainers, and all other manner of aircraft were offered for sale to the public, some of the planes being newly manufactured and flown to Walnut Ridge directly from the assembly line. Some were sold to various civilian entities and to the general public. However, most aircraft sent to Walnut Ridge were dismantled and their airframes shredded, their hulks finding their way to two large aluminum smelters built on the flightline ramp. The smelters turned the aluminum of the aircraft into ingots, which were recycled and sold to industry for use in manufacturing a wide variety of items, from toasters to Mobile Homes. RFC Walnut Ridge disposed of aircraft until 1951 when it was closed. The smelters themselves were dismantled the next year and used as bricks for a civil administration/terminal building on the civil airport established by the City of Walnut Ridge.
