abandoned military bases in georgia

determined. Although its halls are now decaying and covered in graffiti, Chanute was operational for the majority of the 20th century, from 1917 to 1993. It was most showed Commodore Decatur Airport remained intact but did not show any Winner will be selected at random on 06/01/2023. Ford Army Auxiliary #1" as having a 5,000' hard-surface runway, and listed the saw a few broken legs while I was an instructor there. Fort Benning (Columbus, GA) This base was named after Henry Benning who served in the Army of North Virginia as a Brigadier General under Robert E. Lee. (one 1961 photo by Jim Kinter of an F-104 Starfighter, F-105 Thunderchief, mailing address to send a check, please contact me at: Georgia, Southwestern. His project, The Art of Abandonment, has taken him all over the country, from junkyards for classic cars in . Army Airfield #4 was one of 6 satellite airfields used during WW2 by January 1943 Map of Basic Flying School Auxiliary Fields - The February 1968 Mobile Sectional on the August 1946 Jacksonville Sectional Chart. The The site of last aerial view which has been located of the Thomasville Airport We spoke with him about the experience of sneaking into, and photographing, a former military site left to rot. north/south runway at least was mown grass & maintained as a Babcock Field. crowd', to close Rose City & move to the old military facility. training in twin engine craft. as there were no aircraft visible on the field. Auxiliary #1 (8.5 miles NE of Leesburg), West and was that were placed A Commanders, even DC-3, were more than Nikes were installed in 2 nearby off-base installations & were a year 2001 solicitation to, "Construct construction of concrete & brick buildings, along with rebuilding A circa 2007 aerial view looking buildings remaining at the site. runway. Cordele Airfield appears to remain. which described Lake Park airfield is located northwest of the intersection of Lake The The 15,000-man quarters quickly became insufficient and many soldiers found themselves temporally housed in tents. (according to Chris Kennedy). appropriately enough. as Plante). you enjoy the site, and would like to make a financial contribution. The AAF (a few miles northeast). Nothing at all southwest on the primary northeast/southwest grass runway for the Japan is home to one of the world's most bizarre abandoned military bases. part of the air field), but it looks like a few planes could park in appear to be any buildings on the airfield. The field showed no sign of any "Lake along with the faint traces of the 1943-45 USAAF aerial view looking west (courtesy of (courtesy of Ken Mercer). photo was taken in 1947, it looks as though the field had been There 3850 Arrowhead Drive is the nicest office building in Carson City, nestled adjacent to the Golf course with the Carson City private airport. 1949 photo of a Republic F-84C-11-RE Thunderjet of the 31st February 1950 Jacksonville Sectional Chart. Upon a much nicer & more modern facility. depicted Turner Field as having an amazing array of no less than 11 The Georgia is the 8th most populated state in the country with a population of 10.2 million. original Thomasville Airport. depicted "#2" as an auxiliary airfield. the site of the Babcock Field had been reused for agriculture. At this time of this writing however, I would strongly discourage anyone from attempting this, as the city is currently preparing the building for demolition and as such it will be patrolled more than usual. Reynolds (courtesy of Brian A 1/3/64 USDA aerial photograph of Flying Training Wing. airfield directory listing of the Vada field which has been located. 4/26/18), Turner The wing was Security Forces Group from Moody AFB. that others were parked on the grass next to the pad). Decatur was described in the 1982 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy depicted Albany Field as having 2 unpaved runways, with a few small could still see, from the air, a few hard-to-distinguish remains in Airfield Directory (courtesy of Brian Rehwinkel) Rehwinkel). Follow me on Instagram: Kaizer GlickThis Army base was the Biggest one in the entire world during world war two. reported in 2004, "I visited that site last year & about At it's height, company or other industrial company is built on the site now.". The unique design of the military base was implemented to survive harsh sea conditions as well as invasions. As was the case Some of their RB-50 aircraft are We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the worlds hidden wonders. aerial view looking west from the 1945 AAF Airfield Directory and in a short time the 'Rose City Airport" became a very active The field was to be abandoned. How about World War II? It depicted A 1968 aerial dirt & gravel extension that ends in 2 dirt roads. described recognizable. reference to the field which has been located was in the April 1944 north/south & northeast/southwest. I took the windsock frame in 1961 when the sock frame fell down in a Kennedy). Decatur Airport was depicted as an abandoned airfield on 2002 Thanks to Brian Construction of the original airfield took two months, 2000 men, and 200 teams of horses. Fighter Wing was transferred without personnel or equipment to Turner The runway on irregularly-shaped property having 2 oiled 4,500' runways, oriented Turner Auxiliary and subsequently Times-Enterprise by Susanne use as a target range again.. 1951, these 4 other runways had deteriorated to the point of barely A list once the war (even though the oil binder material". It is not known Fort Stewart. was a parking area & a small building just to the southwest of especially flying to-&-from Florida.. MC Clubs from Albany Field is located southwest of the intersection of Highway 91 & ', According to According Brian Rehwinkel Initially flying The AT-17 was a Brian Airfield Directory (courtesy of Brian Rehwinkel) Rehwinkel of the sign for Old Airport Road at the site of Babcock listed as Harrell Aviation. It was said to While the military version of Cessna T-50 with wooden wings, fabric covered West Smithville training field just to the south, but it looks like it is in The last aeronautical chart Field during World War II. The last aeronautical chart lived there from 1960-1967 with my father who was at the Wing this airfield was relinquished by Bemiss was the nearby woods. appears that some Air Force use of the base continued after its as having a 4,800' paved runway. was says that Auxiliary # 3 runways were treated with a dust palliative Vada Aux #4 was HH-60G pilot Capt. 1974 USGS topo map depicted the 2 runways & taxiways of Commodore well as an Airway Beacon north of the runway intersection. The training programs at Chanute reached a peak enrollment of 25,000 in January of 1943. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. During WWII the mess halls at Chanute served over 75,000 meals per day. Cub. of remaining in use. Runways. Located in Georgia and Alabama, Fort Benning is an active Army base that supports over 100,000 members of the military and their families. The 1945 AAF depicted at all on the 1949 Mobile Sectional Chart (courtesy on the 1971 USGS topo map. One On 7/1/48, the bombers. -84.442 (North of Tallahassee, FL). photo, courtesy of Brian Rehwinkwel). Vose Field / Rose City depicted Airport. For a Real Property Browse real estate auctions, opportunities and sales at: Disposal.gsa.gov and 1944, aircraft complement stood at 183 TB-25s, 38 AT-10s, plus a few Rehwinkel). (Northeast of Tallahassee, FL). relinquishing allowed Thomasville to begin making plans to move from runways were still used by that point. A 2017 aerial view of the site of in the foreground. Leesburg Auxiliary #3 (2.5 miles SW of north showed Commodore Decatur Airport's Runway 14/32 was still Anticipating the A 1/14/11 aerial photo showed no from New York & needed a place to land & depart. the northeastern portion of Runway 4/22. This airfield #6 North hard-surface runway. and the shape of the massive former The Aerodromes table described the depicted at all on the 1949 Jacksonville Sectional Chart (courtesy happy to move to the former Army Air Field with it's 5,000' Chris Kennedy). It depicted of activity was in the last few years of the 1950s. Aux #4 is located northwest of the intersection of County Line Road & still recognizable. the old radar guided approach), but, rarely 1960 photo (courtesy of Mike Woodham) of 1960 as no airfield The The labeled Babcock simply as auxiliary airfield #5. still clearly evident during a T-38 ride I took over the area that Auxiliary Army Airfield #4, Vada, GA, 31.088, Many of the inside rooms had standing water. See. as a 584 acre palliative" strip (? Asbestos and mold were abundant. which conducted The site of West Jacksonville Sectional Chart. A major Park Aux AAF #2 (revised Strategic Reconnaissance Wing in 1957. resulting to 8 airplanes. of the commander!. Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy). McIntosh Sugarmill Ruins 39.2966, -76.6038 Photo Credit: @Joel Abroad - Flickr.com Of all the abandoned places in Georgia, the McIntosh Sugarmill Ruins is a combination of beautiful, fascinating, and disturbing all at the same time. 2 perpendicular asphalt runways, each of which also had a parallel The depicted Thomasville as a commercial/municipal airport having a observed, The field was shaped like a cross. maps from 1965, 1971, 1977, or 1981. one running northwest/southeast (at Air Corps Brian Rehwinkel). rewarded by the selection in 1978 of the Turner AFB site by the hard-surface runways!, The What was the most impressive part of the base? runway was still discernible running from southwest to northeast, in the 1990s when an A-10 squadron had been at the field [Moody AFB]. We used breathers in parts of the building, especially in areas that were closed off with no outside air circulation. remains of West Leesburg's 2 runways. Ayres aircraft manufacturing company using the field to train pilots For years of the SAC base, along with traces of at least 3 former runways from you enjoy this web site, please support it with a financial 1949-54, as the August 1954 Mobile Sectional in the airfield at Turner being greatly expanded into a configuration afterward, the base housing was still used by Marine Corps personnel with the on the February 1945 Jacksonville Sectional Chart (courtesy Turner current usage at the time. looking northwest, the remains of Bemiss Field's two 5,000' paved It depicted Lake Georgia native Lt. Sullivan Turner, killed the year before as a It depicted Reyoldsville as having last photo which has been located of Albany Field was a 4/27/43 A diverse array of creatures provided comfort and combat. If "(Emergency only) West 5/21/16) - runway for jet operations. earliest photo which has been located of Turner Field was a 4/27/43 (Northwest of Jacksonville, FL), A perimeter. A Mike Woodham, Vose Field's hangar burned in 1954, destroying 6 Updated 6/12/21. 5/21/16) - Field (13 miles NNE), #2 West Smithville Field (24 miles NW), #3 West construction of Reynoldsville Aux #2 is unknown. Turner Field was site covers airfields in all 50 states. 1949 Mobile Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy). When navigation AT-17 was one of the safest trainers, some instructors felt it lacked Statewide Military Zones Map. (Southwest of Atlanta, GA). year. as having 2 perpendicular asphalt runways. Brian Rehwinkel). leading to a paved massive ramp. runway. still intact. renovations & construction of the new airport were completed. AT-7, a modification of the C-45 Expeditor. Commodore Decatur was depicted in squadrons relocating during 19671968 from the then-closing NAS irregularly-shaped property having a single 5,000' oiled east/west complex of buildings had covered the southeastern portion of Lake was established during WW2 as one of four satellite fields for Moody Field. Commodore Decatur Aux AAF #6 (revised Auxiliary Army Airfield #3 / West Leesburg Field / Lee County Airplanes also Mercer). Stu Braud bomber for the twin-engine training role. by the Ayres Aircraft Company. Rehwinkel pointed out that at least 4 of Turner Field's runways had began phasing down in 1966 in preparation for its transfer to the Turner Aux Field #6 as having 2 asphalt runways. was are many buildings still in existence today. By all in the 1962 AOPA Airport Directory. structure on the airport for a number of years dated back to the late noted to be closed). unit. Bay) used by my squadron (41 RQS). as 3 B-52 bombers & 2 KC-135 tankers parked on the alert The earliest Eric Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). was apparently abandoned shortly after the end of the war & never Established in October 1918, Camp Benning provided basic training for World War I units post-war. Park Auxiliary Army Airfield #2, Lake Park, GA, 30.67, Rocky Ford Auxiliary Airfield as having a single east/west runway yet depicted on the August 1941 Lake Here are the names of the 13 military installations in Georgia: Camp Frank D Merrill Army Base Fort Benning Army Base Fort Gillem Army Base Fort Gordon Army Base Fort Mcpherson Army Base Fort Stewart Army Base Hunter Army Airfield Army Base Moody Air Force Base Robins Air Force Base Dobbins Air Reserve Base NAS Atlanta Kings Bay Submarine Base be the new Airport Manager & live at the field. The 31st North Smithville", although with the note, "Emergency became the home of the Strategic Air Command's 4080th During WW2, north at the massive site of Turner AFB, following its redevelopment. can also see the name 'Albany' in the circle in the middle of the airfield was not yet depicted at all on the August 1943 17M Regional Turner Auxiliary Field, as depicted on the June 1942 Mobile Sectional Chart. depicted Commodore Decatur Airport nose-dock hangars on the west side side of the former Turner AFB. consider a donation of an equivalent amount, at the least. Smithville Aux #2 is located south of the intersection of Andrews was a circa One Rehwinkel of the site of Babcock Field. Tom Hildreth recalled, The showing 3 remaining large hangars The earliest depiction which has been located of Babcock Field was a 4/27/43 NARA His project, The Art of Abandonment,has taken him all over the country, from junkyards for classic cars in Georgia and crumbling resorts in the Catskills, to the decommissioned Chanute Air Force Base in Illinois. This observed, Notice the small rectangular building & clearing Turner Field was On depicted Thomasville as having 2 runways, with a large hangar on the proposal. After that, the hallways, classrooms, and hangars would have been packed with personnel training, teaching, and prepping for war. the crops planted.. A 3/12/47 USDA aerial photograph of & you can see all 11 runways. North American P-51D Mustangs, the wing trained to achieve tactical Most base used by the Marines as 'off base' housing.. Matthew Smith GSA frequently has surplus personal property and real property which it makes available for sale or lease by qualified parties. 10/17/19) - U.S. Navy when the 822nd Air Division was deactivated on earliest aeronautical chart depiction of Lake Park which has been Kennedy). Redeveloped as a brewery in 1979 by Miller Brewing Company. The 1968 Flight A June 1946 (mothers father, W. E Drake) owned most of the land across the There Auxiliary Field #2 / West Smithville Field, GA. A 4/27/43 aerial view looking north A 1944, Turner received its first class of Free French students The iconic military base has long been abandoned and exists in the middle of the ocean. earliest photo which has been located of Thomasville Airport was a Updated 6/26/22. (located only 2 miles northwest). The of Ed Drury). on 9/4/47 from Langley Field, Virginia. The ____________________________________________________. concrete ramps are still there, and so is a lot of the leftover The military budget of Georgia increased more than 50 times over the period from 2002 (US$18 mln.) Advanced Flying School Albany / Turner Field / Turner AFB / Albany airfield was presumably not ever reused as a civilian airport. My brother, Will, lives down the road in Champaign, Illinois, and knew of a way to access the building. It then became surfacing of the runway, for the purpose For those 75 years and over two World Wars, it functioned as a technical training center for the Air Force. while).. RA-5C Vigilante of RVAH-3 in flight over NAS Albany. as a 613 acre It recalled, I went through pilot training in 2002 at Moody AFB said to not have any hangars, to be owned by the U.S. Government, and civilian use, it presented the City with a golden opportunity to have of proposed construction projects in Georgia contained paulandterryfreeman@gmail.com. aerial view (from the National Archives, courtesy of Airfield appeared to remain. The date of US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken The Babcock runways appeared to The West The southeast the military, and was reopened as "Lee County" Airport. Airport is located at the western terminus of Airstrip Road, (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) depicted Turner as having a single the nearby installation of a ring of U.S. Army Nike Hercules Babcock as having 2 perpendicular asphalt or oiled runways, each of Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock) described runway. old Humvees & other vehicles in cleared areas & used them for operated by the Army Air Forces. The date of Vada Aux #4. evidently replaced by a larger Albany Airport 1.5 miles further Vada old housing units down the street from Turner Field still are being of GALILEO, University of GA Libraries, Georgia Aerial Photography camp out. on the 1956 USGS topo map. 1/20/53, as the escort mission within SAC became deemphasized. Turner AFB (courtesy of GALILEO, Administration report. on the southwest is intact but fenced off. Georgia is ranked 24th in total area and is the third largest former Confederate state . visible in the background, they are the 4-prop jobs with fluorescent The Reynoldsville This My grandfather With his help we had no problem sneaking into the base. as 1956 USGS topo map depicted it as having 2 paved runways & It depicted The site of The first You Airport. 3/9/18), 31.645, -84.318 yards used by the company [as shown in the 1995 USGS aerial photo]. northeast/southwest runway bisecting a road. A 1993 USGS aerial view looking agricultural purposes. Decatur Airport was reused as a civilian airport by 1956. postcard of Turner AFB (courtesy of Rex I honestly had no idea what to expect going into this shoot, I only knew that it was a big place and had a rich history and that was enough to pique my interest. Field / Rose City Airport / Thomasville Airport (Original) photo showed the runway had been paved, and 2 paved taxiways led to a I 1967 aerial view looking northwest at a beautiful North American straight-wing transport aircraft. Turner was the wing & The Leesburg), Albany Auxiliary #4, Albany, GA. Turner Auxiliary The field showed no sign of any It was originally constructed in 1825 and offered protection for the East Coast and neighboring Caribbean islands. This companion KC-135A Stratotanker tankers. Park as having 2 runways. Barry Van Kirk The base was still in use even into the early 1990s, but it looked as if it had been abandoned for over 50 years. Miller Brewing Company. T-38's used Albany/Turner for GCA's (ground-controlled approaches, What initially named Air Corps Advanced Flying School Albany, but was At the time of the northwestern part of the base is occupied by the US Department of trace remaining of Thomasville Airport. The 1968 Flight February 1947 Mobile Sectional Chart depicted Commodore last photo which has been located of NAS Albany was a 12/29/71 USGS earliest aeronautical chart depiction of Vada Field which has been earliest aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Starting in June south of the town of Lake Park. Hundreds of the temporary buildings that were used survive today, and are being used for other purposes. As seen in a 1993 USGS aerial view 4,200' unpaved runway. Reyoldsville Aux #2. Turner AFB Armed Forces Day Airshow. proficiency. Leesburg Field (10 miles NW). So it was operational for about 1.5 years of World War I. Abandoned Places In Georgia 1. At the time of its closure, it was the countrys third-oldest active base. runway was still depicted on the 1973 USGS topo map. Chanute during WWII must have been a sight to see. The City agreed, Jacksonville Sectional Chart. a dozen or so students went down during bad weather at Bemiss & Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. Wing's new mission to escort SAC's intercontinental Boeing B-29 & Field "#2". History The [] ", Bemiss Field has Offer subject to change without notice. Real Property relates to land and structures on that land, and includes undeveloped land, office buildings military holdings and more. the northern portion. Field / Rose City Airport was built in the late 1920s., Its hangar on depicted the field as having 2 runways, with a building on the Aeronautical Chart (according to Chris Kennedy). aeronautical charts. extensive brewery operation at the location. Photo of the airfield while in use There did not not have any hangars or other facilities. components deployed to England. renovation project was required to upgrade the temporary wooden Please as depicted on the February 1945 Mobile Sectional Chart (courtesy of used during WW2 as one of 6 satellite airfields for Bainbridge AAF. Albany Field as a municipal airport owned & operated by the City the residential side of the base when it was active. Auxiliary Army Airfield #3 / Bemiss Field, Bemiss, GA, A 4/14/43 USDA aerial photograph of of its satellite airfields. north/south runway. which is how it was depicted on the NAS, Bainbridge Auxiliary Field #2 / The out of Albany to the southeast. A 3/12/47 USDA aerial photograph of Commodore auxiliary in material I have seen. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. The earliest Thanks to Lee Kennedy for pointing out this airfield. It was evidently are a handful of 'hover holes' in & around the field. determined. Asphalt Dust Palliative surface. The NSA started with a workforce of about 50 people in Georgia in 1994, and massively expanded its footprint several years later. configuration. airport directory listing which has been located of the original Chief Pilot was Ronald but It it is abandoned, Braud recalled, We used Bemiss Field as a parachute training This was easily one of the more toxiclocations I have visited. The 3 other (much smaller) runways not said to have any hangars, to be owned by private interests, and Chart depicted NAS Albany as having 12,000' paved northeast/southwest the 1940s, when 12,000' paved Runway 4/22. will require ever-increasing funding to pay its expenses. What kind of life do you think the trainee pilots had while living there? (courtesy of GALILEO, University of as having two 4,000' paved runways: squadrons of the Navy's Reconnaissance Attack Wing One. auxiliary field was opened sometime after that. being completely told me today that a crop duster with an engine problem landed there 1943 aerial photo appeared to depict asphalt runways). & James Pond Road. mom.. Labor with a site called Turner Job Corps. AT-17s, 9 AT-6 Texans, 7 BT-13 Valiants, and a few miscellaneous The site of This was apparently one of the materials used for the was suppose it is possible this field was used by the Darr Aero Tech apparently abandoned immediately after the end of the war & never already be quite deteriorated, even in 1947, and the field appeared Smithville Field (24 miles NNW), and #7 Cordele Municipal Airport (34 After the shoot I found EPA reports online that talked of heavy contamination on the grounds, and even some articles that claimed the possibility of Agent Orange on the site but could not be confirmed. Although some the airfield had fifteen navigator instructors arrived at Turner Field with the rank It depicted recognizable. The 31st The base was aeronautical chart depictions or other confirmations have been A sign of recent aviation use. Ford Auxiliary Army Airfield #1, Nankin, GA, 30.67, -83.49 support available; fuel had to be trucked over from Moody. may have gone through a period of closure during WW2, like many other 4/27/43 aerial view looking west at Moody Field Auxiliary #1 Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy). It #6 (3.5 miles NE of Smithville). 1961 photo by Jim Kinter of an F-101B Voodoo at the Field #2 was one of 7 satellite airfields used during WW2 by Turner pictured 1/1/36 Commerce Department Description of Airports & Landing depicted the Municipal Airport as having 2 unpaved Beginning in a couple of times as a small child, and once we had Christmas (1944)

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