What is the connection between Camp Phillips, Smoky Hill Army Air Field, and Schilling Air Force Base?
By the 1940s, the Smoky Hills region found itself in the middle of World War II with the establishment of Smoky Hill Army Air Field (SHAAF) and Camp Phillips. Construction of the Air Field began in 1942. Originally built to support the B-17 “Flying Fortress” and B-24 heavy bombers, it operated for five years after the end of the war. It was deactivated in 1949. Camp Phillips was named after Col. William A. Phillips, a town founder who served in the Civil War. It was established as an Army training camp and prisoner of war internment camp in 1942 and served an important role in preparing soldiers for World War II until 1944. It was dismantled in 1945-46. Smoky Hill Army Air field was later transformed to train pilots and mechanics for the new B-29 “Super Fortress” heavy bomber and in 1951 was designated as a Strategic Air Command Base. On March 16, 1957, SHAAF was renamed Schilling Air Force Base after Col. David Schilling, a WWII fighter pilot. Schilling continued to provide a military
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