Curtis Airfield

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker at Curtis Airfield tells it, and it's a story worth hearing. Now, if you've ever driven through Brady out here in McCulloch County and wondered how a West Texas town ends up with a serious military airfield on its edge, the marker has an answer, and it starts with one man. Harry Lamar Curtis was born in Dallas in 1903.

He got himself educated (University of Dallas, Southern Methodist University, and Texas A&M) then built some business successes back in Dallas before a woman changed his geography. He married Marjorie McCall of Brady in 1929, and Brady is where he landed. He wasn't the kind of man to sit still in a town.

By 1936 he was on the City Council, and by 1940 he was mayor. And that is right about where this story shifts gears. World War II was gathering on the horizon, and Mayor Curtis was already looking up.

In 1940, he obtained the designation of Brady Airfield as a national defense airport, which came with something every mayor dreams about: federal money. The federal grant was $141,631. The city pitched in about $40,000.

The small old field was relinquished, a larger tract was provided, and the whole thing got enlarged and hard-surfaced. Now, why Brady? Well, the marker is happy to tell you.

Clear skies. Dry climate. Freedom from commercial air traffic.

Out here, you can see forever and nobody else is using the airspace. Turns out that's exactly what you want when you're teaching young men to fly airplanes in a hurry. On March 16, 1941, a contract school moved here from Love Field in Dallas and became Brady Aviation School, Ltd.

And Mayor Curtis, still mayor, still pushing, led the city to grant free use of the field for ten years, with one dollar a year charged for utilities. One dollar a year. That's the kind of deal that wins a war.

What followed was something. Over 10,000 cadets trained at Curtis Airfield before the school closed in August of 1944. Ten thousand young men who came to this stretch of West Texas, learned to pull a plane into the sky, and went off to serve.

Brady was one of 17 Texas civilian fields training military pilots during the war, and it held its own among them. But the marker doesn't let you leave on a triumphant note, and neither will I. Because this field was the final duty station for some who never made it home from here.

Twenty-one cadets, six instructors, and a personnel officer lost their lives in accidents. Thirty-two people who showed up to serve and didn't walk away. That deserves a quiet moment on any road trip through McCulloch County.

Harry Lamar Curtis, mayor, dealmaker, the man who instigated the offer of this field to the United States government, has his name on this place. Given what happened here, both the triumph and the grief, that seems about right.

What the marker says

Named for Harry Lamar Curtis, mayor of Brady who instigated offer of this field to the United States government during World War II. Born 1903 in Dallas, H.L. Curtis was educated at the University of Dallas, Southern Methodist University, and Texas A&M. He married (1929) Marjorie McCall of Brady and moved here after business successes in Dallas. Served on City Council 1936 to 1940 and as Mayor 1940 to 1944. In 1940 Mayor Curtis obtained designation of Brady Airfield as a national defense airport, with funding for enlargement and hard-surfacing. Small old field was relinquished and this larger tract provided. City paid about $40,000; federal grant was $141,631. Brady's clear skies, dry climate, and freedom from commercial air traffic made it a favored site. A contract school moved here from Love Field, Dallas, on March 16, 1941, and became Brady Aviation School, Ltd. Mayor Curtis led the city to grant free use of the field for ten years, with one dollar a year charged for utilities. Over 10,000 cadets trained here before the school closed in Aug. 1944. This was final duty for a few: 21 cadets, six instructors, a personnel officer lost their lives in accidents. This was one of 17 Texas civilian fields training military pilots during World War II. (1972)