DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about South Plains Army Air Field, right here in Lubbock County. Now, when most folks picture World War II airpower, they picture thundering engines. Roaring propellers.
The kind of noise that rattles your back teeth. But there was another kind of pilot in that war — one who flew in silence. And right here, on the South Plains of Texas, is where most of them learned how.
During World War II, nine preliminary and advanced military glider pilot training fields operated in Texas. Nine. And of all of them, this site was one of the most prominent.
The U.S. Army Air Forces leased Lubbock Municipal Airport, and with help from the City of Lubbock, expanded it specifically for glider training. It opened in October of 1942 — first under the name South Plains Army Flying School, and later renamed South Plains Army Air Field.
SPAAF, if you're in a hurry. The aircraft they trained on was the Waco CG-4A — the USAAF's primary glider during the entire war. No engine.
No roar. Just wind, skill, and nerve. And the mission of SPAAF was to take young men and turn them into pilots who could handle exactly that.
Now here's where the numbers get staggering. During its time in operation, SPAAF trained nearly eighty percent of America's combat glider pilots. Eighty percent.
The men who flew into Operation Market Garden — the invasion of the Netherlands. The men who went in on Operation Varsity — the invasion of Germany. And the men who glided silently into Normandy, France on D-Day as part of Operation Overlord.
Nearly all of them — four out of every five — came through here, through these South Plains skies. SPAAF closed on April 1st, 1945 — more than a month before victory in Europe was even declared. The war it helped win wasn't quite finished, but the field's work apparently was.
Designated surplus, the site was transferred to the War Assets Administration in December of 1947. Then in 1949, the airfield returned to the City of Lubbock for municipal use. By 1950, the city had built a modern air terminal on the grounds.
The story might have faded there — filed away, forgotten, the way a lot of wartime history gets swallowed up by peacetime. But in 1971, former glider pilots formed the National World War II Glider Pilots Association, Inc., and that organization provided the framework for preserving the history of the entire U.S. Combat Glider Program.
And today, right here on this site, there is a place called the Silent Wings Museum — moved to this location and opened in October of 2002 — so that the story of the men who flew without engines, who trusted the wind and their training, doesn't go quiet the way their gliders did. Nearly eighty percent of America's combat glider pilots. Trained right here.
In silence. On the South Plains of Texas.
What the marker says
During World War II, nine preliminary and advanced military glider pilot training fields operated in Texas; one of the most prominent sites was located here. The U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) leased Lubbock Municipal Airport, and with help from the City of Lubbock expanded it for glider training. Opened in October 1942, the site was initially named South Plains Army Flying School, and later renamed South Plains Army Air Field (SPAAF). The mission of SPAAF was ground and advanced flight training for glider pilots who flew the “Waco CG-4A” glider––the USAAF's primary glider during the war. During its tenure, SPAAF trained nearly 80% of America’s combat glider pilots who served in major operations, such as Market Garden (Invasion of the Netherlands), Varsity (Invasion of Germany) and overlord (the “D-day” Allied Invasion of Normandy, France). SPAAF closed on April 1, 1945, more than a month before victory in Europe was declared. Designated surplus, the site was transferred to the War Assets Administration in December 1947. In 1949 the airfield returned to the City of Lubbock for municipal use, and in 1950 the city built a modern air terminal. Regional combat glider training facilities –– located in the Texas panhandle and South Plains –– were vital components of U.S. Military force projection capability during the war. In addition, the creation and maintenance of these bases contributed significantly to local economies during the war. In 1971, former glider pilots formed the National World War II Glider Pilots Association, Inc., providing the framework for the preservation of the history of the U.S. Combat Glider Program. Today, a key element in telling this story is the Silent Wings Museum, moved to this site and opened in October 2002.