Larson Air Force Base
Larson Air Force Base
  Moses Lake Air Force Base |
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| Part of Strategic Air Command Air Defense Command |
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| Grant County, near Moses Lake, Washington | |
2006 USGS Orthophoto
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 Larson AFB
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| Coordinates | 47°12′28″N 119°19′13″W / 47.20778°N 119.32028°WCoordinates: 47°12′28″N 119°19′13″W / 47.20778°N 119.32028°W |
| Type | Military airbase - U.S. Air Force |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1941–1942 |
| Built by | U.S. Government |
| In use | 1942–1966 |
| Battles/wars |
World War II (training), Cold War |
Larson Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located five miles (8 km) northwest of the central business district (CBD) of Moses Lake, in Grant County, Washington. After its closure in 1966, the airport facility became Grant County International Airport.
Originally named Moses Lake Army Air Base, the airfield was activated on 24 November 1942 as a temporary World War II training center. Moses Lake AAB was a sub-base of Spokane Air Technical Service Command, headquartered at Spokane Army Airfield.
The first operational training unit (OTU) at the base was the 482d Fighter Squadron, which conducted twin-engine fighter training for P-38 Lightning fighters. On 5 April 1943, the 396th Bombardment Group became a second OTU at the base, providing first phase heavy bomber training for the B-17 Flying Fortress with its 592d, 593d, 594th and 595th Bombardment Squadrons.
In 1945, base activity was curtailed to standby and for three years, was used to test two famous bomber aircraft: the B-47 and the B-50. Even though Moses Lake AAB (later Moses Lake AFB) was on standby, it was still playing a critical role in the development of the USAF aircraft.
The first flight of the XB-47 took place on 17 Dec. 1947, originating at Boeing Field and terminating at Moses Lake Air Force Base. In Feb. 1949, a B-47 took off from Larson, headed east and "broke all coast-to-coast speed records" with an average speed of 607.8 miles per hour.
Moses Lake AFB reopened as a permanent installation on 26 August 1948, being transferred from Air Material Command to the Air Defense Command (ADC). The initial ADC base operating unit was the 2755th Air Base Squadron. Under ADC, the base came under the Western Air Defense Force, headquartered at Hamilton AFB, California.
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