Pyote Army Air Base
Pyote Air Force Base
 Pyote Air Force Station Pyote Army Airfield |
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| Ward County, near Pyote, Texas | |
2006 USGS airphoto
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 Pyote AFB
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| Coordinates | 31°30′40.00″N 103°08′30.00″W / 31.5111111°N 103.1416667°WCoordinates: 31°30′40.00″N 103°08′30.00″W / 31.5111111°N 103.1416667°W |
| Type | Army Airfield Air Force Base |
| Code | ADC TM-186 |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1942 |
| In use | 1942-1954 (1966 Non Flying Use) |
Pyote Air Force Base was a World War II United States Army Air Forces training airbase. It was on 2,745 acres (1,111 ha) a mile from the town of Pyote, Texas on Interstate 20, twenty miles west of Monahans and just south of U.S. Highway 80, 230 miles (370 km) east of El Paso.
It was nicknamed "Rattlesnake Bomber Base" for the numerous rattlesnake dens that were uncovered during its construction.
At the height of its use in 1944, the base had over 6,000 officers and enlisted men either permanently assigned or temporarily attached. In addition, there were hundreds of civilians that came from all over the United States to work on the base.
After World War II, thousands of reserve aircraft were stored there, one of which was the B-29 "Enola Gay".
Today, most of the base is gone. Other than the concrete runways, taxiways and ramp, virtually nothing remains that would tell the casual observer that this was once a major training center responsible for turning out highly trained flying crews. the West Texas State School was situated on the site. Located on I-20 at exit 66.
Pyote Army Air Field was established as a B-17 Flying Fortress crew training base during World War II. Initially newly established bomber groups were trained at Pyote, then it was switched to training replacement aircrew members that were deployed to combat units overseas. Initially, Pyote Army Airbase was assigned to Second Air Force, then in April 1944 to USAAF Continental Air Forces training command. Two main runways, each about 8,000 feet long and 150 feet wide, and a taxiway formed a triangle pattern on the flat, arid land. Construction of the facilities, including five large hangars, shops, warehouses and living quarters, began on 5 September 1942.
The first troops were assigned within a month, well before the base was completed. Troops and civilian technicians poured in, and the population of the base grew steadily to a peak of over 6,500 in October 1944.
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