Stations and Service The first base Fred was sent to was the Miami Army Airfield that same month of enlistment. He was there until February of 1943. The Miami Army Airfield became the Headquarters for the 26th Antisubmarine Wing of the Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command (AAFAC) from November 20th, 1942 – October 15th, 1943. The AAFAC flew antisubmarine patrols, searching for and attacking German U-Boats from the airport using B-18 Bolo and B-24 Liberator bombers specially equipped with RADAR.
His next station was Craig Field in Selma, Alabama from July to August of 1944. Fred was a member of class 44-F. Craig field was originally built to accommodate to the growing number of flight trainees before WWII. The field primarily remained a training base throughout its operation. Craig Field is said to have graduated more than 9,000 pilots before the end of WWII.
After that, he was sent to Seymour Johnson Field in North Carolina from September to November of 1944. “At the end of WWII in Europe, Seymour Johnson was designated as a central assembly station for processing and training troops being reassigned in the continental United States and Pacific theater of operations. This function was discontinued in September 1945 and the field became an Army-Air Force Separation Center.”
He was later moved to Dover, Delaware from November to December. “At this time a handful of soldiers were assigned to the growing Dover Army Airfield, with the C-47 arriving in 1943 to patrol Delaware’s coastline for enemy submarines. Later in the War, the base hosted Air to Air missile testing and pilot training squadrons in addition to safeguarding the eastern seaboard.”
His final station was in Richmond, D.C. beginning on February 10th, 1945. Richmond was one of many bases created in Virginia designated for the training of bombers and fighters.