Call Field
Wichita Falls, Wichita County, Texas
Marker Inscription
When the United States entered World War I, April 1917, the Aviation Section, Signal Corps, U.S. Army, had only 112 pilots. Yet the allies, relying heavily on the U.S., planned the greatest of all aerial fleets, and the U.S. moved at once to meet the expectations. In August, Wichita Falls was chosen, because of good winter weather, as location for a new aviation field for pilot training programs. Through efforts of local citizens, this 640-acre site was leased and named for Lt. Loren H. Call, a pilot killed on duty in Texas, 1913. Construction began September 4, 1917, on primary flight training school; 50 to 60 buildings went up north of this spot on Call Field Road; runways and 12 hangars were situated south of the road. Planes used included the standard JL and Curtis JN4. Major John Brooks (later Major Gen. Brooks) was the first commanding officer. (His horse stable, 360 feet north, is only surviving Call Field building) with him came 15 enlisted men from 6th Aero Sqn., Hawaiian Terr., and five flying cadets from San Diego, California. In time, over 3,000 officers, cadets and enlisted men were based here. Before Call Field closed in July 1919; the school gave commissions and wings to some 500 men and sent two aero squadrons overseas for combat duty. (1973)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
When the United States entered World War I in April 1917, the Army's aviation branch had only 112 pilots, and the nation scrambled to build the vast air fleet the Allies expected. Chosen for its good flying weather, Wichita Falls leased this 640-acre site and named it for Lt. Loren H. Call, a flier killed in Texas in 1913. From 1917 to 1919 the primary flight school trained cadets on Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" biplanes, ultimately winging some 500 officers and basing more than 3,000 men before it closed.
Why it matters
Call Field was part of the crash program that turned a tiny prewar air service into a modern military aviation force, marking the dawn of American air power.
The story behind this marker
AI contextThe era
When the United States entered World War I in April 1917, military aviation was still in its infancy. The Army's flying branch, the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps, had only 112 pilots. Meanwhile, the Allies were counting on America to help build an enormous aerial fleet.
The country had to create an air force almost from nothing, and fast. That meant building training fields, finding instructors, buying airplanes, and recruiting thousands of young men. Warm southern states with good flying weather were natural choices for this crash program.
Wichita Falls was selected in August 1917 because of its good winter weather, which meant more flying days. Construction began in September, and North Texas suddenly found itself part of a worldwide war effort.
People & events
The field was named for Lt. Loren H. Call, a pilot killed on duty in Texas in 1913. His name was a reminder of how dangerous early flying was, even before the war.
Local citizens worked to secure the 640-acre site, and a busy training base rose quickly. Some 50 to 60 buildings went up north of Call Field Road, while runways and twelve hangars stood to the south. Cadets learned to fly in early biplanes, including the Standard JL and the Curtiss JN4, the famous "Jenny" that trained a whole generation of American fliers.
Major John Brooks, who later rose to major general, was the first commanding officer. He arrived with fifteen enlisted men from the 6th Aero Squadron in the Hawaiian Territory and five flying cadets from San Diego. Over time more than 3,000 officers, cadets, and enlisted men were based here. Before the field closed in July 1919, it had given commissions and wings to some 500 men and sent two aero squadrons overseas for combat duty. Brooks's horse stable, north of the marker, is the only Call Field building still standing.
Its place in the American story
Call Field was one piece of a national effort that changed American military history. In little more than a year, the United States went from a handful of pilots to a large network of training fields turning out aviators by the thousands.
The lessons of that rush lasted. Training methods, base design, and the idea that air power mattered all carried forward into the decades that followed. Many of the men trained at fields like this one went on to shape American aviation, military and civilian alike.
The story also shows how the war reached ordinary American towns. A community in North Texas became a small part of a global conflict, and its citizens helped make that possible by securing the land the Army needed.
If you visit
Today the busy airfield is gone, but the marker lets you picture it. Imagine rows of wooden buildings on one side of the road and hangars and open flying fields on the other, with biplanes droning overhead in the North Texas sky.
Look for the surviving horse stable of Major John Brooks, north of the marker. It is the only Call Field building left, a quiet link to a very loud chapter in local history. Respect any private property around it.
Wichita Falls is a good stop on a North Texas road trip, and Call Field adds an aviation chapter to the journey. It pairs well with any trip focused on World War I history or on the early days of American flight.
Written by AI to add context, grounded in the marker’s inscription and the historical record. The inscription above is the original, unaltered text.
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Related people
- · Loren H. Call
- · John Brooks
Themes & tags
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