In 1942, the United States Army Air Corps took a piece of the undeveloped farmland at the eastern end of the Oxnard plain and established what became known as Oxnard Flight Strip. A few wooden hangars were built – all designed to meet the temporary needs of World War II – and drafted and enlisted airmen from across the country were assigned for flight training and maintenance throughout the remainder of the war.
For the next 20 years, the more than 300 acres of land was intermittently under the control of the United States Department of Defense, with the longest standing assignment going to the United States Air Force from 1951-1969. During that time the airfield became known as the Oxnard Air Force Base, a booming segment of the country’s air defense command that became an ideal assignment for any airman because of the weather and proximity to Los Angeles and the beach. The base even served as the destination airfield for President Kennedy when he visited Naval Air Station Point Mugu.
In 1976, the County of Ventura reacquired the land. With the establishment of the City of Camarillo just 12 years before, the land became known as Camarillo Airport – a general aviation airport designed for training, business, and privately owned aircraft.
In 1981, the temporary wooden hangars that had been built for World War II still stood and became home to the Commemorative Air Force’s Southern California Wing. The nationally-based organization, which started in 1957, operates with a single purpose: to preserve the history of United States military aircraft. The location was ideal – a historic yet undesignated landmark that once housed this country’s Air Force would now serve as a site for preservation.
The Wing was assigned its first aircraft in 1981. The C-46 was a passenger aircraft turned transport plane that served actively during World War II and Korea. With missions in China, Burma, India, and the Pacific, the C-46 was unpressurized and required manual navigation. It could carry 10,000 pounds of cargo and became an ideal aircraft to fly supplies over “The Hump” on the eastern end of the Himalayan Mountains.
The Southern California Wing’s collection gradually grew over the next two decades as the Camarillo location became a full-fledged museum. The wooden hangars were demolished in the late 1990s and were replaced with a more modern look. Additional aircraft were assigned by headquarters or were borrowed from members including a B-25, PT-19, PT-13, F6F Hellcat, T6 Texan, T5 Texan, F8F Bearcat, Japanese Zero, and Fairchild 24 used by the United States Civil Defense during World War II.
Exhibits were established including one featuring models of every aircraft that flew out of Oxnard Flight Strip and Oxnard Air Force Base from 1942 – 1969, with others focusing on women in aviation, the Tuskegee Airmen, military uniform displays, a model Sherman Tank, Army Jeep, and more.
Now occupying three hangars at Camarillo Airport, the Southern California Wing holds a vital role in the annual Wings Over Camarillo airshow. Additionally, the Wing offers a ride program for the community to experience what it’s like to fly in several of the aircraft on display.
“What started as a hobby became an urgent objective to preserve history,” the Commemorative Air Force headquarters said of their objective.
The Southern California Wing and its docents, who have lived experience on the aircraft, work weekly to meet that objective. And in doing so, they honor stories of local and national heroes that might have otherwise been lost.
The Commemorative Air Force Museum at Camarillo Airport is open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sundays from 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. For more information, visit cafsocal.com.
Photo is of the B-25 that is housed at Camarillo’s Commemorative Air Force Museum. Photo courtesy of Museum staff.