San Bernardino County history: George Air Force Base – Welcome to San Bernardino County

Historic photo of an Air Force pilot wearing his uniform and sitting in a plane. — *Brigadier General Harold Huston George.*

The former George Air Force Base was named in honor of Brigadier General Harold Huston George, who was killed in a ground accident on April 29, 1942, at Batchelor Field, southeast of Darwin, Australia. Following his death, a 2,200-acre U.S. Army Air Corps Base and Advanced Flying School near Victorville was named in his memory.

George began his service as a World War I fighter ace, serving with the 185th and 139th Aero Squadrons. He achieved five victories in the air to qualify as an ace. In 1918, he struck a formation of four enemy Fokkers, destroying two and driving the other two away. For his heroism in action, he received the Distinguished Service Cross.

During World War II, George was promoted to brigadier general and assigned to the Philippines to command all air units as a member of Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s staff. In this role, he directed the air operations in defense of the fortified islands at the entrance of Manila Bay, for which he received the Distinguished Service Medal from MacArthur.

Following World War II, George Air Force Base was briefly deactivated, but was reactivated as a training base by the Air Force with the outbreak of the Korean War. The location was selected because of its sunny weather, abundance of wide-open spaces, and the availability of services from the nearby towns of Victorville and Adelanto. It remained a training base throughout the Cold War and was home to the Tactical Air Command and later the Air Combat Command, where Air Force and NATO pilots were trained.

In 1981, George Air Force Base became home to the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing, later renamed the 37th Training Wing, which grew to become the largest training wing in the Air Force. Its mission was to provide pilot training and was also the unit assigned to test the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk. The Nighthawk was the first operational aircraft designed around stealth technology and shrouded in secrecy.

Test flights were conducted from Tonopah, Nevada, to both George Air Base and Edwards Air Base. This odd flight pattern crossed over the desert communities of Baker, Barstow and Victorville. Most of these flights occurred at night, often causing local residents to think the strange sightings were otherworldly UFOs. In November 1988, the Air Force formally acknowledged the Nighthawk.

George Air Base was officially decommissioned by Congress under the Base Realignment and Closure program in December 1992. Today, part of the decommissioned George Air Force Base is home to the Southern California Logistics Airport, which hosts the California Air National Guard’s 196th Reconnaissance Squadron.

The information in this historical feature was originally part of a video series produced by the Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk’s office.

Additional County Update News – January 8