National Register Listing

Post, Henry, Air Field

N of Lawton on Fort Sill, Lawton, OK

In 1915 served as flying field and first tactical station for the first air unit in the US Service, the lst Aero Squadron. While here the first aerial mosaic was made, the first squadron cross-country flight was made, and the first experiments in airplane observation of artillery fire conducted. TWO flying schools were active here in World War I, and the field continued in use by the Air Service until 1942, when Army Aviation was established hete. On 28 Jul 15, the first, air unit in the U. S. military service, the First Aero Squadron, arrived at Fort Sill to conduct experiments in the aerial observation of artillery fire. The squadron was commanded by LT (later MG) Benjamin D. Foulois, who subsequently became Chief of the Air Corps. This post was the first tactical station for this unit. While here the squadron made the first aerial mosaic, using a Brock automatic camera. The pioneer aerial photographic work done at this time resulted in the redesigning of the Brock camera and further development of aerial cameras. The first squadron cross-country flight of the fledgling Air Service began here on 19 Nov when six Curtiss Jennies of the First Aero Squadron took off for Ft Sam Houston, TX, a distance of 439 miles. On 15 Mar 1916, while still assigned to Ft Sill, this squadron became the first U.S. Tactical air unit in the field when it began operations with GEN Pershing's expedition into Mexico.

Construction of Henry Post Army Airfield was begun at Ft Sill on 8 Aug 17, or the plateau where the Kiowa chief Big Tree had tried to steal GEN Grierson's cavalry horses in 1870. The same site had been used as a flying field by the First Aero Squadron in 1915. The field was named in memory of LT Henry B Post, 25th Infantry, a pioneer military aviator who had been killed in an airplane accident near San Diego in 1914 while attempting an altitude record. The Third Aero Squadron arrived at Post Field for station on 17 Aug 17 and was followed by several others.

The School for Aerial Observers, employing both balloons and fixed-wing craft, was established at Post Field in January 1918 and trained hundreds of observers before the end of the war. In 1918 also the Air Service Flying School was established here, employing several aero squadrons.

In 1921 more miles were flown by aviators based at Post Field, Ft Sill, than at any other field in the U.S., it was estimated. A total of 1,672,000 man miles were flown by Post field fliers, equal to 67 times around the world. On 6 Jun 42 the War Dept established Army Aviation at Ft Sill, concurrently with adoption of organic short-range air observation for Field Artillery. The Dept of Air Training took over Air Corps facilities at Post Field and Ft Sill became the training center for the Army's "Spotter" pilots. On 9 Nov 42 Army Aviation entered combat when an L-4 (Piper Cub) flew from the USS Ranger during the invasion of North Africa.

Local significance of the district:
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1978.