Monday’s groundbreaking ceremony for the Airport Circle projects, honored the legacy of the World War II flight training school. Hosted by the World War II Flight Training Museum, the Douglas Air Base Preservation & Development Committee, and the City of Douglas, the ceremony was held on September 9, 2024, at the historic 63rd Army Air Force Contract Pilot School (Primary), also recognized as the World War II Air Base. The focus of the ceremony was to pay tribute to the cadets from the World War II era who received their preliminary flight training in Douglas, with a special homage to Major Charles J. Loring, Jr. Major Loring, a celebrated ex-cadet, was honored for his heroic actions that earned him the prestigious Medal of Honor.
This project is set to bring a series of enhancements to the base, which include renaming the roadside park, enhancing park amenities, improvement of the roads around Airport Circle with resurfacing work, the addition of lighting, paving of the small dirt-road extension leading off from Airport Circle, and the ongoing restoration of the historical buildings on the premises.
For more information about the Airport projects, please contact Georgia Henderson, Community Development Director, at (912) 383-0277.
