CAF Centex Museum is located at Historic WWII & Korean War Air Base

Visit our Centex Air Wing Museum and Operations Hanger, located at the historic San Marcos WWII & Korean War Air Base.

Centex Air Wing's vintage aircraft are housed in an authentic historic 1943 WWII hanger, one of only three remaining from the original air base.

A real vintage historic Army Air Base that still maintains its simple Central Texas roots.

The historic WWII air base is today the San Marcos Municipal Airport.

The original WWII Control Tower, still standing today.

1941, Japanese attack US fleets, WWII begins.

December 7, 1941, Japanese attack US fleets in Hawaii and the Philippines.

1943, San Marcos opens as base for Army Air Corps navigators.

Shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, San Marcos was selected as a training site for pilots and became the San Marcos Army Air Field. On 25 August 1943, the 80th Flying Training Wing (Navigation & Glider) was activated at San Marcos as part of Army Air Force Technical Training Command. Over a 2 year period, approximately 10,000 highly trained air navigators were trained there.

The CAF Centex Hanger, 1943 to the present.

An aerial photo of the Air Base in 1946. Centex Hanger is shown in yellow circle. The original control tower, still standing is shown in red.

Centex 1943 Hanger as it appears in 2013, during a "Classic Car and Vintage Plane Show." The Hanger is itself a relic from the past. The construction is indicative of the type of structures quickly built during the war. 

1945 WWII ends, Base closes

The identities of two people in this iconic photo taken in Times Square on V-J day is well researched and documented in our Museum.

After the end of hostilities with Japan, the Army Air Forces decided to consolidate all navigator training at Ellington Field near Houston. This consolidation occurred during September 1945, although the school at San Marcos remained open until November when the airfield was closed.

1946, Newly invented "Helicopters" soon become important focus for the military. 

This Helicopter, the Sikorsky R-4B "Hoverfly" was actually built in 1944 during the war, but was never deployed. 

After war the Army's Helicopter program fell into disarray due to pilots and mechanics leaving the service.

Sikorsky R-4 Hoverfly. 30 seconds

The Sikorsky R-4 was the world's first mass-produced helicopter and the United States Air Force's first service helicopter.

Vintage footage - Sikorsky R-5 is introduced. (1946)- 1 1/2 minute

To rebuild the helicopter pilot training program, Headquarters Army Air Force appointed a group of officers in January 1946 to recommend a new location for the school. San Marcos Army Air Field, Texas, a recently inactivated flying training base, was selected. Helicopter pilot training was formally transferred to San Marcos on 31 May 1946.

1946, Base reopened as Army Air Force helicopter school.

Actual photo of the Sikorsky R-5 taken of pilot practicing "hoisting" at the San Marcos Army Air Force Base in 1946. 

However, with the aid of Congressman Lyndon Johnson and Senator Tom Connally, the facility was reactivated in May 1946 to operate the Army Air Force helicopter and liaison school, which was transferred from Sheppard Field, Texas. With the change in status, San Marcos was reassigned to the Army Air Force Flying Training Command. 

On 1 March 1946, all entries into helicopter pilot training were temporarily suspended due to lack of maintenance personnel. In June 1946 there were five R-5 and sixteen R-6 helicopters at San Marcos and seldom were they all in operable condition.

 In 1947 an independent Air Force is finally created.

1947, Base transferred to the New USAF.

The Bell H-13, the first helicopter to be armed. 

From the beginning of the introduction of the helicopter there developed an Air Force and Army dispute over whom should command control of assault helicopters units. In 1947, the U.S. Air Force and the Army Air Force agreed that the USAF would train Army helicopter pilots.

1947, The newly renamed San Marcos Air Force Base opens as helicopter training facility.

With the establishment of the United States Air Force in 1947, the facility was renamed San Marcos Air Force Base. 

When the National Security Act of 1947 created a separate U.S. Air Force, the Army and Air Force agreed that the Air Force would continue to train Army helicopter pilots. Army Training was accomplished in the Bell H-13 helicopter and US Air Force in the R-5 and R-6. 

1948, San Marcos becomes largest helicopter pilot training base in the United States.
With nearly 5000 men on duty, the base was home to the largest helicopter training facility in the nation. It trained mechanics as well as pilots.

Vintage footage- Bell H-13 (1951.) 1 minute 

1949, Wing inactivated. San Marcos USAF Base closed.  

The 3585th Pilot Training Wing (Liaison-Helicopter) was activated as the Operational Training Unit on 25 August 1948. The wing remained active until 1 March 1949 when it was inactivated and helicopter training was moved from San Marcos to Waco (later James Connally) AFB. 

On 31 March 1949, San Marcos AFB was inactivated again.

1950, Korean War breaks out.

A number of military firsts occur during the Korean War: 1st dog fights between jet aircraft and the increased use of helicopters in all types of ground operations.

History of the Korean War 1950 - 1953. 3 minutes.

Music from the Korea War period. 10 minutes.

San Marcos given new task - Helicopter training for the Korean War.

Helicopter borne assault troops become increasing important for Korean War tactics. The San Marcos Base becomes center of training effort.

1951, San Marcos reactivated as U.S. Air Force base

On 15 January 1951, Air Training Command (ATC) reactivated San Marcos AFB and moved helicopter and liaison training back from Connally AFB. 
The availability of several small secondary airfields, as well as the hilly, rough terrain around San Marcos (similar to that of Korea) precipitated the change. 
In addition to the flying training, ATC moved ground helicopter mechanics training to San Marcos from Sheppard AFB to make room for its F-80 and F-89 training. On 1 February 1951, ATC reactivated and assigned the 3585th Pilot Training Wing (Liaison-Helicopter) to San Marcos. 

1951, Base given new name, Edward Gary Air Force Base. Renamed after Hays County first WWII hero.

On Armed Forces Day, May 16, 1953, the base once again received a new name, the Edward Gary Air Force Base in honor of Lieutenant Arthur Edward Gary, the first Hays County soldier killed in World War II.

Gary, Arthur Edward, 2d Lt

He and most of his crew were killed near their B-17 by a bomb during the Japanese air attack on Clark Field Dec 8, 1941 (Dec 7 in the US). Only the pilot and navigator survived. The former Gary AFB, San Marcos, TX was named for him.

Army Air Force pilots wings.

1956, U.S. Army given responsibility for training ALL helicopters pilots and mechanics. Base is returned to Army control.

Pilot training was provided for both Army and Air Force helicopter pilots and maintenance training for Army and Air Force enlisted mechanics.

In 1956 it was decided that it would be better if the U.S. Army  handled the training of  helicopter borne assault troops. The San Marcos Base is transferred again.

In 1956, the Department of Defense gave the Army approval to train helicopter pilots and operate liaison aircraft. To accommodate the transfer of training, the Air Force transferred Gary AFB to the Department of the Army in December 1956. Under Army control, the facility underwent yet another name change, one which is still referred to by some locals today, Camp Gary. A civilian contractor trained pilots for fixed wing aircraft until the summer of 1959. In 1963, the base was essentially closed and marked for disposal.

1963, Base closes, bought by City of San Marcos.
Organized San Marcans fought to save the base, and on November 20, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced in a speech at his alma mater, Southwest Texas State University, that the abandoned Camp Gary would be the site of a new federal vocational training facility called Job Corps. Today it's known as the Gary Job Corps Center, the largest in the nation.

1993, Centex Air Wing gets new home.

CAF Centes also holds several major fundraising events at our hanger during the year.

In 1993, Centex's negotiations with the City of San Marcos resulted in our acquiring the last World War II vintage hangar at the airport. This building was previously used as classrooms for the Gary Job Corps Center and in need of many repairs to its roof, doors, electrical and plumbing systems. A full-sized house, with fireplace and porch, six-foot tall brick and wrought-iron fence, and a cement and rock waterfall were located in the center of the hangar. Small classrooms were on either side and all these had to be removed to make it usable. Only two small rooms were kept for operations and maintenance offices. For the past 21years, this has been a major on-going project.

Centex Air Wing's facility takes shape.

Aircrafts in our hanger include a very rare flying P-39 Bell Airacobra, P-40 Warhawk, Lockheed T-33 jet trainer, PT-17 Stearman WWII trainer, two WW II Liaison spotter planes, and a T-34 Mentor trainer. Replicas include a CAF Japanese "Kate" torpedo bomber and a Japanese Zero, built for the movie Tora, Tora, Tora. 

Our hanger is a fully functioning maintenance and restoration facility.

Our Museum is constantly acquiring new artifacts and has on-line multi media displays.

Our Officer Club allows our Wing to host to many local civic groups.

CAF-Centex is proud of its John Stokes Memorial Library for aviation research.

The building now includes an Officer's Club, the John Stokes Library/Museum, a maintenance storage room, carpenter shop, a PX & Artifacts room, and a kitchen/workroom. Brand New - Our entire facility now has full mobile accessible on-line materials. 
In recent history, the hangar doors and roof have been repaired, with help from the City of San Marcos. The Wing has become a member of the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce and Co-sponsored a mixer in the hangar, to better acquaint local businessmen with our facility. Several movie companies have used the hangar and a Civil Air Patrol unit recently organized in San Marcos, has worked closely with our Wing, and assisted us during the airshows. 

Our P-63 and P-39. The only remaining regularly flying aircraft in the world.
Our P-39 Airacobra returned to the airshow circuit after extensive repairs and sporting a new paint scheme at AIRSHO '96.

For More in formation on The Central Texas Wing of The Commemorative Air Force 

Please visit our website.

On-line & printed guide designed by:

 Blogs By Bornstein