Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
The Air Corps Tactical School
Photographed By Mark Hilton, November 22, 2014
1. The Air Corps Tactical School Marker
Established here in 1931, was the birthplace and nurturing ground of American air doctrine. In the ferment of a decade of thought and debate, the Air Corps Tactical School gave rise to concepts for the strategic and operational deployment of U.S. air power against two formidable aggressor nations separated by half a world. Validation of this revolutionary approach to warfare came with victory over the Axis with fewer casualties than in advancing a few hundred miles in World War I.
Most of America's senior air officers of World War II – including the legendary Claire Chennault, Ira Baker, Harold George, Haywood Hansel, Laurence Kuter and Curtis LeMay – were instructors or graduates of the school. This memorial honors their visionary achievements and stands in tribute to the intellectual energy which fashioned the air power concepts so crucial to victory.
Air University, born of the Air Corps Tactical School, continues the legacy – generating ideas needed for the rapid advance of the air and space power so vital to our nation and its future.
This monument is a replica of the propeller and wings insignia worn by air officers at the time.
Erected 1994 by the Citizens of Montgomery and the Montgomery Chapter of the Air Force Association.
Topics.
this page online
Location. 32° 22.71′ N, 86° 21.074′ W. Marker is in Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, in Montgomery County. Marker is on Lemay Plaza, 0.1 miles north of East Shumacher Avenue, on the right when traveling north. Base access is required. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 55 Lemay Plaza, Montgomery AL 36112, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Lister Hill Center (within shouting distance of this marker); Wilson Hall (approx. ¼ mile away); Always Vigilant (approx. ¼ mile away); “Bird-Dog” (approx. ¼ mile away); Wright Brothers Flying School (approx. ¼ mile away); Maj. Gen. Claire L. Chennault / Three Men on a Flying Trapeze (approx. ¼ mile away); Sikorsky MH-53M 'Pave Low IV' Helicopter (approx. 0.4 miles away); General Larry D. Welch (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Maxwell Air Force Base.
Also see . . . Wikipedia entry on Air Corps Tactical School. (Submitted on November 22, 2014, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
Photographed By Mark Hilton, November 22, 2014
2. Propeller & Wings
Photographed By Mark Hilton, November 22, 2014
3. Air University Headquarters (Austin Hall)
Photographed By Mark Hilton, November 22, 2014
4. The Prop & Wings
The Prop & Wings is the symbol of the American Airman. First worn by Aviation Cadets in 1917, the tradition continued on in other commissioning programs. The Prop & Wings symbol is now worn by all Air Force Academy, Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets, and Officer Training School (OTS) trainees who have met the challenges of the first phase of officer training. Through completion of this common experience, they have earned the right to be accepted as full members of the Long Blue Line of the U.S. Air Force.
As future leaders of the Air Force, all graduates of OTS and ROTC lay their hands on this historic plaque.
Photographed By Mark Hilton, November 22, 2014
5. The Air University Headquarters (Austin Hall)
Photographed By Mark Hilton, November 22, 2014
6. Austin Hall Commemoration Plaque
of
Charles Bernard Austin
First Lieutenant and Air Corps
Instructor
June 1924 to July 1928
Public Domain
7. Austin Hall (circa 1930's)
Public Domain
8. The Air Corps Tactical School (circa 1930's)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 9, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 22, 2014, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 695 times since then and 71 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on November 22, 2014, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
