Montgomery in Montgomery County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)

Maxwell Air Force Base and the Air University

Photographed by Mark Hilton, March 21, 2020

1. Maxwell Air Force Base and the Air University Marker

Inscription. The Air Force presence in Montgomery, Alabama began in April 1918 with the establishment of the U.S. Army Air Service's Aircraft and Engine Repair Depot #3 at the same site as the earlier Wright Brothers' flying school. On November 8, 1922, the Air Service renamed the installation after Second Lieutenant William C. Maxwell, a native of Atmore, Alabama, who died when his aircraft crashed in the Philippines on August 12, 1920. In the 1920's, Maxwell Field continued to expand through the efforts of successive post commanders and U.S. Representative J. Lister Hill. In 1929, the Air Corps relocated the Air Corps Tactical School (ACTS), which developed the concepts of daylight precision strategic bombing in the 1930's used during World War II, from Langley Field, Virginia to Maxwell Field. During the war, Maxwell Field and nearby Gunter Field trained tens of thousands of American and Allied air crew and technicians. In November 1946, the United States Army Air Forces (AAF) relocated the AAF School from Orlando, Florida to Maxwell Field and renamed it the Air University. Since its first class in August 1947, the Air

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University has graduated hundreds of thousands of Air Force officers, enlisted personnel and civilians, personnel from other U.S. military services and federal government agencies, and international military personnel. Its many professional military, continuing, and specialized education programs have made the Air University the "Intellectual and Leadership Center" of the U.S. Air Force.

Erected by the City of Montgomery.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Education. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1918.

Location. 32° 22.663′ N, 86° 19.234′ W. Marker is in Montgomery, Alabama, in Montgomery County. It can be reached from Maxwell Boulevard just east of North Holt Street, on the right when traveling west. Located in Wright Brother's Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 544 Maxwell Boulevard, Montgomery AL 36104, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Tri-Counties River Region.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

and in the Black Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

Marker is on the right of two on brick foundation below plane. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton

2. Marker is on the right of two on brick foundation below plane.

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Wright Brothers Flying School (here, next to this marker); Maxwell Air Force Base/Air University (a few steps from this marker); Native Americans (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Clay Street Missionary Baptist Church (approx. ¼ mile away); Unforgettable (approx. ¼ mile away); Alabama River: The Grand Avenue (approx. 0.4 miles away); Dr. King: "How Long?" (approx. 0.4 miles away); Struggle of Racial Injustice (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Montgomery.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.

Also see . . . The Encyclopedia of Alabama on the history of Maxwell AFB. (Submitted on March 21, 2020, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)

Credits. This page was last revised on March 21, 2020. It was originally submitted on March 21, 2020, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 472 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 21, 2020, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.