Moultrie in Colquitt County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Spence Field World War II
Photographed by Tim Fillmon, October 16, 2025
1. Spence Field World War II Marker
Side 1
In 1941, local leaders from Moultrie and Colquitt County contacted the Army Air Corps about building a military training facility near Moultrie. After a site was approved, 1,600 acres were purchased southeast of Moultrie and construction was started by the Army Air Forces in August of 1941.The site was named Spence Field after World War I pilot Lt. Thomas L. Spence, Jr. of Thomasville, Georgia, who died in France in 1918. Flying School training began in February, 1942 and by the end of 1945, Spence Field had trained nearly 6,000 pilots.
Women also played a role at Spence Field. Women Airforce Service Pilots made test flights and ferried aircraft and personnel. They also rode with instructors and aviation cadets during instrument proficiency flights. These women provided a much needed service to the war effort.
From 1942 to 1945 a total of 62 instructors and aviation cadets. from 30 different states, were killed in aircraft accidents training at Spence Field. They were not killed on a battlefield, but they paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country and that is why they are honored here. Their
this page online
Side 2
Fatal Aircraft Accidents 1942-1945
1942
William F. Bridgforth Patrick E. Brennan Allen J. Perkins. Jr. John W. Prinz. Jr. Gresham P. Redden Jonas R. Mulford Carl G. Stridsberg Paul L. Beeler Benjamin K. Jenner Samuel L. Mitchell Arthur J. Graf George M. MacMullin, Jr. John M. Kirk Edward F. Knotek Marvin E. Lee Ronald W. MacKenzie Glen W. Russell
1943
Edmund T. Pardue John M. Russell Simon Rothstein Harry Freedman Simon D. Lynde Warren C. Hussey Jack C. Phelps Warren W. West Willard H. Keeling Miles R. Hunter. Jr. William H. Wilson Oliver R. English Keith Allen William D. Wahl, Jr. Richard J. Ettelt Elias P. Haizlip George W. Phillips Henry C. Kaiser Herbert K. Berdan Anthony G. Palermo Marshall P. Riddick Walter W. Tracy
1944
John R. Ulrich Keith C. Doshier Connel O. Parsons, Jr. Roy E. Freeman Jack L. Gray Robert W. Seppala Robert R. Blazo Leslie D. Hedges Bernard J. O'Neil Morris G. Grayson. Jr. Daniel R. Lamberson William R. Faris Gaines C. King Charles L. Konecke Howard W. Specht Richard W. Twichell Walter H. Spence Evan
Photographed by Tim Fillmon, October 16, 2025
2. Spence Field World War II Marker
1945
William N. Brosnahan Edwin W. Goddard Frederick E. Schaeffer Vincent W. Finewood Jack H. Gibbs
Erected 2023 by John Benning Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, Local Citizens, Veterans, City of Moultrie, and Colquitt County - Bill McLean - Historian.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • War, World II. A significant historical month for this entry is February 1942.
Location. 31° 8.294′ N, 83° 42.476′ W. Marker is in Moultrie, Georgia, in Colquitt County. It can be reached from North Vandenberg Drive 0.1 miles east of Harper Boulevard. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 290-G Harper Boulevard, Moultrie GA 31788, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Georgia’s Coastal Plain. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and in the Wiregrass. Globally, it is in North America, 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 original Thirteen
Photographed by Tim Fillmon, October 16, 2025
3. Spence Field World War II Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Colonial Heights (approx. 4.8 miles away); Olde Greenfield Church and Historic Cemetery (approx. 5 miles away); Greenfield Church (approx. 5.1 miles away); Georgia Northern Railway Locomotive 105 (approx. 5.3 miles away); Old Colquitt County Jail (approx. 5.4 miles away); Colonial Dames of America Centennial Sundial (approx. 5.4 miles away); Friedlander's Department Store (approx. 5½ miles away); Colquitt County Courthouse (approx. 5½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Moultrie.
Also see . . . Spence Air Base. (Submitted on October 19, 2025, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on October 19, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 19, 2025, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 216 times since then and 147 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 19, 2025, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.
