NAS Chase Field

NAS Chase Field. . In 1942, Beeville's municipal airport was offered to the U.S. Navy for training naval pilots who would serve in world war two. Naval Auxiliary Air Station Chase Field (NAAS Chase Field) first opened in 1943 as a training facility for U.S. Navy aviators. The base was named for Lt. Commander Nathan Brown Chase (1889-1925), a naval aviator killed in pilot training. The base closed on July 1, 1946, only to reopen on August 14, 1952, with the Navy purchase of the land from the city as a result of the Korean War. The site was officially designated a Naval Auxiliary Air Station in 1953. In 1968, Chase Field was redesignated as a Naval Air Station (NAS) with two auxiliary bases, one in Goliad and the other near Tilden. NAS Chase Field was beneficial for the economy of Beeville. When the station opened, local businesses began to flourish with the arrival of military families., Chase Field was vital to the success of the United States Navy. Numerous naval pilots received their wings at Chase Field including several who would become astronauts. NAS Chase Field instructors also trained more than half of the Navy and Marine pilots who flew in the Vietnam War as well as those who flew in operation Desert Storm. The base helped keep the city of Beeville thriving for decades. However, in 1993, NAS Chase Field closed and the site developed into Chase Field Industrial Complex, managed by the Beeville Development Agency. Although the closure led to an economic downturn in Beeville and some businesses began to close as the military families began to leave the city, the heritage of NAS Chase Field remains. In addition to aiding the U.S. military, Chase Field helped shape the community of Beeville into what it is today.