Del Valle Army Air Base: A Historical Overview
historical marker
In Austin, Travis County, Texas, a significant historical site was once known as Del Valle Army Air Base. This base was activated on September 19, 1942, following the United States' entry into World War II. The Army Air Corps established the base on 3,000 acres of land leased from the City of Austin. Its initial purpose was to serve as a replacement center for the First Troop Carrier Command, training pilots to transport combat troops and supplies. On March 3, 1943, the base was renamed Bergstrom Army Air Field. This renaming honored Captain John August Earl Bergstrom, who was Austin's first casualty of World War II, killed in the Philippines in December 1941. The name was later shortened to Bergstrom Field in November 1943, and it became Bergstrom Air Force Base in December 1948, when the Air Force became a separate military branch. Bergstrom Air Force Base closed on September 30, 1993. The site was later converted into the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, which opened in 1999. A historical marker commemorating Del Valle Army Air Base, also known as Bergstrom Air Force Base, was erected here in 2005 by the Texas Historical Commission. This marker acknowledges the site's role in military aviation history.