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Overview

During its height of use in the 1950s and 1960s, Mather Field covered 5,716 acres and contained 970,000 square feet of building space, including offices, hangars, mechanical shops, 18 dormitories and 1,271 single-family housing units. Originally opened in 1918 to serve the US Army Air Service, (later renamed the US Army Air Corps between 1926 and 1941 and the US Army Air Forces, 1941-1947), Mather Field was transferred to the newly independent US Air Force (USAF) in 1948. Containing side-by-side 11,300-foot and 6,100-foot runways, the base functioned as the home of many US Army pursuit, observation and service squadrons between 1919 and 1941 and USAF's the 3535th Navigator Training Wing (1946-1973), 4134th Strategic Wing (1958-1963), 320th Bombardment Wing (1963-1989), and the 323rd Flying Training Wing (1973-1993). The property was transferred to Sacramento County in 1993.

Building History

The United States Army Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps, established Mills Field on 02/21/1918. Construction on the first 50 buildings on the base began on 03/15/1918 and was finished by 04/30/1918. It was renamed "Mather Field" on 05/02/1918, for Second Lieutenant Carl Spencer Mather (d. 01/1918), who perished in a mid-air collision near Ellington Field, TX, while training for action in World War I. The field operated at full strength for only about a year before personnel were restationed to bases closer to the then unstable Mexican border. This redistribution of men and matériel was viewed as temporary. The Sacramento Union reported in 08/1919: "With the entrance of the aviation camp upon its new status, several air squadrons now returning from France will be permanently stationed at the Sacramento field. The reason given for the decision of the war department to buy the land which now held under lease, is that Mather Field has been named as the supply center for the distribution of aviation service on the Pacific coast. In that capacity the post will be made a permanent one, and will rank as one of the most important military centers in the western part of the United States. Unsettled conditions on the Mexican border have influenced the war department to assemble all flying forces in that section, but with the passage of the new bill in December providing for 500,000 men in the regular army, Mather Field will assume the duties assigned by the chief of the air service." (See "Sacramento Will Be Center of U.S. Air Service in West," Sacramento Union, vol. 209, no. 46, 08/15/1919, p. 1.) The field operated until 1923, when it was closed.

It reopened on 04/01/1930 as a field subordinate to the Presidio in San Francisco, Hamilton Army Airfield, near Novato, CA, and Stockton Field, near Stockton, CA. It was during that 1930s that actual paved runways were installed at Mather Field. Previously, bi-planes would land and take off on grass-covered landing strips. While landing strips were put in after 1930, World War I area buildings were demolished. A Sacramento County web site on Mather Field history stated: "Despite hosting an all Air Corps tactical exercise in 1930, the Globe Wrecking Company of Chicago dismantled and demolished the buildings at the site over the course of six months in late 1933. In 1935, the barren airstrip served as the locations for ten days of 70th Service Squadron’s field training support of the 7th Bombardment Group from Hamilton Field." (See Sacramento County, "Mather Field History," accessed 08/23/2017.)

Mather Field's size and importance grew during World War II; the base was activated as a separate post on 05/13/1941 and englarged from 872 acres to 4,418 in 06/1941. A large, new construction campaign was finished by03/16/1942, enabling the post to house new B-25 bombers by 1943 and to become a major point of embarkation for the Pacific theatre.

By the mid-1950s, additional acreage was obtained bythe USAF for the base to build a longer landing strip and to house the new generation of B-52 bombers. New facilities were also built to accommodate the new planes and their crews.Between 1963-1989, the Strategic Air Command's 320th Bombardment Wing operated Mather, where it flew B52F and B52G bombers as well as KC-135A Stratotankers. The 940th Air Refueling Group moved to the base in 1977, and most of its last years of operation served KC-135A and KC-135E tankers.

The Congress's passage of the Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC) of 1988 set in motion the shut down of Mather Air Force Base; the County of Sacramento obtained the property and has renamed it as a public airfield, one of four in the county. As the base served long-range bombers and transport planes, Mather featured one of the longest runways in the state of CA, at 11,300 feet long. Mather Air Force Base was officially closed in 05/1993. A web site for Sacramento County stated: "Mather aviation facilities were subsequently transitioned over to the County. On May 5, 1995, Mather Airport was officially reopened as a civilian airport. The airport area including runways and aprons consists of approximately 2,875 acres. In September of that year, Mather Regional Park was established. The park includes an 18-hole championship golf course and a potential for a variety of recreation opportunities." (See Sacramento County, "History: Economic Development," accessed 08/23.2017.)

Building Notes

Originally, this field had been ranch land. It became a training field for pilots in the283rd Aero Squadronduring World War I. Just after the First World War, the US Army redirected forces stationed at Mather Field to bases along southern border with Mexico. Two US senators from CA discussed the base's future in 1919. Senator James D. Phelan wrote: "Mather field not being abandoned but temporarily closed. Air service being reduced to one thousand men who being concentrated on border. If increased army bill goes through in December providing five thousand men, Mather field will be immediately opened. Forty civilians will be retained and enough soldiers and officers to man six planes for forest work." Senator Hiram Johnson was quoted in the same issue of the Sacramento Union: "War department confirms report that sufficient force will be maintained at mather field to operate two airplanes for forest fire service. Rest of Mather field personnel have been transferred to March field, September 1, 1919. War department explains that limited funds and personnels [sic] make it necessary to concentrate air service force at camps near Mexican border. The department claims that this does not mean abandonment of Mather field, but merely temporary closing until more funds and men are available. Department also claims it was stopped from purchasing various aviation fields including Mather field by provision in last army appropriation bill and secretary of war has ordered proceeding halted until further provision is made for money. I am informed effort is being made to get special appropriation for this purpose. I have transmitted your protest formally to the war department." (See "Sacramento Will Be Center of U.S. Air Service in West," Sacramento Union, vol. 209, no. 46, 08/15/1919, p. 1.)

In 1982, the Environmental Protection Agency began surveying environmental conditions at Mather Field. The EPA has reported: "Environmental investigations began at Mather AFB in 1982 and continued for several years. A total of 89 areas with significant contamination were identified. Following immediate actions to protect human health and the environment, the site’s long-term cleanup is ongoing." (See US Environmental Protection Agency, "Superfund Site: MATHER AIR FORCE BASE (AC&W DISPOSAL SITE) MATHER, CA," accessed 08/23/2017.)

PCAD id: 13296