Libby Army Air Field - Fort Huachuca

Sgt. George D. Libby

Libby Army Air Field (AAF) at Fort Huachuca near Sierra Vista, Arizona, was constructed in the early-1950's and named to Honor the Heroism, Gallantry, Courage and Sacrifice of Sgt. George Dalton Libby who was killed in combat July 20, 1950, while acting as a human shield to save his comrades-in-arms.

You can read about Sgt. Libby's heroism here:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_D._Libby

Throughout all of its early history dating back to 1877, Fort Huachuca was a "soldier's fort" and had no role or association with aviation.  After the end of World War Two, Fort Huachuca was deactivated and then administered by the State of Arizona and some private development interests.

When the Korean War erupted, Fort Huachuca once again became a military installation.  Some of the first US Army units assigned to Fort Huachuca were engineers.  They were to be trained as "aviation engineers" with an early project to build an air field on the base.  Construction of that air field began in mid-1951, right about the time that Sgt. George D. Libby was posthumously award the Medal of Honor for his heroic gallantry.  There's no doubt that the "aviation engineer" trainees took special pride in "one of their own".  At the December 3, 1952 dedication of the air field, post commanding officer Col. David M. Dunne said, "It is a tribute to the engineer units that completed this project to be privileged by naming the field in honor of another engineer."

May 24, 2021, photo of plaque courtesy Joe Payne, Sierra Vista, Arizona.

Source: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/78236963/dedication-of-libby-aaf-december-1952/

Fort Huachuca has a long, distinguished and very well documented history of its own dating back to 1877.  Fort Huachuca does not appear to have been used as an Army Air Force training facility during World War II.

A 1948 USGS topo map updated in 1953 shows a small field labeled "Fort Huachuca Airport" located at what's now the Mountain View Golf course in Sierra Vista, Arizona.

Above is a clip from the USGS 1:24,000 topo map.  Source:
https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/topoview/viewer/#14/31.5487/-110.3323

We were able to derive a longitude & latitude from the USGS topo map. (See red push pin.)
Note the area between the tips of the red arrows.  You can see faint outlines of a runway.

Between Spring 1951 and late fall 1952, the first Libby Army Air Field was constructed at its present location northwest of Sierra Vista.  The first media usage of the name "Libby Army Air Field" that we can find dates to 1955.  Thereafter, the name became common in various media reports.

Source: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/78222202/1955-use-of-name-libby-army-airfield/

Fifty years ago, a ceremony was staged to dedicate an enlarged and enhanced Libby Army Air Field.
Source: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/78192083/1971-libby-dedication/

Efforts to further enlarge Libby Army Air Field began in the early 1980's. Ground breaking for the improvements was held on September 30, 1981.
Source: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/78221814/ground-breaking-for-new-runway-1983/

A substantial gala dedication was staged to celebrate the major expansion of Libby Army Air Field.
Source: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/78221968/runway-dedication-promo-1985/

Both photos are screen clips from a video edition of "The Fort Report": https://vimeo.com/416412699

One of the key features of the innovative partnerships prevailing at Libby Army Air Field is a USDA Forest Service tanker base.  The 12,000 foot main runway allows the DC-10 Very Large Air Tankers to use Libby AAF as a base for annual wild land fire fighting efforts.  Permanent retardant refilling apparatus allow a wide variety of aerial fire fighting resources to utilize Libby AAF.

Photos are screen clips sources from this video: https://vimeo.com/416412699

The Forest Service tanker base is located next to the main 12,000 runway.

Source: https://aeronav.faa.gov/d-tpp/2105/05081AD.PDF

The US Army's innovative partnerships at Libby AAF have enabled the Forest Service and wild land fire fighting contractors to organize and implement much more aggressive initial attack for early season wildfire in the Sonoran Desert of Southern Arizona.