Greenville, SC Base Closed In 1963

A reunion is being held for all the officers, enlisted and civilian personnel who served or worked at Donaldson Air Force Base May 14-17, 2010 in Greenville, SC. The former air base, seven miles south of the City of Greenville, was open from 1942 to 1963, except for some time after World War II when it was in standby status. During World War II, the base was a training site for bomber crews for B-24 and B-25 aircraft. In the early 1950s, the base became a large airlift center with operations world wide earning it the title of Airlift Capital of the World.

B24 File Photo

After closing in 1963, the base property was acquired jointly by the City of Greenville and Greenville County for economic development. Presently known as the South Carolina Technology and Aviation Center, the 2,600 acre site is now home to some 80 industrial, commercial and military reserve organizations employing some 4,000 people with an annual payroll of $200 million.
 
Those attending the reunion will be offered trolley tours of downtown Greenville and a visit to the American Legion's War Museum on North Main Street. The museum has many photos, artifacts, charts and other memorabilia of the base's history with the emphasis on the global airlift missions flown during the 1953-1963 Cold War period.
 
The tours will also include a visit to the former air base property which has retained the name Donaldson Field for the 1,400 airfield acres that include runways, taxiways, parking ramps and hangars. The Field is the largest general aviation airport in South Carolina with more than 50,000 aircraft operations per year.
 
Originally known during World War II as Greenville Army Air Base, it was changed to Greenville Air Force Base in 1948 to reflect the Air Force becoming a separate service. In 1951, it was renamed for Greenville native John O. Donaldson who was a fighter pilot in World War I and became an ace by downing eight enemy aircraft.

The reunion will conclude with a banquet on Sunday night. The featured speaker will be retired Lieutenant General Gary Mears whose first assignment after earning his pilot wings in 1960 was flying C-124 aircraft at Donaldson. He retired from the Air Force in 1994 after holding many high level airlift associated positions.

FMI: www.sc-tac.com