Camp Gary



Camp Gary (Edward Gary Air Force Base until 15 December 1956) was the United States military installation that was redeveloped into the San Marcos Municipal Airport and the Gary Job Corps Center, the largest in the nation.

San Marcos Army Airfield
San Marcos Army Airfield was the Texas World War II Army Airfield where the 80th Flying Training Wing (Navigation & Glider) was activated on 25 August 1943. The Army Air Forces Technical Training Command trained ~10,000 navigators from 22 February 1943 until September 1945 (all USAAF navigator training consolidated at Ellington Field), and the airfield closed in the end of November.

San Marcos Field reactivated May 1946 in Army Air Forces Flying Training Command when the USAAF helicopter and liaison school transferred from Sheppard Field. The 3585th Pilot Training Wing (Liaison-Helicopter) was activated as the Operational Training Unit on 25 August 1948 until inactivated on 1 March 1949 and helicopter training moved to Waco Air Force Base (San Marcos Field was inactivate from 31 March 1949 until 15 January 51.)

San Marcos Air Force Base
San Marcos Air Force Base was designated on 1 February 1951 under Air Training Command when the 3585th Pilot Training Wing (Liaison-Helicopter) reactivated for the return of helicopter and liaison training (the area had terrain similar to that of Korea.) Helicopter mechanics' training also moved to the base from Sheppard AFB, and San Marcos had 5000 assigned and was the largest helicopter training facility in the United States.

Gary Air Force Base
Gary Air Force Base was named on 10 May 1953 for Lieutenant Arthur Edward Gary, the first Hays County, Texas, soldier killed in World War II--and the name was expanded to Edward Gary Air Force Base on 1 September 1955. USAF flying traning ended on 14 December 56.

Camp Gary
Camp Gary was the installation name after transferring to the Department of the Army on 15 December 1956. A civilian contractor trained pilots for fixed wing aircraft until the summer of 1959, and. the base was essentially closed in 1963. On 20 November 1964, President Johnson announced the abandoned Camp Gary would be used as a Job Corps facility.