Williams Field 1941-1993 - Mesa Arizona 

Hey Dean, Thanks for doing this video. It's nice that they are not just letting Williams AFB rot away. With ASU utilizing most of the campus at least you can still picture the way the Base was before. I was actually stationed at "Willie Air Plane Patch" from June 83 to Nov 86. Worked in the A.G.E shop, Building 24, which is now Storage for Allegiant Airline. Thanks Again for posting. And thank You for your service as well.

Was stationed there from 1981 to 1984. 1922nd Comm Squadron. Good times!!

My dad was stationed there in 1979 to 1983, we lived on Alaska Drive. What an awesome place to grow up, so many memories of my youth.

An interesting video. My father was a fighter pilot (P-47's) in WWII, stationed in Europe and became one of America's first jet pilots, flying F-86's in Korea. He was stationed at Williams AFB several times in his career, eventually retiring at Willie after 25 years in the USAF. As a military dependent I lived on that base in the early 60's. During my junior high school summer break I worked for M&T company servicing the jet fuel tanker trucks. For extra pay I was assigned to midnight shifts of scraping tar off the runway of an USAF auxiliary airstrip located between Queen Creek Road and Riggs Road, just East of I-10. You can still see the footprint of the runways on google maps. We worked from midnight to 6 am because the tar was very hard in the cool desert at that hour. Because I was a military brat, and US Army veteran, the Base Chaplin presided over my wedding at the old Chapel in March 1970. The Chapel was located to the right as you entered the base, South of the mounted jets. I also was a pilot for the first commercial company to operate out of Willie in 1993, CopperState Air Services. I believe our operations were in that last surviving hanger.

At 2:22 that housing warehouse used to be the Plumbing Shop for the 82nd CES

I'm ready for new horizons. My home doesn't really put out. I'll always support the diamondbacks. ✌️

I graduated from Williams A F B 1984 It's the most traffic in the world.

I was born there in 82.. Dad was a jet engine mechanic... Thanks for the vid! :D

Very cool video. I have been interested in the airports that have existed in the North valley.. Sunnyslop airport somewhere around 19the ave and Peoria and another airport around thunder Bird/Cactus and Cave Creek. Can't find much about it.

Buckeye has two old Aux airfields. One is what is now Buckeye Airport. Some of the old airfield is still there. And east of downtown Buckeye is another Aux airfield, There both us to be part of Luke AFB.

I like your videos and have already watched a few of them. I like your WWII POW camps - they're great. One suggestion I would like to make is to give the cross roads please. I'm looking at this, and I noticed the same thing in a few of your other videos, tell us about the crossroads so we can get a better idea of exactly where you are. I see 60, but I'm not at all sure where the golf course is? A cross road would dial everyone right in, Val Vista, Greenfield, etc. I was in the USAF from 83 - 87. First duty station was RAF Bentwaters, UK and second was Bergstrom AFB in Austin TX. On my way to Bergstrom I drove through Phoenix. This was about the first week of Jan 1986. As I drove through Phoenix I knew one day I would live here. Been here for about 16 years now. I'm paying attention to your vids so I can see what I like and get out to visit. Thanks!

This was absolutely spectacular sledgehammered that like button and a full watch looking forward to the next one

little piece of Gilbert airfield is across the street from a Tesla showroom/service center. Next time I go there I'll let them know their parking lot was once a runway.

That was so interesting! Very educational, thank you!

Nice history lesson!!! I’m surprised they let you walk around there

Being an Arizona native of the east valley, the sound of jets all day long was something that you really didn't hear because you were exposed to it all day long and you just tuned it out. Now people scream and complain if a single airliner passes over at 6000 feet and they are much quieter than the old t-37 and t-38 trainers. Interesting note. Some friends and I took a 4 wheel drive jaunt across what is now San Tan Valley back in 1970. We came across what may have been an old practice bombing range from WWII?? The area was covered with small piles of sand with small split open bomb casings complete with tail fins in them. Apparently they were dropping dummy bombs full of sand back then? Just my assumption as to them.

I"ve camped out at the Rittenhouse Aux fiele with the Boy Scouts back in 1997

Just out of curiosity, the one hanger you showed that is on the national register or something, where abouts is that on the field? I was stationed there 75-77. I worked out of hanger S48 on the T37 side. Anyway that hanger looked like it could've been one of the phase inspections either the t37 or T38 docks. Just curious. Too bad the ejection training tower is gone. Good video tho.

This is so cool! We are from Europe so a completely different kind of history. So super interesting to see your history

Was an Air Force beat at Willie in the late 50's. Lived at 88 Spruce St. (NDV).

Nice video! I used to live off Val vista and southern from 93-97. I used to see the B1 go right over my house and shake it. When I was in leave fro my he Army in 1994. I did not know about the base being shut down. I went their to get a haircut and go eat dinner. When I got to the front gate a Mesa police officer was at the gate. I showed him my military ID. When I drove in it was a ghost town. All of the housing had refrigerators lined up outside. I drove around for 1 hour and was stopped my the police. Once they head my story. They told me to leave and not look at the airfield or take pics.

Just found out that my daddy was based there in 1948.

we have old abandoned housing here at our base as well...sad but they could be used to house homeless to get people started back in life I wish they would not waste these structures, very cool lesson....great video

Willie had the best airshows better than that of Luke AFB

Did you find the playboy bunny?

Mike,,, I was also there in the AGE shop, S-24 from Jan'81-Sept '84. Miss the mandatory after work get-togethers at Willie Park . Names I remember, Hiedelbrink, Tinker, Hubner, Jeff S. Carlee, MSgt Vasquez... any of those ring a bell? finished out my enlistment at Little Rock AFB. CASS was a total waste of taxpayer funds.. Tow 1, 2, 3? Shuttle? Good times,,,