Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
McChord Air Force Base photographs, circa 1940s
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- United States. Army Air Forces; United States. Army. Signal Corps
- Title
- McChord Air Force Base photographs
- Dates
- circa 1940s (inclusive)19401949
- Quantity
- .21 linear feet, (1 box)
- Collection Number
- 2021-011
- Summary
- The collection documents the activities at McChord Air Force base in the 1940s including portraits of commanding officers and photographs depicting events such as medal ceremonies, training exercises and leisure activities.
- Repository
-
Seattle Public Library, Special Collections
1000 Fourth Ave.
Seattle, WA 98104-1109
Telephone: 206-386-4636
specialcollections@spl.org - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open and available for use.
- Languages
- English
Historical NoteReturn to Top
McChord Air Force base is located just south of Tacoma, Washington and is now part of Joint Base Lewis-McChord. In 1917, Camp Lewis was established in the area and used as a training point for soldiers fighting in World War I. It later became known as Fort Lewis. In 1930, Tacoma Field began operation north of the fort. In 1938, the federal government acquired ownership of the field and it was renamed McChord Field two years later. The field was headquarters for the GHQ Air Force Northwest Air District and the 17th Bombardment Group responsible for the safety of the Pacific Northwest and Upper Great Plains during World War II. In 2010, Fort Lewis and McChord Field merged to become Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection documents the activities at McChord Air Force base in the 1940s including portraits of commanding officers and photographs depicting events such as medal ceremonies, training exercises and leisure activities. Several photographs show the activities of Black servicemen and women and some show scenes of parades along the streets of Tacoma. Most photographs are credited to the U.S. Army Air Forces with a few taken by the U.S. Army Signal Corps.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Copyright restrictions apply.
Preferred Citation
[ITEM DESCRIPTION], McChord Air Force Base photographs. Seattle Public Library, Seattle, WA.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
This collection was processed at the folder level. Photographs are arranged in numerical order according to the number penciled on the back of the photograph. Photographs are numbered 6 to 207 but there are many gaps within the collection.
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- African American soldiers--Washington (State)--McChord Air Force Base--Photographs
- Military bases--Washington (State)--McChord Air Force Base--Photographs
- Soldiers--Washington (State)--McChord Air Force Base--Photographs
- Women in war--Washington (State)--McChord Air Force Base--Photographs
- World War, 1939-1945--African Americans
- World War, 1939-1945--Washington (State)--McChord Air Force Base--Photographs
- World War, 1939-1945--Women
Corporate Names
- United States. Army Air Forces--Photographs
Geographical Names
- McChord Air Force Base (Wash.)--Photographs
Jade D'Addario
July 2024
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
