Eagle Field Historical Museum

What a treasure! We stumbled across the name of this little known airstrip on the map and went in search of it. There were old World War II relics of planes, cars and other memorabilia to see. The airfield was also being used as a drag strip location for the Central Valley in California.
We spoke with two men who were on-​site that day to get a little history of the base and what we were seeing. They were only too happy to take time to show us around with commentary. Interestingly, one (Rocky) was connected in a larger way with the races while the other (Joe) had interest in Eagle Field as an historical site as his focus. He was also the one reconstructing some of the planes.
If this is your sort of thing, definitely worth the trip.

Sit down, have a beer with me, and I can tell you some stories about this place. It not only signifies a defining time in our nation’s history, but, also, it is the plot of desert that I called home for roughly 13 years of my life. Every year on the weekend of Flag Day, Eagle Field, holds a dinner/​dance commemoration for those that made the ultimate sacrifice, and fought for the freedom that we, as citizens of this great country, bask underneath to this day.
In January, 1942, in his State of the Union speech, President Roosevelt promised more aid to Britain, including planes and troops. World War II was widespread, involving all of the major global superpowers. Tensions were building in the Pacific, and the United States War Department began contracting with civilian flight schools to train pilots for the US. Army. The location named, Eagle Field, was the second site chosen for this endeavor. All the way up to December, 1944, this training base was a pipeline for wartime pilots– graduating approximately 5000 students that are undoubtedly real time heroes.
My Father and I moved onto the field 24 years ago. The base had changed significantly, as it was but a shell of its former self. Littered across the barren desert were old planes and military vehicles that once flew and drove cadets in preparation for the war. A large hangar, roof full of holes, was a home for owls who preyed upon the rodents who housed inside the clawed out holes in the dry wall. The barracks which our soldiers once received 3 hots and a cot, was lifeless. I spent many days — against my Father’s will — rummaging through and collecting abstract treasures that most, nowadays, would call collectibles. My most memorable find was a notepad, browned and deteriorated through the sands of time, that a trainee used to write letters to his wife. He must have had writers block, because half the pages started were eventually scratched out and left standing. As a young child, such finds sparked my interest in History which still burns strong today.
As I mentioned in my opening paragraph, every year on the Flag Day weekend, there is a Dinner/​Dance in which antique, restored WWII planes and military vehicles centralize for public viewing. I’ve missed 2 in the last 24 years; some of the events are more lively than others, but every experience is different. The veterans are what it’s all about; and I absolutely love listening to their stories and heroic efforts put forward in protecting our nation’s freedom.
It was a different time back in the 1940’s, and for one weekend a year, what resembles a deserted ghost town, transforms into a lively celebration for those that gave it all, and asked for nothing in return.