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115th Airlift Squadron
The 115th Airlift Squadron is a unit of the California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing located at Channel Islands Air National Guard Station, California. The 115th is equipped with the C-130J Hercules.
The 115th is the oldest unit in the California Air National Guard, having almost 90 years of service to the state and nation. It is a descendant organization of the World War I 115th Aero Squadron, established on 28 August 1917. It was reformed on 16 June 1924, as the 115th Observation Squadron, and is one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II.
The 115th Airlift Squadron traces its origins to the 115th Aero Squadron, organized at Kelly Field, Texas on 28 August 1917. It was formed from three groups of recruits, one from Fort McDowell, Santa Rosa, California, made up of men from the Pacific Coast states. The second group came from Fort Bliss, Texas, made up of men from Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. The third, and largest group reported from Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, Missouri, and with it came recruits from the Mississippi Valley. At Kelly Field, the recruits were indoctrinated into the ways and means of the Army. Orders for the unit to serve overseas were received on 14 October, and with five other squadrons, the 115th departed on 31 October for the Aviation Concentration Center, Garden City, Long Island, arriving on 31 October. It was there that final arrangements were made for the trip overseas, complete equipment was drawn and a final few transfers were made. On 3 December, orders were issued for the 115th to move to the New York Port of Embarkation, Hoboken, New Jersey, where the men boarded the SS Huron, an impressed German ship that was used as a troop transport. After an uneventful cross-Atlantic voyage, the squadron arrived at St. Nazarire, France, on 20 December. The squadron was moved to a troop train and headed immediately for Tours Aerodrome, in central France.
At Tours, the 115th was assigned to the Second Aviation Instruction Center as a supply squadron. The men were assigned to warehouse duties, storing new equipment and all manner of supplies that arrived at the Center, and issuing and delivering the necessities of operating the Center to the various units and divisions of the station. The squadron was tasked in maintaining accurate inventory records and advising the Commander of shortages and ordering additional or new equipment from Depots in France. The 115th was also responsible for the operation of the various mess halls, with squadron members acting as cooks, bakers and performing dish washing duties.
After the signing of the Armistice with Germany on 11 November, some men of the squadron were assigned to transportation and convoy duty, driving trucks performing collection of equipment from front-line units and also moving personnel back from the lines. The 636th Aero Squadron (renamed 1 February 1918) returned to the United States in late March 1919. It arrived at Mitchel Field, New York, where the squadron members were demobilized and returned to civilian life.
Established on 5 April 1924, which authorized the immediate organization of the 115th Observation Squadron, 40th Division Aviation, California National Guard. Initially the Unit held its meetings at Clover Field, Santa Monica, using reserve equipment planes for flying. Later on, the Squadron met at the National Guard Armory and also at the University of Southern California. In 1925, several months after its organization, the Squadron moved to permanent quarters at Griffith Park Aviation Field in Los Angeles.
On 3 June 1931, the 115th Squadron participated in the National Air Corps maneuvers. Each airplane of the 115th Squadron that participated in the maneuvers had flown approximately one hundred hours including time from Griffith Park Aerodrome to Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, and return. Chief of Staff of the United States Army, General Douglas MacArthur, commended the officers of the Aviation unit of the California National Guard, for the efficient manner in which they performed the work that was assigned to them during the National Air exercises at Dayton. The unit demonstrated a high degree of training and morale which placed them on an equal footing with the National Air Corps.
In 1941, the 115th Squadron was federalized into the United States Army Air Corps, assigned to the Fourth Air Force and sent to Sherwood Field, Paso Robles in northern San Luis Obispo County. The field was named for Captain George Sherwood, the first commander of the 115th. Sherwood was killed in 1935 while flying civilian mail near Burbank, ironically crash-landing in a cemetery. The squadron was the first military group to occupy Sherwood Field. The 115th included many photographers from southern California, some associated with the movie industry in civilian life. Sometimes Hollywood starlets would be brought to Paso Robles to entertain the troops. After the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor, the 115th flew antisubmarine patrol missions along the California coastline from several airfields in southern California.
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115th Airlift Squadron
The 115th Airlift Squadron is a unit of the California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing located at Channel Islands Air National Guard Station, California. The 115th is equipped with the C-130J Hercules.
The 115th is the oldest unit in the California Air National Guard, having almost 90 years of service to the state and nation. It is a descendant organization of the World War I 115th Aero Squadron, established on 28 August 1917. It was reformed on 16 June 1924, as the 115th Observation Squadron, and is one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II.
The 115th Airlift Squadron traces its origins to the 115th Aero Squadron, organized at Kelly Field, Texas on 28 August 1917. It was formed from three groups of recruits, one from Fort McDowell, Santa Rosa, California, made up of men from the Pacific Coast states. The second group came from Fort Bliss, Texas, made up of men from Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. The third, and largest group reported from Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, Missouri, and with it came recruits from the Mississippi Valley. At Kelly Field, the recruits were indoctrinated into the ways and means of the Army. Orders for the unit to serve overseas were received on 14 October, and with five other squadrons, the 115th departed on 31 October for the Aviation Concentration Center, Garden City, Long Island, arriving on 31 October. It was there that final arrangements were made for the trip overseas, complete equipment was drawn and a final few transfers were made. On 3 December, orders were issued for the 115th to move to the New York Port of Embarkation, Hoboken, New Jersey, where the men boarded the SS Huron, an impressed German ship that was used as a troop transport. After an uneventful cross-Atlantic voyage, the squadron arrived at St. Nazarire, France, on 20 December. The squadron was moved to a troop train and headed immediately for Tours Aerodrome, in central France.
At Tours, the 115th was assigned to the Second Aviation Instruction Center as a supply squadron. The men were assigned to warehouse duties, storing new equipment and all manner of supplies that arrived at the Center, and issuing and delivering the necessities of operating the Center to the various units and divisions of the station. The squadron was tasked in maintaining accurate inventory records and advising the Commander of shortages and ordering additional or new equipment from Depots in France. The 115th was also responsible for the operation of the various mess halls, with squadron members acting as cooks, bakers and performing dish washing duties.
After the signing of the Armistice with Germany on 11 November, some men of the squadron were assigned to transportation and convoy duty, driving trucks performing collection of equipment from front-line units and also moving personnel back from the lines. The 636th Aero Squadron (renamed 1 February 1918) returned to the United States in late March 1919. It arrived at Mitchel Field, New York, where the squadron members were demobilized and returned to civilian life.
Established on 5 April 1924, which authorized the immediate organization of the 115th Observation Squadron, 40th Division Aviation, California National Guard. Initially the Unit held its meetings at Clover Field, Santa Monica, using reserve equipment planes for flying. Later on, the Squadron met at the National Guard Armory and also at the University of Southern California. In 1925, several months after its organization, the Squadron moved to permanent quarters at Griffith Park Aviation Field in Los Angeles.
On 3 June 1931, the 115th Squadron participated in the National Air Corps maneuvers. Each airplane of the 115th Squadron that participated in the maneuvers had flown approximately one hundred hours including time from Griffith Park Aerodrome to Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, and return. Chief of Staff of the United States Army, General Douglas MacArthur, commended the officers of the Aviation unit of the California National Guard, for the efficient manner in which they performed the work that was assigned to them during the National Air exercises at Dayton. The unit demonstrated a high degree of training and morale which placed them on an equal footing with the National Air Corps.
In 1941, the 115th Squadron was federalized into the United States Army Air Corps, assigned to the Fourth Air Force and sent to Sherwood Field, Paso Robles in northern San Luis Obispo County. The field was named for Captain George Sherwood, the first commander of the 115th. Sherwood was killed in 1935 while flying civilian mail near Burbank, ironically crash-landing in a cemetery. The squadron was the first military group to occupy Sherwood Field. The 115th included many photographers from southern California, some associated with the movie industry in civilian life. Sometimes Hollywood starlets would be brought to Paso Robles to entertain the troops. After the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor, the 115th flew antisubmarine patrol missions along the California coastline from several airfields in southern California.
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