Naval Air Station Whidbey Island
Overview
Naval Air Station
A Naval Air Station is a military airbase, and consists of a permanent land-based operations locations for the military aviation division of the relevant branch of their Navy...
located in two sections around Oak Harbor, Washington
Oak Harbor, Washington
Oak Harbor is a city located on Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington. The population was 22,075 at the 2010 census.Oak Harbor was incorporated on May 14, 1915.-History:Oak Harbor is Whidbey Island's largest incorporated city...
, USA. It was commissioned as an active U.S. Navy installation on 21 September 1942.
The main portion of the base is called Ault Field in memory of Commander William B. Ault
William B. Ault
William Bowen Ault was a commander in the United States Navy during World War II and a posthumous recipient of the Navy Cross.-Early Naval Career:...
, who was listed 'missing in action' during the Battle of the Coral Sea
Battle of the Coral Sea
The Battle of the Coral Sea, fought from 4–8 May 1942, was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval and air forces from the United States and Australia. The battle was the first fleet action in which aircraft carriers engaged...
(1942). Ault Field is located approximately three miles north of Oak Harbor.
The other section of the air station is known as the Seaplane Base.
