San Marcelino Airfield
Encyclopedia
San Marcelino Airfield is a World War II
airfield located in Zambales province
of the Philippines
located in the Central Luzon
region
. It was closed after the war.
When the several Filipino troops of the pre-war 32nd Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army was the fall the liberated in Zambales to helping guerrilla fighters and American troops to defeating Japanese forces in 1945.
After the liberation by combined Filipino-American troops on Zambales
in 1945, it was developed into a Fifth Air Force command facility as well as an operational airfield. With the end of the war, the airfield was closed and is now part of the town of San Marcelino. Units assigned were:
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
airfield located in Zambales province
Provinces of the Philippines
The Provinces of the Philippines are the primary political and administrative divisions of the Philippines. There are 80 provinces at present, further subdivided into component cities and municipalities. The National Capital Region, as well as independent cities, are autonomous from any provincial...
of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
located in the Central Luzon
Central Luzon
Central Luzon , also known as Region III , is an administrative division or region of the Republic of the Philippines, primarily serve to organize the 7 provinces of the vast central plain of the island of Luzon , for administrative convenience...
region
Regions of the Philippines
In the Philippines, regions are administrative divisions that serve primarily to organize the provinces of the country for administrative convenience. Currently, the archipelagic republic of the Philippines is divided into 17 regions...
. It was closed after the war.
History
San Marcelino Airfield was built before the war by the Americans. On the morning of 29 January 1945 nearly 35,000 U.S. troops landed just northwest of San Marcelino. Elements of the US 38th Division immediately dashed inland to take the airstrip, but found that Filipino guerrillas under the command of Capt. Ramon Magsaysay, later president of the Republic of the Philippines, had secured the field three days earlier.When the several Filipino troops of the pre-war 32nd Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army was the fall the liberated in Zambales to helping guerrilla fighters and American troops to defeating Japanese forces in 1945.
After the liberation by combined Filipino-American troops on Zambales
Zambales
Zambales is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Iba. Zambales borders Pangasinan to the north, Tarlac and Pampanga to the east, and Bataan to the south. The province lies between the South China Sea and the Zambales Mountains. With a land area of...
in 1945, it was developed into a Fifth Air Force command facility as well as an operational airfield. With the end of the war, the airfield was closed and is now part of the town of San Marcelino. Units assigned were:
- 308th Bombardment Wing308th Bombardment Wing (World War II)The 308th Bombardment Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Far East Air Forces, based at Nagoya, Japan. It was inactivated on 30 June 1948....
(11 January-16 June 1945) - 309th Bombardment Wing309th Air DivisionThe 309th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Continental Air Command, assigned to Twelfth Air Force, being stationed at Hensley AFB, Texas. It was inactivated on 27 June 1949....
(8 February-29 May 1945) - 90th Bombardment Group (26 January-10 August 1945)
- 345th Bombardment Group (13 February-12 May 1945)
- 348th Fighter Group108th Air Refueling WingThe 108th Air Refueling Wing is a unit of the New Jersey Air National Guard tasked with aerial refueling and other air mobility missions. It is based at McGuire Air Force Base and operationally gained by the Air Mobility Command . The current Commander of the 108th is...
(4 February-15 May 1945) - 421st Night Fighter Squadron421st Fighter SquadronThe 421st Fighter Squadron is part of the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting air superiority missions.-Mission:...
(25 October 1944-8 February 1945) - 547th Night Fighter Squadron547th Night Fighter SquadronThe 547th Intelligence Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit. It is currently responsible for intelligence support for all Red Flag-Nellis exercises.-History:...
(December 1944 16 January 1945)
See also
- USAAF in the Southwest PacificUnited States Army Air Forces in the South West Pacific TheatreDuring World War II, the United States Army Air Forces engaged in combat against the air, ground and naval forces of the Empire of Japan in the South West Pacific Theatre....