Coordinates: 35°54′12″N 089°23′50″W / 35.90333°N 89.39722°W / 35.90333; -89.39722

Arnold Field
1999 USGS Photo
IATA: none – ICAO: none – FAA LID: M31
Summary
Airport type		Public
Owner		Town of Halls
Serves		Halls, Tennessee
Elevation AMSL		292 ft / 89 m
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	ft	m
18/36	4,700	1,433	Concrete
Statistics (1996)
Aircraft operations			7,290
Source: Federal Aviation Administration

Arnold Field (FAA LID: M31) is a municipal public-use airport located two miles (3 km) northwest of the central business district of Halls, a town in Lauderdale County, Tennessee, United States. The airport is named for a former Mayor, Sammie Arnold

The airport is operated on the grounds of the former Dyersburg Army Air Base. In the 1940s the Dyersburg Army Air Base was a training facility for World War II B-17 Flying Fortress bomber pilots and crews.

In 2007, Arnold Field is home to 15 general purpose aircraft and the Veterans' Museum.

History of the Dyersburg Army Air Base

Construction begins 1942

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, Serial 41-24485, The Memphis Belle

The Dyersburg Army Air Base (DAAB), promoted by Congressman Jere Cooper and solicited by local officials of Dyersburg in 1941, was actually located near the edge of Halls, Tennessee since an Army study indicated that the Lauderdale County site was better suited for the base. Construction begun in March 1942 on "what was to become one of the largest combat crew training schools built during the early war years."

The Base was the largest combat crew training school built during the early war years. It was the only inland B-17 training base east of the Mississippi River. The base was located on 2,541 acres (10.28 km), not including the practice range. Approximately 7,700 crew men received their last phase training at DAAB. 114 crew men lost their lives.

Crew of the Memphis Belle

Life on the base

Three concrete runways, a hospital, libraries, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, and a 600 seat movie theatre were hurriedly built on the former crop fields.

Although barracks were moved from other sites and many built for the soldiers, very little housing was available for families. Citizens in Brownsville, Ripley, Halls and Dyersburg made room for the influx of wives, mothers and children who wanted to spend a short time with their soldiers before they went to combat. Attics, garages, and closets were transformed into sleeping areas.

President Harry Truman visited the base during the war as did Roy Acuff and Governor Jim McCord.

Deactivation of the base 1946

Armored vehicle exhibit

In 1946, with World War II over, the DAAB was deactivated, and the base was hastily dismantled, land was sold, and barracks and guard shacks were moved to private property. The former morgue was moved and became a two bedroom residence later occupied by a mayor of Halls. The Army left as quickly as it arrived. Today, the only evidence of the base's location is the configuration of crumbling runways, a Norden bombsight storage building, one hangar out of the original five, tall chimneys where the theatre and other sites were located, and a 95 acres (0.38 km) apron.

To quote Lt. Colonel Robert Little (Ret.), "Our job was to give about one hundred more hours of flying — we would give them instrument flying, a lot of take offs and landings, some formations, and a little bit of navigation — to men coming from camps like Roswell, New Mexico, and a transition school for B-17s."

Remaining on the site are chimneys and concrete foundations, two buildings, Norden Bombsite, Storage Vaults, one hangar and pocked runways.

Veterans' Museum

Uniform and document exhibits

Foundation and purpose

The Veterans' Museum, located on the site of the former air base, was built in 1997. It is owned and operated by The Dyersburg Army Air Base Memorial Association, a non-profit organization.

The purpose of the museum is the preservation and documentation of materials related to military activities from World War I to the Iraq war, as well as documenting the history of the air base itself.

RV parking is available at no charge and admittance to the museum is free. Electrical hookup is $10 per day.

Exhibits

The exhibits of the Veterans' Museum stem from donations by organizations and individuals.

Outside exhibits of the museum are a A-7 Corsair II and military vehicles.

The 8,900 ft (827 m) indoor exhibition displays items ranging from military vehicle displays and uniforms to photographs, personal and official letters, diaries, technical publications, divisional histories, videos and other military memorabilia.

Murals painted by Ernie Berke and photographs of 72 crews are also displayed.

Special exhibits:

A-7 Corsair II in front of the Veterans' Museum

• World War I - A complete uniform and field gear of local resident C.C Sumrow is from the collection of Tommy Simmons.

• Memphis Belle Exhibit - The exhibit tells the story of the Memphis Belle, its crew, postwar history of the Belle, and a look at the Altus Crew who flew it to Memphis, Tennessee in 1946.

• Home Front Exhibit - Pictures and uniforms of area veterans who served are on display. Also included in this exhibit are pictures of weddings where local ladies married soldiers in training at the Base.

• At Home Exhibit - A living room looking like "at home" during the 1940s is shown. From the radio and the coal stove, to the buffet and other items, it provides a real look at rural homes.

Air shows

In irregular intervals, the museum organizes and houses air shows on Arnold Field.

Other facilities

The museum houses conference facilities for up to 50 people and the Sammie Arnold Lending Library, with books covering the topics documented in the museum.

Facilities and aircraft

Arnold Field covers an area of 29 acres (12 ha) which contains one concrete paved runway (18/36) measuring 4,700 x 75 ft (1,433 x 23 m). For the 12-month period ending December 3, 1996, the airport had 7,290 aircraft operations, an average of 19 per day: 99% general aviation and 1% military.

Location & QuickFacts

Owner & Manager

Airport Operations and Facilities

Airport Communications

Airport Services

Runway Information

Runway 18/36

Radio Navigation Aids

Remarks

• THERE MAY BE VEHICLE TFC ON ABND RWY SYS.
• RY 18/36 HAS 500 FT STOPWAY ON N END. STOPWAY MARKINGS ARE FADED & A 6 FT FENCE CROSSES THE END OF THE STOPWAY.
• WATERFOWL REFUGE 1/4 NM E OF ARPT.
• VFR ONLY.

Images and information placed above are from
http://www.airport-data.com/airport/M31/

We thank them for the data!

General Info
Country	United States
State	TENNESSEE
FAA ID	M31
Latitude	35-54-12.265N
Longitude	089-23-50.260W
Elevation	292 feet
Near City	HALLS

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