Rice Army Air Field

Rice Army Air Field (1942-1944) - A World War II U.S. Army Air Field established in 1942 near Rice, San Bernardino County, California. Named Rice Army Air Field after the nearby hamlet of Rice. Closed toward the end of WWII in 1944. Rice Army Air Field Plan 1942. History Rice Army Air Field was used to train pilots and crews of aircraft whose mission was to support ground troops and to familiarize those ground troops with air operations. The airfield consisted of two paved 5,000' runways and numerous dispersal pads extending off the runways to the south. The two runways were connected at the south end and extended to the northeast and northwest at a 90-degree angle to each other forming a "V", each runway was 150' wide. In order to house the more than 3,000 men at the airfield, the Army constructed temporary barracks, recreation and mess halls, powerhouses, hangars, and dormitories at the north end of the airfield. By 1943, 4,000 men were reportedly stationed there. Unlike the DTC/C-AMA camps with their tent structures, the airfield had more substantial but still, temporary buildings, and some of the concrete pads for these structures are still visible. Specific buildings included the Base headquarters, Airfield Operations Building, Mess hall, Lavatories, 700 Series buildings as barracks, Shower buildings, Storehouses, Officer’s lavatory, and shower building and a Power/pump house. By 1944, the airfield was assigned to March Army Air Field as a sub base. Operations at Rice Field ended on 2 Aug 1944 and the field was declared surplus on 31 Oct 1944. Current Status Abandoned, foundational remains only. Location: Near Rice in San Bernardino County, California. Maps & Images Lat: 34.07882 Long: -114.76456 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 850 GPS Locations: 34.07882, -114.76456 Rice Army Air Field See Also: Camp Rice California WWII Army Airfields Sources: US Army Owned, Sponsored and Leased Facilities Report, AMD-1, Office of the Chief of Engineers, 31 Dec 1945, CDSG Pdf Shaw, Frederick J. Ed., Locating Air Force Base Sites: History's Legacy, updated 2014, Air Force History and Museums Program, USAF, Washington DC, 2004, 268 pages Links: Historic California Posts, Camps, Stations, and Airfields:Rice Army Air Field Wikipedia - Rice Army Air Field The Army Air Forces in World War II, Part 6, men and Planes, Chapter 4. Fields_freeman/CA/Air Fields_CA_SanBernardino_SE.htm#rice Tripod - Rice Army Air Field Fortification ID: CA0887 - Rice Army Air Field Visited: 27 Nov 2022