During World War II it was determined Smoky Hill Army Air Field (AAF) near Salina, Kansas needed help processing heavy bombardment crews for their shipment overseas. For this reason Walker AAF was constructed. An area two and a half miles northwest of Walker, Kansas was chosen to build on. Then 1,888 total acres of land were purchased from local owners and leased from the nearby Union Pacific Railroad. The site did not have a suitable water supply so a twelve-mile pipe was run from Hays before the land could be developed.
Construction began on September 14, 1942. Originally, the field had one hanger although four more were added in 1943. Three runways were constructed each measuring 150 feet wide and 8,000 feet long. If needed, the runways could be extended 2,000 more feet. A 75-foot wide taxiway and 300 by 375-foot apron were also built at the time. Due to the fact Walker AAF was greatly expanded as its mission changed, only 1,000 personnel could occupy the field in 1942.
The first military personnel arrived from Smoky Hill AAF on November 11, 1942. Captain James E. Altman took command on December 12 and was replaced five days later by Colonel William A. Cahill. The mission remained the same until February 1, 1943 when Walker AAF became a processing center on its own. More people arrived and civilian housing soon became a problem. As a temporary solution, a 125-trailer unit was set up next to the field until more permanent housing could be built. During the summer of 1943 construction began of a gym, service club, post exchange, and theater to help boost morale. A new base headquarters and many smaller buildings were also built at this time along with four hangers.
Walker AAF was now much more than a simple satellite field as was first planned. The stationed personnel even had their own newspaper. Beginning in 1943, a new issue of the Walker-Talker was published every Friday. It announced upcoming events as well as world and local news. From looking through old issues of the Walker-Talker it became apparent that the citizens of Hays played an important role in entertainment at the field. Singers, dancers, and various instrumental musicians got together in the mess halls to perform. People stationed at the field would also join in with their talents. There was also an education program that offered such classes as photography and chemistry. Fort Hays State offered use of their facilities to the classes.
The field's mission changed drastically in the middle of 1943 when the 17th Bombardment Operational Training Wing out of Sioux City AAF began training B-29 crews there. The field became one of the first B-29 training facilities in the country and soon one of the finest. B-29s were new planes at the time used for long distance flying and bombing. Built by Boeing, these aircraft could fly up to 5,830 miles non-stop and reach 365 miles per hour. As more crews came in the bombing ranges became overcrowded and dangerous. Other Kansas fields allowed planes from Walker AAF to use their ranges for a short time. Schedule conflicts arose and, early in 1944, new ranges were constructed for Walker AAF. Also in 1944 a railroad spur was constructed to the field from the Union Pacific Railroad. It was used to bring in equipment and B-29 engines.
After completion of the new ranges, permanently stationed units reorganized to form the 248th Operational Training Unit Training School. New groups arriving were completely trained without overlapping with the groups before or after them. If two groups were at the field for an extended amount of time housing shortages occurred.
Crews in training were taught the fundamentals of B-29 piloting as well as celestial navigating and other important skills. In the fall of 1944 the B-29 Mobile Training Units were organized by the Second Air Force to travel between schools with specialists to teach classes on equipment included in the B-29. One such unit made a stop at Walker AAF. During regular classes, the most experienced instructors to be found taught crews. The combat records set by crews trained at Walker AAF proved this invaluable.
The field was also equipped with a photographic laboratory. Cameras were mounted onto guns during missions and the film had to be developed before class the next day. Until the end of World War II the number of crews trained at Walker AAF was steady. On August 31, 1944 there were 529 officers and 2,742 enlisted men in training. Permanent personnel included 235 officers, 1,781 enlisted men and 659 civilians making the total occupancy of the field 5,936 people. Compared to the original 1,000 occupancy, Walker AAF had grown almost six fold in just a couple years.
The end of World War II brought the end of Walker AAF's mission. So, on October 1, 1945 the field was turned over to the Air Technical Service Command to be used as a storage depot for B-29s. Its future would be short lived as it was placed on inactive status on January 31, 1946. Later that year it was placed in a surplus category only to be inactivated again on December 19, 1946.
This was not, however, the end of Walker AAF's use. The hangers were used for grain storage and the runways for drag racing during the '40s and '50s. In December of 1958 the government held an auction to sell the many acres of the former air field. It was purchased by Don and Ida Pratt only to be sold again in 1991 to Wilfric Karlin for around two million dollars.
In 1992 government personnel and Mr. Karlin performed a walkover. It was determined there was still hazardous waste left behind from the Army. 30 and 50 caliber casings and bullets were found on the former target range at the north end of the site. Four transformers were on the apron and the sewage treatment system in the southwest part of the field was still present although inoperable. A landfill was found half a mile south of the north-south runway. In four 3-foot by 4-foot areas, pharmacy bottles, syringes, mess hall plates, shells, spark plugs, and other items were found. Contaminants were located in the water on the site but fortunately the water was not part of a drinking supply. All pollution was cleaned up with government funds reserved for such operations after the walkover. Currently, the land is used for grazing and cropland and does not have a designated name.
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