Jeff54
Cruisin' on my Bluebird
Out of curiosity that you're coming up with these Schwinns so, I took a minute to see why. They were very likely, originally US Naval Air Force property for quite some time after WWII.
The airport was built by Acorn 51 Cebu/Mactan Island . This, incidentally, is where I flew in Jan 1974 very late at night. Then, rode in a taxi while under martial law, for a long, freaky, spooky and unforgettable pull over on the road, threating with rifles in my face (Philippine military) drive to Subic Bay.
(ACORN: acronym for Aviation, Construction, Ordnance, Repair. A CBMU was attached to every ACORN. ) Acorn 51 was attached with USN CB's (Construction Battalion) also known as the Seabees. In Jan 1945 began building this Naval air base, finished and turned it over the the USN fairly quickly. . After WWII as a back-up, overflow and emergency base to support Clark air base for the US Navy. "
In 1945, Acorn 51 was assigned as the development unit for an airfield at Cebu.[4] The Seabees of the 54th Naval Construction Battalion were tasked with constructing the runway and support facilities.[4] After World War II, the American Strategic Air Command (SAC) were allocated Mactan as an emergency landing field in the event of a war.[1] The airfield was basically barren, with only a few permanent structures and a 10,000 feet (3,000 metres) concrete runway. By 1965, the only permanent structures at the airfield were a Philippine Air Force (PAF) operations building; which also doubled as an airport terminal, and the PAF barracks. There was also a squadron of PAF F-86s on base.
As the Vietnam War escalated, the base was rapidly built up. At its height, it became a permanent C-130 base, housing at least the 772nd and 774th Troop Carrier Squadrons of the 463rd Troop Carrier Wing (later renamed as 'Tactical Airlift' Squadrons and Wing), as well as becoming a crew rest stop for C-124 and C-133 crews, in order to relieve congestion at Clark Air Base. The C-124 Operations Squadron was the 606th Military Airlift Support Squadron (606th MASS).
After the end Vietnam War, the base was handed over to the Philippine Air Force.[1]
During the Mindanao campaign in the 1970s, Mactan Air Base the base was extensively used for
"
There's a USN book in Google books filled with photos and all the people involved especially created about this unit: https://books.google.com/books?id=h0JBU7ezRFMC&pg=PT56&lpg=PT56&dq=Acorn+51+1945+air+base&source=bl&ots=t6MEZx8eYA&sig=ACfU3U3S1-xA6QFS5kBu6fUuqDtGRSq8Uw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwigw7q21Jv5AhXpZTABHWK0BIwQ6AF6BAgfEAM#v=onepage&q=Acorn 51 1945 air base&f=false
The airport was built by Acorn 51 Cebu/Mactan Island . This, incidentally, is where I flew in Jan 1974 very late at night. Then, rode in a taxi while under martial law, for a long, freaky, spooky and unforgettable pull over on the road, threating with rifles in my face (Philippine military) drive to Subic Bay.
(ACORN: acronym for Aviation, Construction, Ordnance, Repair. A CBMU was attached to every ACORN. ) Acorn 51 was attached with USN CB's (Construction Battalion) also known as the Seabees. In Jan 1945 began building this Naval air base, finished and turned it over the the USN fairly quickly. . After WWII as a back-up, overflow and emergency base to support Clark air base for the US Navy. "
History:
Mactan–Benito Ebuen Air Base - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
In 1945, Acorn 51 was assigned as the development unit for an airfield at Cebu.[4] The Seabees of the 54th Naval Construction Battalion were tasked with constructing the runway and support facilities.[4] After World War II, the American Strategic Air Command (SAC) were allocated Mactan as an emergency landing field in the event of a war.[1] The airfield was basically barren, with only a few permanent structures and a 10,000 feet (3,000 metres) concrete runway. By 1965, the only permanent structures at the airfield were a Philippine Air Force (PAF) operations building; which also doubled as an airport terminal, and the PAF barracks. There was also a squadron of PAF F-86s on base.
Mactan–Benito Ebuen Air Base - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
As the Vietnam War escalated, the base was rapidly built up. At its height, it became a permanent C-130 base, housing at least the 772nd and 774th Troop Carrier Squadrons of the 463rd Troop Carrier Wing (later renamed as 'Tactical Airlift' Squadrons and Wing), as well as becoming a crew rest stop for C-124 and C-133 crews, in order to relieve congestion at Clark Air Base. The C-124 Operations Squadron was the 606th Military Airlift Support Squadron (606th MASS).
After the end Vietnam War, the base was handed over to the Philippine Air Force.[1]
During the Mindanao campaign in the 1970s, Mactan Air Base the base was extensively used for
"
There's a USN book in Google books filled with photos and all the people involved especially created about this unit: https://books.google.com/books?id=h0JBU7ezRFMC&pg=PT56&lpg=PT56&dq=Acorn+51+1945+air+base&source=bl&ots=t6MEZx8eYA&sig=ACfU3U3S1-xA6QFS5kBu6fUuqDtGRSq8Uw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwigw7q21Jv5AhXpZTABHWK0BIwQ6AF6BAgfEAM#v=onepage&q=Acorn 51 1945 air base&f=false
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