By Andrew Hempe, Archivist
Governor Coke Stevenson issued proclamation no. 41-29 designating September 7, 1946, as Air Day in Texas. The proclamation was issued in recognition of the important role played by the United States Army Air Corps during World War II, that much of the training of the Air Corps’ pilots took place in Texas, and the increasingly important role that civilian air traffic was playing in Texas. The proclamation noted that Texas had more airports, “more feet of airport runways,” and more privately owned airplanes than any other state.
Air Day was hosted in Harlingen, home to the Army Airfield (later Harlingen Air Force Base and today Valley International Airport). Attendance at the event was estimated to be between 15-20,000. Approximately 300 aircraft flew to Harlingen. Festivities included performances by military aircraft, including acrobatic and precision flying, simulated combat flying, and an appearance by a new jet-propelled plane that flew over the crowd. The delegation from Cuero, Texas, proposed a stunt that was ultimately not allowed due to safety concerns: dropping a live turkey from a low flying plane onto the audience. A beauty contest was also held, with the contestant from San Antonio named “Miss Air Queen.”
Air Day in Texas followed on the heels of Air Force Day, held on August 1, 1945, and again one year later on August 1, 1946. While the focus of Air Day in Texas was both civilian and military air travel, the Air Force Days were focused exclusively on military applications of flight. August 1 was the anniversary of the founding of the US Army Air Corps in 1907 and the proclamations for each of the Air Force Days noted that more Air Force bases were located in Texas and more Air Force pilots were trained in Texas than in any other state. The US military presence and the veterans who continue to contribute to communities long after their service has concluded, helps define the legacy and spirit of Texas.
Collections at the State Archives help document the long history of civilian and military aviation in Texas. To learn more about these and other materials at the State Archives, visit https://www.tsl.texas.gov/arc or contact reference staff at 512-463-5455 or ref@tsl.texas.gov.