Submitted by John McElligott
What are your memories of Midland and/or Sloan Field? We would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below and/or “Contact Us” here:
https://whatsinthewaterinmidlandtexas.com/contact/
Sloan Field was started in 1927 when Samuel Addison Sloan leased 220 acres of pastureland from Clarence Scharbauer to establish a privately owned landing field and flying school. After his death two years later in a plane crash (1929), his siblings continued the operation and it was then designated as an Army Airways Station in May of 1930. In 1939, Sloan Field was sold to the City Of Midland.
During its time of operation, the field’s nickname was “Hell from Heaven”. The name was fitting due to the dropping 1,245,107 bombs and flying 851,510 hours.
Read more about here:
https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/midland-army-air-field
John, thank you for sharing the history of Sloan Field and your life as a child at the base. I was born in Midland and have lived pretty close to Midland for sixty years and didn’t know all of your information. Thank you. I hope that you are feeling well. What would we all do without our leader, Starman. Always, Lynne Stoltenberg Ray
Yes I am doing much better. I should be recovered by the end of the year. Stay in touch.