b'luke air forceBase historyIn 1940, the U.S. Army sent arepresentative to Arizona to choose a site for an Army Air Corps training field for advanced training in conventional fighter aircraft.Phoenix bought 1,440 acres of land that it leased to the government for $1 a year effective March 24, 1941. On March 29, 1941, the Del E. Webb Construction Co. began excavation for the first building at what was known then as Litchfield Park Air Base.Another base known as Luke Field, in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, released its name when that base was transferred to the Navy in June 1941, and the fledgling Arizona base was called Luke Field at the request of its first commander, Lt. Col. Ennis C. Whitehead, who became a lieutenant general Two U.S. Air Force AT-6Cs fly near Luke Field in 1943. The AT-6s wereas commander of Air Defense Command in 1950.the first trainer aircraft flown by Luke in 1941. (Courtesy Photo) The first class of 45 students, Class 41 F, arrived June 6, 1941, to begin advanced flight training in the AT-6 Texan, although only a few essential buildings had been completed. Flying out of Sky Harbor Airport until the Luke AFB runways were ready, pilots received 10 weeks of instruction and the first class graduated Aug. 15, 1941. Capt. Barry Goldwater served as the director of ground training the following year.THE EPICENTER OF AIRPOWER LUKE AIR FORCE BASE 33'