Many might not know this but the Atlanta area has an incredible history and it dates way back to the days of the American Revolution. The focus is on a large tract of land in the city of Chamblee, Georgia and it is called the Dekalb Peachtree Airport. There is a lot of great things to say about this airport and the way that it is operated but what is important here is what the airport did during the First World War, the Second World War and the Korean War.
World War I and After (1917-1918)
The area today, known as PDK Airport was once known as Camp Gordon, a training facility for the 82D “All American” Division and base hospital unit No. 43, the Emory University Hospital Unit. At the time, Fort Gordon was the largest construction project in Atlanta. It only took five months to have Fort Gordon ready for troop occupancy. The camp was 2,400 acres and included 1,635 buildings with barracks for nearly 47,000 men and corral space for approximately 7,700 horses and mules.
The Emory Unit, which served in France, served proudly in the St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne Offensives and suffered over 8,000 casualties. The unit produced one of the most highly decorated soldiers of the war, Sgt. Alvin York.
On November 11, 1918 not only did the First World War come to an end with the signing of the Versailles Treaty but it brought an end to Fort Gordon as well.
Between World War I and World War II (1920s and 1930s)
At the end of World War I, the government disposed of of the Camp Gordon property and it was sold at public auction being purchased by T.R. Sawtell, a real estate man who sold parcels of the property as farm land. However, a number of men in the Atlanta area came together and formed the Atlanta Aero Club. The men met with Mr. Sawtell to retain approximately 300 acres of fairly level land which they hoped could be developed into an airport. During the late 1920s and early 1930s, the club, through its efforts of its president, Jesse Draper, sought to arouse public interest in the building of an airport on the Sawtell Property.
The following provides a time-line of events leading up to the Second World War and how Dekalb Peachtree Airport was utilized during the War Effort:
1939 – Dekalb County, Georgia obtains WPA Assistance in the construction of the airport.
1940 – Dekalb County purchases the property and constructs dirt runways which were completed in 1941.
1941 – February 12, the first airplane lands at the Dekalb County Airport. The runways were paved a short time later.
1941 – In March, the field was officially commissioned as a U.S. Naval Reserve aviation base.
During the Second World War, Dekalb County Airport was a training base for pilots who flew F4-U Corsairs, Hellcats, Dauntless bombers and the PBY Catalina. These Naval aircraft were instrumental in helping keep the skies clear over the Pacific against the Japanese air force.
Such popular names as Tyrone Power, Robert Montgomery and Wayne Morris started their aviation training at Dekalb County Airport.
1959 - The military aircraft were transferred to the larger Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia where the Navy shared the runways there with the Air Force.
1959 – H.F. Manget, Jr hired by the Dekalb County Commission as the first airport manager and William E. Jayne as the chief air traffic controller.
1963 – Federal Aviation Administration furnished the airport with personnel and equipment to take over control of the air traffic.
1972 – 300 aircraft were based at Dekalb Peachtree Airport with the numbers increasing to over 400 by 1975. 48 corporations established their headquarters or representatives on the field by this time.
1986 – The number of based aircraft at the airport increased to 530.
1988 – 130 foot control tower completed on airport property. The control tower cost $2 million dollars.
Today, the airport is operational twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. There is twenty four hour security on the property and there are also a number of flight training schools present as well.
According to Mr. Mario Evans, Airport Assistant Director, explained that the only structures that still stand from the old Fort Gordon days is a smoke stack and a couple of hangars.
Mr. Evans also stated that Dekalb Peachtree Airport serves as backup to Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (rated as the busiest airport in the world) for all business related air travel.
There is much for the aviation enthusiast to do at Dekalb Peachtree Airport. For instance, there is an observation deck where people can view aircraft taking off and landing on the runways. There is also a Quonset hut for parties and gatherings and it is free to use on a first come first serve basis. There is a bulletin board to post events. There is a playground for children as well.
Some of this information was obtained from a copy of the Dekalb Peachtree Airport website given to the author by Mr. Evans. The website is: PDK Airport.
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