Joining the team

I grew up around the Alma School/Ray Rd area. I remember when Williams was open. I had a few friends who were out there. That was one of the reasons I joined the Air Force. Moved away from there in 96 to join and have only been back a couple of times. I still remember when Chandler Blvd was the only paved road from I-10 into Chandler. I hear it's grown a ton over the last 15 years.

 

i was born in the williams afb hospital...

 

Yeah, my dad would go from our house in Glendale up to 51st Ave. to Baseline and go all the way east to some other road that crossed to Williams Field Rd. to get to Williams.

That is cool to find a person who was born in the hospital that is no longer there. Take Care. TD24

 

what i find interesting about being born at williams afb is that i have absolutely no memories of the base or of chandler. well, that's not quite true, exactly.

my father was undergoing jet fighter instruction at williams afb in preparation for deploying to korea for the war. two weeks after i was born, we moved to nellis afb where my dad transitioned into the F86 sabre fighter. my mom and i then moved to rock springs, wy, where she grew up and had family, while my dad went to korea to help keep the world safe for democracy. dad was less than impressed with this, having already been drafted once to fight ww2.

anyway, williams afb was shut down before i ever considered going back to see what the place looked like. the apartment in which i first lived had long since been torn down, etc, etc.

the only memory of chandler i have is going to the funeral of one of my best ever friends who died in a car crash

 

Even though Williams isn't an active AFB now, you can still go out there and see the old place. It is now owned by Arizona State University. The land is open for anyone to drive on. Most of the old buildings are still out there and the flightline is still active. ASU uses the flightline for thier pilot instructor course. The last time I was out there was back in 2001. It still looked like it did back in 70's.

 

True, I flew out of there on the one Airline that runs out of there rather then PHX, I flew straight into Missoula when I went to Orientation, There was a huge construction project going on there and I think there are other airlines coming in there.