MacDill Air Force Base, Bounded by City of Tampa North, Tampa Bay South, Old Tampa Bay West, & Hillsborough Bay East, Tampa, Hillsborough County, FL

See HABS FL-384-A through FL-384-AY for additional information.

Significance: The period of significance of MacDill Air Force Base is 1939 to 1945. The Base, along with seven other installations, was planned through the National Defense Act of 1935 which was sponsored by Senator J. Mark Wilcox of West Palm Beach, Florida. At this time, the world democracies were being threatened by the military actions of Germany, Japan, and the Soviet Union. In 1939, the land was acquired and the first contingents of the Army Corps of Engineers and Works Projects Administration workers began clearing the site. The initial mission of MacDill was to defend the Caribbean Region. But when the United States entered the Second World War, the Base's primary mission became one of training replacement units and personnel for combat in both the European and Pacific theaters of operation. The Base is currently home of the Central Command which oversees military operations in the Persian Gulf. MacDill also served as the logistical point of command during Operation Desert Shield/Storm. Part of MacDill Air Force is scheduled to close: the flight operations and equipment portion of the Base which includes the hangars, runway, and igloos will be transferred to the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration. The non-closure area, which contains the administration buildings and barracks, is scheduled to remain in operation.

Survey number: HABS FL-384

Building/structure dates: 1938-1939 Initial Construction

Building/structure dates: 1993 Subsequent Work

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1939 - 1980

Library of Congress

http://www.loc.gov/

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