Atticus Finch
Call Me a Cab
- Messages
- 2,718
- Location
- Coastal North Carolina, USA
Hi Folks,
Some recent discussion on another forum has sparked my interest in the Oak Grove Marine Corps Airfield, which is literally next door to my house. I have done a bit of research on this old airfield's history and I would like to share with you.
Oak Grove was built in 1942 as one of the satellite fields for the then new Cherry Point MCAS. There were other fields placed here and there along the North Carolina Coast, as well. Atlantic Field, Beaufort Field and Bogue Field, all of which still exist, were also satellite fields for Cherry Point. While Oak Grove was only a satellite field, there were squadrons stationed there during the war, the most famous being VMF-513. This squadron flew Hellcats and helped pioneer the use of air-to-ship rockets for the U.S. Navy. Later, in 1944, the 513th saw action in the Pacific and, sadly, lost some good pilots there.
After the war, Oak Grove was pretty much abandoned. The Marine Corps still owned it, but it wasn't used. In fact, back in the early '60s, the local kids from New Bern used to have nightly car races on Oak Grove's runways. There was no gate to keep people out and there were no military personnel there. One simply drove onto the field whenever he wanted and raced as long as he wanted. I guess it was illegal, but everyone did it and no one was ever prosecuted.
Then, sometime in the late sixties or early seventies, during the Vietnam War, the USMC again stationed a few people there and started using it as a practice LZ for helicopters. Today, it is occasionally manned by a few Marines and civilians, and then only during daylight hours. It is mainly used for the practice landing of various USMC rotary aircraft including the new Osprey.
But at night, it becomes a very dark and lonely place. There are no lights there. There are no people there. There is only the sound of crickets and the wind in the tall Carolina pines. The old tarmac is only about a half mile across an antebellum cotton field from my front door. More than once, while sitting on my porch listening to the rural night sounds, I could swear that I'd hear the unmistakable rumble of an old WWII-era radial engine coughing to life. The sound echos across the cotton field from the old, darkened tarmac like a deep voice from the past, and then, in a instant, it melts into the wind.
Here are some photos of the old field.
This is a view of Oak Grove in 1942. There appears to be snow on the ground and the runways are still under construction. Forty-four years later, in an area just beyond the upper right corner of this photo, my house would be built.
VMF-513---taken while it was stationed at Oak Grove. For whatever reason, they appear to be standing in front of an early model Corsair rather than a Hellcat.
The VMF-513's WWII patch.
Oak Grove in the seventies. The second photo below, once again, shows snow on the ground---solid evidence that it has snowed at least twice in North Carolina's history.
A crashed, sixties-era aircraft in the woods off the end of Oak Grove's southwest-northeast runway. I haven't a clue as to how or why this plane crashed. I've heard that it was dropped by a helicopter that was transporting it somewhere. Frankly, though, I doubt this story.
Atticus
Some recent discussion on another forum has sparked my interest in the Oak Grove Marine Corps Airfield, which is literally next door to my house. I have done a bit of research on this old airfield's history and I would like to share with you.
Oak Grove was built in 1942 as one of the satellite fields for the then new Cherry Point MCAS. There were other fields placed here and there along the North Carolina Coast, as well. Atlantic Field, Beaufort Field and Bogue Field, all of which still exist, were also satellite fields for Cherry Point. While Oak Grove was only a satellite field, there were squadrons stationed there during the war, the most famous being VMF-513. This squadron flew Hellcats and helped pioneer the use of air-to-ship rockets for the U.S. Navy. Later, in 1944, the 513th saw action in the Pacific and, sadly, lost some good pilots there.
After the war, Oak Grove was pretty much abandoned. The Marine Corps still owned it, but it wasn't used. In fact, back in the early '60s, the local kids from New Bern used to have nightly car races on Oak Grove's runways. There was no gate to keep people out and there were no military personnel there. One simply drove onto the field whenever he wanted and raced as long as he wanted. I guess it was illegal, but everyone did it and no one was ever prosecuted.
Then, sometime in the late sixties or early seventies, during the Vietnam War, the USMC again stationed a few people there and started using it as a practice LZ for helicopters. Today, it is occasionally manned by a few Marines and civilians, and then only during daylight hours. It is mainly used for the practice landing of various USMC rotary aircraft including the new Osprey.
But at night, it becomes a very dark and lonely place. There are no lights there. There are no people there. There is only the sound of crickets and the wind in the tall Carolina pines. The old tarmac is only about a half mile across an antebellum cotton field from my front door. More than once, while sitting on my porch listening to the rural night sounds, I could swear that I'd hear the unmistakable rumble of an old WWII-era radial engine coughing to life. The sound echos across the cotton field from the old, darkened tarmac like a deep voice from the past, and then, in a instant, it melts into the wind.
Here are some photos of the old field.
This is a view of Oak Grove in 1942. There appears to be snow on the ground and the runways are still under construction. Forty-four years later, in an area just beyond the upper right corner of this photo, my house would be built.
VMF-513---taken while it was stationed at Oak Grove. For whatever reason, they appear to be standing in front of an early model Corsair rather than a Hellcat.
The VMF-513's WWII patch.
Oak Grove in the seventies. The second photo below, once again, shows snow on the ground---solid evidence that it has snowed at least twice in North Carolina's history.
A crashed, sixties-era aircraft in the woods off the end of Oak Grove's southwest-northeast runway. I haven't a clue as to how or why this plane crashed. I've heard that it was dropped by a helicopter that was transporting it somewhere. Frankly, though, I doubt this story.
Atticus
