Tonight I dug into my vast collection of military trade tokens and retrieved this blue plastic token: CA840a; McClellan AFB, Sacramento, California Obv.: MCCLELLAN / AFB / 25¢ / NCO CLUB Rev.: GOOD / FOR 25¢ IN / TRADE Plasitc, blue, 28mm McClellan Air Force Base (AFB) had a long but not very glamorous past as an Air Force overhaul center for aircraft and space/ground communication electronics. McClellan AFB was first established in July 1936 and was operational in November 1938 as Sacramento Air Depot (Locating Air Force Base Sites*, 2014). It's first mission was repair and overhaul of P-38 and P-39 aircraft. The sort of work performed would be jobs that exceed field repair capabilities or upgrades that would be impractical to do where the aircraft was located. This is known as depot level maintenance. P-38 P-39 The Depot Facility In the tradition of naming airfields after fallen airmen Sacramento Air Depot was renamed McClellan Field on 1 December 1939. Major Hezekiah McClellan pioneered arctic aviation and died at Wright Field in 1935 flying a P-30. With the outbreak of World War II McClellan Field began overhaul/repair operations of P-40, B-17, and B-26 aircraft in addition to the P-38 and P-39. The famous Doolittle Raiders stopped at McClellan Field to arm their aircraft before embarking on the Tokyo bombing mission. McClellan Field would continue to arm aircraft throughout the war, as they were sent to the Pacific theater. After World War II and when the Air Force was established as a separate service, McClellan Field was renamed McClellan Air Force Base in 1948. It's mission as a depot facility continued and numerous aircraft would come to McClellan AFB for repair or overhaul/upgrade: F-80, F-86, F-100, F104, T-33, F-111, A-10, and F-15. F-111 Depot I found the above picture particularly interesting because it appears they're doing fuel systems repair which is my job in the Air Force. If you look at the aircraft in the foreground you'll notice a large black object in front of the right wing and it appears to be a fuel cell. Also notice the the holes in the aircraft on top of the fuselage in the center - those are likely removed fuel tank access panels. Finally note the person at the aircraft's left dressed in white. White cotton coveralls are required when performing in tank maintenance. With very few exceptions, the Air Force has a long history of draw downs in force; less people, less planes, less bases. McClellan AFB was first targeted in the Reagan administration for closure under the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) committee and faced it two more times. Under the Clinton administration in the 1995 BRAC it was decided to close the base. 13 July 2001 McClellan AFB was closed. Today the airfield remains, where a Coast Guard unit flies C-130s with a few buildings still being utilized. Parts of the base also serve as the Aerospace Museum of California where 40 aircraft are on display including an A-1E Skyraider! @longnine009 A-1E Skyraider *My sources are limited on McClellan to Google searches and the book "Locating Air Force Base Sites: History's Legacy" edited by Frederick J. Shaw. Air Force History and Museums Program, Unites States Air Force. Updated edition 2014. Other sources had conflicting information concerning the various names McClellan had prior to being named after McClellan AFB and I chose to defer to Shaw's work. While I don't expect a lot of McClellan tokens to be posted, feel free to post whatever you want! It's a free-for-all!
One of my uncles, now deceased, was in aircraft maintenance in the Air Force. I wish someone was still around who could tell me whether he served there. Thanks for posting!
Outside my area of expertise but I think if you have some identifying information you can get things like service records with a social security number.
Thanks Chris! My photo isn't what I want it to be but I don't yet have a better home for the token so it stayed in it's cardboard 2x2.
Here you go Satin: So you say you can’t find your separation document and you need to get a copy of DD214? Or you need to find it for your relative? You can obtain separation documents (usually called a DD-214) from The National Archives. http://nvf.org/how-to-get-a-copy-of-dd214/
Hey Jack fantastic write-up and images! It's a real shame they closed down a base with that kind of history. But those Able Dogs still rock.
Great post Jwt. Spend a couple of years south of MacClellan at Castle AFB, when it was a SAC base in the 1960's.
Anything for Oxnard AFB? They shut it down sometime in the 1960s. I remember it and now it's a civilian airport...mostly small planes, jail, other fun things.
Thanks for posting the history and the great photos, Jack. An interesting and informative read. Bruce
Here's a Nha Trang (Air base) token I picked up last year. It's VN3250b, brass, M/A, 18mm, 1.8grms. Nha Trang was the main base for USAF special ops conducted by the 14th Air Commando Wing. They operated gunships that were modified cargo aircraft such as AC-47, AC-130, AC-119. So the "AC" (attack cargo) replaced the "C." Nha Trang also flew my favorite: Skyraiders. All of these aircraft carried out, ground attacks, close air support, re-supply, extractions, armed photo recon, SARs (search and rescue) and interdiction-ie attacking supply lines running the Ho Chi Minh trail. They also conducted psyops which was usually leaflets or loud speakers at low alittude from a AC-47 or Cessna Skymaster. Psyops aircraft were referred to as the BS bomber. They also conducted psyops in Vietnam with drones but I'm not sure if they used them at Nha Trang. As a big side note, drones played a big role in Vietnam. We'll never know how many pilots were not shot down because a SAM site gave up it's position to shoot down a drone. Drones were a military technology first. Something to remember when people are gushing as if drones were invented last year by some corporate gimp in black from Silicone valley. Here's a cool link about them: http://peteralanlloyd.com/general-news/the-use-of-drones-during-the-vietnam-war/
The usual practice when getting home after separation or discharge was to have your DD214 registered with the county clerk of your county, at least in New York. Unaware what it takes for someone else to get a copy.
Folks, the Sacramento coin show is actually now located ON McClellan AFB (actually in a local hotel that was converted from military use there). Coming up in 2 weeks. If you're local, you might get a pretty penny for that token (or some ugly wrinkled $100 bills, who knows?!?!) http://sacramentocoinshow.com/
Great write up Jack, and I like those challenge coins............ The Skyraider and P-38's too........
