Character of Midland
Books Available at www.petroleummuseum.org/shop.
  • Character Blog
  • About the Book
  • About Jimmy

Stories. Why Midland is a good home for vintage warbirds.

10/8/2010

3 Comments

 
Picture
As the cool October skies are filled with the familiar buzzing of vintage military aircraft in preparation for Midland's annual AirSho, people no doubt often wonder why Midland? Why is the Commemorative Air Force, with its treasure trove of historic aircraft, located in such a remote outpost?

History buffs need look no further than the fuel tank for that answer. Midland and the surrounding Permian Basin oilfields played an integral part in the allied forces' success in World War II, supplying much of the fuel that bolstered our efforts and lead the forces to victory

Closer to home, the Army Airfield that was headquartered where the CAF now stands today played a huge role in the history of Midland itself; many of the scores of people I've been privileged to interview for my book on MIdland's history mention the importance of the airfield. When World War II was over, many of the buildings were moved or parceled off and continued to house businesses, churches, etc., in the Tall City.

One source for "A History of Character: The Story of Midland, Texas" told me that he had read that the official British histories of both World War I and World War II open with the same sentence: "The allies floated to victory on a wave of Texas oil." No doubt much of that black gold came from right underneath us.

And by the way, if anyone can verify that the above statement is in fact the lead sentence in the British history accounts of the two wars, please drop me a note.

(Photo by John A. Weeks.)

This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.
3 Comments
missy moscoe
10/9/2010 04:23:33 am

You should interview my uncle, Newnie Ellis, whom is from one of the pioneering families of Midland.

Reply
Beth Rodgers Murphy
10/13/2010 04:02:27 am

I think Missy's idea of interviewing Newnie is a GREAT idea. He's seen a lot in Midland...lots of changes and lots of people.

Reply
Jimmy
10/26/2010 10:04:37 pm

Thanks for the tip, Missy. I'll do that.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    About the Blog

    Welcome, and thanks for your interest in what will be a rewarding trip through our shared past. This "History of Character" blog is only the beginning. A book by the same name -- "A History of Character: The Story of Midland, Texas" -- will be published September 2014. Through this blog you'll be able to track the progress of the project and learn along with the book's author, Jimmy Patterson. If you have stories to share that you think deserve mention in the history of our city, drop an email to historyofcharacter@gmail.com.

    Archives

    November 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    January 2012
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010

    Categories

    All
    A History Of Character
    Character
    Compassion
    Courage
    Discrimination
    History
    History Of Character
    Integrity
    Jno. Butler
    Joe Chavez
    John Butler
    John P. Butler
    Midland
    Mike Bradford
    Ntral
    Odessa
    People
    Sid Trevino
    Thoughts
    Vision
    Wadley

    RSS Feed