The Frost Patrol

Along with the Dawn Patrol, another group composed of many of the same pilots, flew what they called the Frost Patrol. This hardy band of aviators climbed out of bed way before dawn, and because the planes had no electrical systems, flew without lights to the gladiolus fields. They flew low back and forth over the fragile plants, stirring up the wind to keep the frost from settling on them and killing the blooms.

Pilot Perry Snell recalls the "worst part of the job was that you knew in the semi-darkness someone else without lights was flying over the next field."

But the business of war was proceeding apace. In February of 1945, the first German prisoners of war arrived. Twenty-five were assigned to Page Field and put to work completing a stockade and preparing quarters for 200 more prisoners who were to be assigned here.

August of 1945 was a difficult month for the men stationed at Page Field. It was marked by tragedy when Second Lt. Robert L. Cochran was reported missing from a routine flight. After an intensive three-day land, air and sea search, he was declared dead. Furthermore, as a result of Japan's surrender, change was once again in the wind and the personnel at Page Field were being reduced in number.

First Lt. James M. Rodgers, Jr., historical officer for the base, summed it up when he wrote, "It is now September 1945 and on the 30th of this month, Page Field, with the exception of a skeleton crew of post engineers, will have become completely inactivated--stripped of its aircraft, a mere memory to the men who trained here and gone out to win the victory that is ours."

During this time, the Army Air Corps had built longer runways, expanded the field by buying more land, and put up many buildings, some of which served as housing for the men and are still standing today. After the war, some of the buildings were sold to veterans for homes; others were sold for commercial use and indeed an industrial park exists at this writing at Page Field.

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