Editing McChord Field (section)

=== Origins ===
[[File:Tacoma Narrows Bridge opening program June 30, 1940.jpg|thumb|right|Program for the opening of McChord Field, 3 July 1940]]
In 1917, the citizens of [[Pierce County, Washington|Pierce County]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]] approved a [[Government bond|bond]] measure for {{US$|2000000|1917|long=on}} to buy {{convert|70000|acre|km2|2}} of land to be donated to the [[Federal government of the United States|Federal Government]] for use as a [[military reservation]]. This land became Camp Lewis (and later [[Fort Lewis (Washington)|Fort Lewis]]). Ten years later, in 1927, another bond measure was passed to establish an airfield just north of the military reservation. The airfield, named Tacoma Field, officially opened 14 March 1930.<ref name="mchist">{{cite web | title=OUR HISTORY - MAINPAGE | website=McCHORD AIR MUSEUM HOMEPAGE | url=http://www.mcchordairmuseum.org/REV%20B%20TITLES%20OUR%20HISTORY4.htm | access-date=2021-09-16}}</ref>

On 28 February 1938 the airfield was officially transferred to the federal government. Three years after the transfer, on 3 July 1940, the airfield was renamed McChord Field,<ref name=mchadedto>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=b-FXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PvUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4747%2C672285 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |agency=Associated Press |title=M'Chord airport dedicated today |date=3 July 1940 |page=2}}</ref><ref name=hcsacded>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=MihWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_eMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6872%2C819631 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |agency=Associated Press photo |title=Huge crowd sees 2000-acre $18,000,000 air field dedicated |date=4 July 1940 |page=2 }}</ref> in honor of [[Colonel]] William Caldwell McChord,<ref>[http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/o/d/o/Patrick-R-Odonnell/PHOTO/0015photo.html William Caldwell McChord]</ref> who had been killed in an accident near [[Richmond, Virginia]] on 18 August 1937. Col. McChord, (1881–1937), rated as a junior military aviator in 1918, died while trying to force-land his [[Northrop A-17]] near [[Maidens, Virginia]]. At the time of his death, he was Chief of the Training and Operations Division in HQ Army Air Corps. Tacoma Field was renamed McChord Field, 17 December 1937.<ref name="Mueller">Mueller, Robert, "Air Force Bases Volume 1: Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982", United States Air Force Historical Research Center, Office of Air Force History, Washington, D.C., 1989, {{ISBN|0-912799-53-6}}, page 391.</ref> Over the subsequent two decades McChord Field grew to roughly {{convert|3000|acre|km2|abbr=on}}, encompassing the northern tip of the {{convert|70000|acre|km2|abbr=on}} Ft. Lewis. It became independent of Ft. Lewis in 1947 following the creation of the Air Force under provisions of the [[National Security Act of 1947]] and was subsequently named McChord AFB.<ref name="mchist"/>