Locals have an opportunity to enjoy a historical event and to walk in the footsteps of heroes from the past at Eagle Field. The Warbird Fly-In, Military Vehicle Meet, and Dinner Dance is on the weekend of June 4..
World War II aircraft, military vehicles, and vintage cars will be on display. For example, past events featured classic Jeeps. half-tracks, weasels, command cars, tanks, apcs, cargo trucks, weapons carriers, staff cars, and artillery/anti-aircraft pieces.
The dinner on June 4, catered by Espana’s, offers a choice of steak, chicken, or veggie lasagna. Knights Sounds of Modesto, an 18 piece live big band, will recall the 1940s with classic big band music.
Attendees are encouraged to dress in period attire. Veterans will receive special recognition.
Military Vehicles arrive on Friday and Saturday. Those displaying a vehicle can camp out through Sunday with showers available. Anyone who wants to display a military vehicle, should contact Don Gomes at (209) 765-1273.
There will be a barbeque and campfire on Friday night. Saturday will include filming for YouTube and a military parade at 5:30 p.m. Everyone able should wear miliary clothing for the video. Breakfast and lunch will be available on Saturday.
The Eagle Field motto is “Where History Lives.” Visit the museum’s website to see a YouTube video of a PV-2 Harpoon running up engines at Eagle Field.
The Dinner Dance and Fly In Facebook page explains, “As many of our heroes are slowly becoming but a page in our history books, it is of great importance that we preserve their legacy for future generations.” That legacy is “honor, courage, and a country of Americans that put their differences aside and joined as one to overcome the twentieth century’s greatest crisis.”
Some locals know other fascinating uses of Eagle Field since its World War II glory days. It was a set location for the 2008 movie Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
According to the museum’s website, the Eagle Field original Administration Building represented the 1957 airport terminal at Nazca, Peru. Many of Eagle Field’s vintage vehicles were used to decorate the set.
Set decorators spent a week preparing the set. To build a Peruvian market they brought in truckloads of props that included live goats and chickens.
During the filming, an Antonov An-2 aircraft, designed like Pan American Airways, was flown in for a scene with Harrison Ford. The script called for Indiana and his son Mutt (played by Shia LaBeouf) to drop into the airport terminal.
The website recalls, “Harrison and Shia were on site for filming as well as director Steven Spielberg and producer George Lucas.” Harrison Ford was the pilot of a Cessna 208 Caravan which he landed at Eagle Field for the filming.
Interestingly, the last day of shooting for the film was at Eagle Field. The cast and crew held a wrap party barbeque after finishing filming. Jim Bertao gave Mr. Spielburg, known to be a WWII history buff, a guided tour of the museum.
Eagle Field now is on a list of potential filming location for other projects. It was designated because it worked well for the movie Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Jim Bertao, local Eagle Field historian, explains on the Eagle Field Museum website, “With the war already raging in Europe and tensions building in the Pacific, the United States War Department began contracting with civilian flight schools to train pilots for the U.S, Army. Coast Aviation of Palo Alto, California, was one such operator.”
The owners chose a location southwest of Dos Palos for a second flight school to fill pilot needs of the War Department. With groundbreaking on March 12, 1942, Eagle Field was launched. The first cadet pilots arrived in June 1942.
For this 80th Anniversary event, check out Eagle Field Dinner Dance and Fly In on Facebook. See eaglefieldmuseum.net for information. Call (925) 383-3916. E-mail michelle.knobbe@sbcglobal.net.
Eagle Field is located at 11100 W. Eagle Avenue. For navigational systems, use Firebaugh although Dos Palos has roots with the historic air base. During World War II, famous big bands came to Dos Palos to play for dances held in an Eagle Field hanger. When you attend an Eagle Field event, you become part of living history.
