Today all that remains of the Airfield is the runways which are
cracked with grass growing in the cracks.
From the Harris Neck Wildlife Refuge web
site:
The 2,824 acres comprising Harris Neck NWR have had a long, and at
times, controversial history. Distinguished as one of the oldest
intensively farmed areas along the Georgia coast, Harris Neck was
among the first land grants given to early English and Scottish
settlers in 1750. While staple crops were produced, it was the high
quality Sea Island Cotton which brought European fame to the
coastal agricultural industry. Unfortunately, poor farming
practices soon exhausted the fragile sandy loan soils, and large
scale farming was abandoned in 1860.
The Civil War brought an end to the "Old South" plantation era,
and Harris Neck was divided into smaller farms. The community, thus
established, thrived until the advent of World War II, when the
U.S. Government condemned the property for use as an air base.
Twelve hundred acres were converted into a triangular landing strip
for use as a training facility by the War Department. The P-40
"Kittyhawk" (pictured below), used at Harris Neck Army Airfield,
later gained fame from missions with the legendary Flying Tigers,
who shot down 286 Japanese aircraft during WWII.
After World War II, the property was given to McIntosh County
for guardianship and use as a municipal airport. Due to county
mismanagement of the land resources, Harris Neck was transferred to
the Federal Aviation Agency. On May 25, 1962, the U.S. Bureau of
Sport Fisheries and Wildlife (forerunner of the USFWS) acquired the
property and established the area as a migratory bird refuge.
The sign at the old Harris Neck Army Airfield reads:
On December 7, 1941, when Pearl Harbor was attacked and
the United States was drawn into World War II, a detachment of air
guardsmen from Hunter Field in Savannah took over the existing
runway and support buildings at Harris Neck. Previously, Army
squadrons had used this facility for aerial gunnery training. In
1943, Harris neck became a permanent auxiliary-base of Dale Mabry
Field in Tallahassee, Florida, and was assigned to the 111 Fighter
Command.
At Harris Neck Field, the Army Corps trained pilots in
two types of single-seat fighter aircraft: the P-39 "Airacobra" and
the P-40, the famous "Kitty Hawk" flown by Chenault's "Flying
Tigers" in China. In February of 1944, the P-40 replaced the
Airacobra. Eleven pre-fabricated buildings and a hangar shed were
constructed the next month, and an officer's club was opened. In
May, barracks for 125 men, maintenance and machine shops,
warehouses, a non-commissioned officers' club and other facilities
were completed.
Harris Neck Field reached its zenith in September 1944. A
total of 575 enlisted personnel and 129 officers served at the
base. Thirty-two P-40's and five BT-13 planes were in use. However,
by November the troop level was significantly reduced. The post
theater remained open until the end of the year, offering
entertainment such as weekly films, and a USO Troupe visit. On
December 31, 1944, Harris Neck Field was deactivated and reassigned
to the Air Technical Service Command. Supplies, equipment, and
files were shipped to Warner Robbins (Georgia) and Dale Mabry Field
(Florida).
After WWII, the property was given to McIntosh County for
guadianship and use as a municipal airport. Due to mismanagement,
Harris Neck reverted back to the federal government. On May 25,
1962, the U.S.Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife (forerunner of
the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) acquired the land for a
migratory bird refuge.