Trip Report: Mission to Marfa
First published in 2003. Reformatted 2025. Marfa is what you might call an out-of-the-way place. I was not likely to just happen to be in the area. But I did need to visit the former Marfa AAFld. So, a dedicated trip was called for. Just a reminder PIN means Permanent Installation Number and ILC means Installation Location Code; I include these for Air Force properties when I know them.Saturday, 6 September 2003
Site 29, EO-JI TX, 30-03, 102-13. Hitting the road at 0600, I headed west on I-10 to Sheffield. From there, I went south on SR 340 to Dryden, and looked for the Terrell County Airport (6R6). This was formerly an intermediate field. In June 1941, it was coded as an Army Air Corps station.General view
General view Win Field TX, 30-53-15, 102-49-50. Taking US 90 west to Sanderson, then US 285 north, I drove to Fort Stockton. My first stop was an auxiliary field to Gibbs Field during WWII. One hangar remains, just off the I-20 access road.
Hangar
Hangar Gibbs Field TX, 30-55, 102-55. Motoring across town to the west, I visited the Fort Stockton-Pecos County Airport (FST). During WWII this was a contract flying school operated by Pacific Air Schools, Inc., from June 1942 until approximately early 1944. Several vintage hangars remain on the airport, as does the operations building. The foundation remnants of other buildings are visible. I was pleased to see the heritage of the field prominently displayed.
Hangars
Hangar
Hangar
Hangar
Foundation remains
Operations building
Operations building detail Marfa Army Air Field TX, 30-16-00, 103-52-30. From Fort Stockton I drove toward Marfa. Several miles east of town, I looked for the former airfield. Traces of curbs or foundations are visible through the fence along the highway to the east.
General view
General view Marfa Radio Range and Transmitter Station TX, 30-17-54, 103-57-17. A few miles closer to Marfa, I noted the current Marfa VOR, an FAA-operated NAVAID. Based on vintage plans, I believe this modern NAVAID is on the same property as the WWII radio range.
General view Fort D.A. Russell TX, 30-18-00, 104-01-40. In the southwest part of Marfa, I found this former fort. The entrance gate was open, and I noted some vintage buildings on the property. This installation, originally called Camp Albert and then Camp Marfa, hosted Signal Corps biplanes that patrolled the Mexican Border. In 1920, it was listed as a U.S. Border Patrol Station of the Air Service. The current Border Patrol has a facility adjacent to the former main gate. In September 1945, Fort D.A. Russell was listed as a sub-base of Marfa AAFld.
Historical marker
Gate
Building Marfa Auxiliary Field No. 4 TX, 30-21-20, 104-00-40. Just a few miles north of Marfa, I stopped at the Marfa Municipal Airport (MRF). This airfield, then known as either C.A.A. Airport or Marfa New Municipal Airport, served as an auxiliary to Marfa AAFld during WWII. Now it's a sleepy little general aviation field.
General view Lonestar Pecos Electronic Scoring Site TX, ILC PECO, 31-13-02, 103-39-35. I drove north from Marfa. As I neared Pecos, I found this new ESS. Activated as Pecos Electronic Scoring Site on 12 April 2001, it was renamed on 6 March 2002 (the special order uses "Lonestar" though the facility sign uses "Lone Star"). The site became operational in early 2002, replacing the facility at La Junta, Colorado.
Sign
General view
General view
Building Pecos AAFld TX, I had previously visited but back in 1997 I didn't realize that part of the industrial and cantonment areas was north of the present-day I-20. Comparing historic layout plans against current maps and photos, I found some WWII vintage warehouses, and some remnants of federal public housing (probably Lanham Act civilian war worker housing).
Warehouses
Location of former housing I secured accommodations in the Best Western Swiss Clock Inn, calling it quits for the day after covering 676 miles in 13 hours.
Sunday, 7 September 2003
Smithers Emitter Site TX, 31-19-32, 103-14-27. With wheels in the well at a leisurely 0645, I looked for an emitter site supporting the Pecos ESS. Described as LS No. 59 in RBTI documents, and activated on 1 March 2001, the signs indicated RBTI Smithers Emitter Site. It looked like a typical Mini-MUTES (short for Miniature Multiple Threat Emitter Simulator) site.View from gate
General view
Signage
Signage and gate
Equipment Pyote Air Force Station TX, PIN 3300, 31-28-40, 103-10-07. The operations area was visible in the distance.
General view Pyote Air Force Base TX, 31-31-00, 103-08-30. I noted from afar that the side walls of a hangar still stand.
Hangar walls Pyote Water Supply Annex TX, 31-32-34, 103-03-51. This former water well facility served Pyote AFS. It is in an overgrown area between SR 57 and I-20; current use is unknown.
General view Imperial Emitter Site TX, 31-14-57, 102-39-23. Next on my list was another Mini-MUTES site of Pecos ESS. This one was activated on 1 March 2001, and is described in documents as LS No. 82. The signs call it the RBTI Imperial Emitter Site.
Gate
Signage
General view McCamey Gap Filler Annex TX (TM-197A), 30-54-10, 102-04-42. Driving south, I picked up I-10 heading east. Along US 190 I had a glimpse of the former gap filler. It is now surrounded by a wind turbine farm. Supporting Ozona Air Force Station, this site was acquired in 1957 and inactivated in 1963.
Distant view From there I jumped back on I-10 and headed back to San Antonio. This was a short day of 462 miles, in 8.5 hours. This weekend trip covered a total of 1,138 miles. Updated March 29, 2025
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