K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base, Michigan
Longitude: -87.3954
Origin of current name: Named for Mr. Kenneth Ingalls Sawyer (1884-1944). In 1941, Sawyer, a county road commissioner, presented the plan for the county airport that became K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base.
Date current name was assigned to base: 8 May 1959
Previous Names: K. I. Sawyer Airport, 8 Apr 1956 (when converted to military use)
Date Established: 8 Apr 1956
Date Occupied: Apr 1956
Construction Began: 1 Feb 1955
Changes in Capability: ADC completed SAGE complex mid-1959; flying, operational, and billeting structures and facilities including runway constructed 1959; 575 Capehart housing units completed Jan 1960; major runway repairs Jun 1963, 1965; base continued to accommodate B-52/KC-135 operations when SAC became host command 1 Jan 1964; three-story NORAD building acquired Mar 1964; 300 housing units and 100 trailers added early 1965; facilities modified and expanded when 87th FI Sq replaced 62d FI Sq (both tenant ADC units) Jun 1971; regional hospital dedicated Nov 1977; upgrading of high temperature water line completed Nov 1977.
Major Changes in Status: None
In 1954 the government entered into negotiations with Marquette County for Sawyer's lease. After several months of meetings and negotiations, a 99 year lease was signed on January 24, 1955. Construction started almost immediately. Approximately 850 people were employed during the construction and several local contractors were involved.
On January 24, 1956 Lt/Col Robert L. Blocklehurst became the first commander of K.I. Sawyer AFB. The runway was completed in 1957 and in 1958 25 F-102 Aircraft were sent TDY (Temporary Duty) from Kinross AFB at Sault Ste. Marie to operate out of Sawyer for several months, while the runways at Kinchelo were being repaired and extended.
The 62nd F1S from O'Hare airport in Chicago was transferred to Sawyer and became an operational F-101 "Voodoo" squadron in 1959 after the runways at Sawyer were extended to 12,300 feet.
The Strategic Air Command (SAC) became operational as a tenant unit with the assignment of a KC-135 Air Refueling Squadron and soon was replaced by the 46th Air Refueling Squadron. The first B-52H arrived at Sawyer in August 1961 along with the 410th Bomb Wing.
The Sault Ste. Marie Air Defense Sector (SAGE) continued in operation until September 1963 and in January 1964 control of the base was passed from the Air Defense Command to the Strategic Air Command, leaving the 410 Bomb Wing as the host unit to date.
The f-101 equipped 62 Fighter Interceptor Squadron remained at Sawyer as a tenant unit until April 1971 when it was deactivated and replaced by the 87th Fighter Interceptor Squadron and its F-106 Delta Dart aircraft were transferred from Duluth Municipal Airport, Minnesota. The 87th F1S was deactivated and the F-106 aircraft left in 1985.
Other aircraft assigned to Sawyer over the years included H-43B and HH-1H rescue helicopters leaving in 1977. FB-111 aircraft assigned to Pease AFB, New Hampshire were on satellite alert at Sawyer in 1974 and 1975. The last aircraft assigned to Sawyer were six T-37 jet trainers of the 71 FTW assigned to "Accelerated Copilot enrichment Program" in 1977 and are presently assigned to the "Companion Trainer Program" under the 410 Bomb Wing and the Air Combat Command.
On June 1, 1995, an Inactivation Ceremony was held. By August of the same year, the Base Deactivation Ceremony was held.
The last B-52 left in November of 1994. Sawyer was closed on September 30, 1995. Chief Master Sergeant Vaughn Stewart, the last military member, left in December, 1996.
