Victory Field, Vernon, Texas

Victory Field was a World War II-era military airfield located near Vernon, Texas. It served as one of the many contract pilot training facilities established by the U.S. Army Air Forces to meet the wartime demand for aviators. The field played a key role in training cadets before they advanced to more complex flight schools.

Victory Field was built in 1941 and operated as a basic flying school under contract with the U.S. Army Air Forces. Civilian instructors, supervised by military personnel, trained cadets in primary flight skills using aircraft such as the Fairchild PT-19 and PT-17 Stearman. Thousands of pilots passed through the base during its operation, contributing to the Allied air effort in World War II.

Following its deactivation in 1945, Victory Field was turned over to the War Assets Administration and later repurposed for civilian uses. It became the site of the Vernon State Home, serving veterans and dependents, and eventually evolved into a juvenile correctional facility operated by the Texas Youth Commission. Most wartime structures were removed, though traces of the original runways remain visible.