P-1F Hawk, 28-61, crashed, killing him instantly. On 13 June 1941, the War Department officially named the new installation Tyndall Field.

On 7 December 1941, the first of 2,000 troops arrived at Tyndall Field. The first class of gunnery students began in February 1942. Although construction was incomplete, instructors and students began preparing for the first class. The first class of 40 gunnery students began on 23 February 1942. Of the thousands