Clinton - Sherman Air Force Base Clinton - Sherman Air Force Base ( 1954 – 1969 ) is a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base located near the town of Burns Flat in Washita County , Oklahoma , 15 miles ( 24 km ) southwest of the city of Clinton , Oklahoma . Today it is the site of the Clinton - Sherman Industrial Airpark . History . NAS Clinton . In 1942 , at the beginning of World War II , the United States Navy established a naval air station on 5 , 000 acres ( 20 km² ) of farmland in the area known as Burns Flat . The site was named Naval Air Station Clinton and was acquired by condemnation . Four runways and numerous installation support facilities were built . The mission of NAS Clinton was to train naval aviator s . After the war ended , NAS Clinton was closed in June 1946 , but for a period of time was used as a " graveyard " for thousands of naval aircraft from the war . Some of these planes were sold to individuals or companies , but most were dismantled and melted and sold as scrap . A portion of the airfield was leased by Sherman Iron Works for use in salvaging surplus combat aircraft and parts . On 27 January 1949 , the United States of America ( acting by and through the War Assets Administration ) conveyed the installation to the City of Clinton , Oklahoma by quitclaim deed . The deed contained a recapture clause for national emergency purposes . After the transfer the installation was used for a time as a civilian airport . Clinton - Sherman AFB . On 29 June 1954 , the Eighth Naval District Public Works and Dock Office in New Orleans , Louisiana was designated as the engineering agency for the United States Air Force for the purpose of rehabilitating buildings on the former NAS Clinton facility , and transition of the facility into an active Air Force base supporting the Strategic Air Command ( SAC ) . On 15 September 1954 , the United States of America leased the site from the City of Clinton to be used as an United States Air Force Base . The site consisted of of land in fee and of easements . On 15 March 1955 the formal transfer of the base was made to the USAF . The facility was renamed Clinton - Sherman Air Force Base , with the name being derived from the nearby city of Clinton , Oklahoma and the Sherman Iron Works . The Air Force modernized the old World War II naval air station with many new buildings , as well as constructing a main runway to support Boeing B - 52 Stratofortress bombers . The first tenant occupied the new base on 10 December 1957 when the Strategic Air Command activated the 4123rd Strategic Wing ( 4123 SW ) to perform B - 52 pilot training and development of aircraft equipment . It continued this mission until 15 November 1962 when the wing was inactivated . The 98th Bombardment Squadron ( 1959 – 63 ) operated B - 52E Stratofortress aircraft on operationally - ready status while assigned to the 4123 SW . The 4123 SW was replaced by the 70th Bombardment Wing , Heavy which absorbed the personnel and equipment of the training wing . The 70 BW was placed on operational status upon activation with the 61st and 98th Bombardment Squadrons being its operational flying squadrons . On 1 February 1963 , the 98 BS was inactivated with its personnel and equipment being transferred to the newly established 6th Bombardment Squadron . Initially equipped with B - 52E models , the 70 BW was upgraded to the B - 52D in 1968 along with some older B - 52Cs which had limited use . It conducted strategic bombardment training and air refueling missions from February 1963 to December 1969 . In addition to the training missions ( Matagorda Island Test Bomb - sight , Torrejon Spain , etc . ) , the 70th BW maintained a 24 - hour watch " Christmas Tree " of eight nuclear - loaded B - 52s ( each with two additional ' Hound Dog ' standoff nuclear missiles ) , and an " Alert Barracks " manned by full 24 - hour mission crews adjacent to the Christmas Tree . ( The Christmas - Tree area is clearly shown at the north end of the main runway in the aerial photo of the runway . ) The 70th BW additionally took part in the " Polar Route " missions ( Curtis LeMay ' s constant armed B - 52s in the air ) in rotation with other SAC bases . In addition to the SAC 70th BW mission , Clinton - Sherman acted as ( 1 ) a refueling and layover point for cross - country USAF and Naval aircraft ( mainly fighter aircraft of all sorts ) ; ( 2 ) as a flight training destination for US Army helicopters from Fort Sill and fighter trainers from Vance AFB ; and ( 3 ) as a diversion landing field when Tinker AFB was locked in by weather or traffic considerations . Preceding 2 paragraphs from a member of the Clinton - Sherman ' Base Ops ' crew ( we called in all aircraft flight plans ) , from mid - ' 63 to May ' 64 . For several months in both 1968 and 1969 , all of the 70 BW aircraft , most of the aircrew and maintenance personnel and some of its support people were loaned to other SAC units engaged in combat operations in the Far East and Southeast Asia . It was one of eleven SAC bomb wings that rotated such combat duty under the program known as Arc Light . In 1969 , military operations were de - emphasized and Clinton - Sherman AFB was designated for closure . Due to budgetary restrictions , the 70th Bombardment Wing was inactivated on 31 December 1969 and the USAF closed Clinton - Sherman AFB . Post USAF Closure use . On 1 June 1971 , the City of Clinton conveyed by Quitclaim deed to the General Services Administration ( GSA ) . On 3 June 1971 , the United States of America and the City of Clinton , Oklahoma , by mutual agreement , terminated the lease dated 15 September 1954 . On 1 July 1971 , the City of Clinton , Oklahoma , granted Midwestern Oklahoma Development Authority ( MODA ) a leasehold interest for a portion of the site , with said lease containing provisions for sub - leasing property . On 16 August 1972 , MODA leased to the United States of America a portion of the former Clinton - Sherman Air Force Base . On 28 February 1975 , the lease between MODA and the United States of America was terminated , with the United States retaining the right to reenter and use part of the land and improvements in the event of a national emergency . On 6 October 1989 , the leasehold interest between MODA and the City of Clinton was terminated Today the site continues as the Clinton - Sherman Industrial Airpark and the runway is one of the longest in the world . The runway is used daily for private non - commercial aircraft . In addition , the runway at Clinton - Sherman is routinely used for training purposes by USAF and USN aircraft at nearby bases . This includes Lockheed C - 5A / B Galaxy , Boeing C - 17 Globemaster III , and Boeing KC - 135 Stratotankers from Altus AFB ; Boeing E - 3 Sentry AWACS and U . S . Navy E - 6 Mercury TACAMO aircraft from Tinker AFB ; Lockheed C - 130 Hercules aircraft from Oklahoma City Air National Guard Base ; Lockheed Martin F - 16 Fighting Falcon s from Tulsa Air National Guard Base ; and Raytheon T - 1 Jayhawk s and Northrup T - 38 Talons from Vance AFB . The U . S . Air Force has also used the Clinton - Sherman site for training exercises such as " Mighty Force " and other exercises with personnel from Altus AFB or Tinker AFB . The location of the former naval air station World War II runways to the north and west of the main runway are still visiable on aerial photographs of the airport ; however they are not viable runways . USAF Postcard Gallery . Photos derived from USAF postcards of Clinton - Sherman AFB taken about 1958 / 1959