Marine Corps Air Facility Walnut Ridge Marine Corps Air Facility Walnut Ridge is a former United States Army and United States Marine Corps airfield located in Walnut Ridge , Arkansas . After it was closed , it was redeveloped into Walnut Ridge Regional Airport . History . Walnut Ridge Army Airfield . The origins of the facility date to the 1942 when Walnut Ridge was selected by the United States Army Air Corps for the establishment of a basic flying school as part of the 70 , 000 Pilot Training Program . It was one of many air fields created in the country ’ s interior during the war . Constructed though the late spring and summer , the facility was opened on 15 August 1942 as Walnut Ridge Army Airfield ( AAF ) . The airfield at Walnut Ridge consisted of a main 6 , 000 ft aligned 05 / 23 . It also had two 5 , 000 ft secondary runways aligned 01 / 19 and 14 / 28 ; all were concrete . In addition to the main airfield , several auxiliary airfields were constructed to support the training mission : Walnut Ridge AAF was placed under the jurisdiction of the Southeast Training Command , Army Air Forces Training Command . It ' s mission was the training of new pilots as part of their third - stage flight training . Training began of flight cadets in October 1943 , the Army Air Forces Flying School ( Basic ) at Walnut Ridge primarily flew Vultee BT - 13 Valiant single - engine monoplane trainers . Training statistics show that during the period from 1 November 1942 , thru 30 September 1943 , the training hours flown at Walnut Ridge were 160 , 648 . The average for all Basic Flying Schools in the Southeast Training Command was 129 , 474 . Walnut Ridge had . 49 accidents per 1000 hours versus . 57 accidents per 1000 hours average for all schools ; however , the fatal accident rate at Walnut Ridge was higher , . 087 per 1000 hours versus a . 052 average . The hours flown at Walnut Ridge through June 30 , 1944 , totaled 414 , 429 . Graduates from the basic flight school then were transferred to one of Training Command ' s Advanced flying schools that operated AT - 6 Texan Advanced trainers , and upon graduation , they were awarded their pilot ' s wings and commissioned as 2d lieutenant s . During its operation , Walnut Ridge had over 4 , 600 graduates . Forty - two students and instructors died in training . In addition to the flight school , Air Technical Service Command ( ATSC ) operated a major maintenance facility at Walnut Ridge . C - 47 Skytrain s , P - 40 Warhawk s , P - 51 Mustang s , B - 17 Flying Fortress es and later in the war , B - 29 Superfortress es , which were used for training in the United States , were flown here for phase maintenance and other necessary updates as directed . As part of the phase down of Army Air Forces pilot training , the Basic school at Walnut Ridge was closed at the end of June 1944 . The last class graduated on June 27 , 1944 , and the facility was transferred to the Department of the Navy . Marine Corps Air Facility . Under Navy control , the facility was used by the United States Marine Corps as a pilot training school . VMF - 513 was transferred to the base on 14 September 1944 and operated SBD - 5 ’ s and FG - 1D Corsair ’ s . Aparantley the school only operated until 4 December 1944 when the school was moved to MCAS Mojave , California . The Navy decommissioned the base on 15 March 1945 . RFC Walnut Ridge . With the end of World War II , the Reconstruction Finance Corporation ( RFC ) established a disposal and reclamation facility at Walnut Ridge for aircraft excess to the needs of the United States military . RFC Walnut Ridge became one of the largest disposal sites for aircraft in the united States . It is estimated that approximately 10 , 000 warbirds were flown to Walnut Ridge in 1945 and 1946 for storage and sale . Some sources report the number to be over 11 , 000 . Fighters , bombers , trainers , and all other manner of aircraft were offered for sale to the public , some of the planes being newly - manufactured and flown to Walnut Ridge directly from the assembly line . Some were sold to various civilian entities and to the general public ( less all armament and classified military components ) , however , most aircraft sent to Walnut Ridge were dismantled and their airframes shredded ; their hulks finding their way to two large aluminum smelters built on the flightline ramp . The smelters turned the aluminum of the aircraft into ingots , which were recycled and sold to industry for use in manufacturing a wide variety of items , from toasters to Mobile Homes . RFC Walnut Ridge disposed of aircraft until 1951 when it was closed . The smelters themselves were dismantled the next year and used as bricks for a civil administration / terminal building on the civil airport established by the City of Walnut Ridge .