Drew Field
By the Raymond James Stadium,
Tampa
Hillsborough County Florida
DREW FIELD
(Continued from other side)
Bombers began operating at Drew Army Airfield in mid-1940 and included 500 service personnel by August 1941. Combat bombing crews trained at Drew Field during the war, and over 100,000 soldiers were stationed there between 1940-45. During that period, the base was developed with nearly 3.000 buildings, including barracks, classrooms, hospital facilities, libraries, theatres and rec- reation halls. The base also included a complex to house prisoners of war.
Shortly after the war ended in 1945, Drew Field was deactivated as an army air corps base and some of its property was converted to a municipal airport. National Airlines and Eastern Airlines both served the airport by mid-1946. In 1947. the city of Tampa bought the Drew Field property from the federal War Assets Administration. Serving as the municipal airport, its name changed to Tampa International Airport in 1952. Over the years it was deeded from the City of Tampa to the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority. Other property, formerly part of Drew Field, is the site of Hillsborough Community College and Steinbrenner Field. The neighborhood of Drew Park also occupies property that had been included within Drew Field.
ERECTED 2016
DREW PARK COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AREA
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY HISTORICAL ADVISORY COUNCIL
