Editing Ent Air Force Base (section)

==Colorado Springs Tent Camp==

The Colorado Springs Tent Camp was the headquarters for the Second Air Force beginning early June 1943. It was moved from [[Fort George Wright]] in the state of Washington to the more central location within the western half of the United States—the Second Air Force territory.{{r|Gazette June 1943}} The tent city was used for soldiers who worked on the conversion of the [[National Methodist Sanatorium]]{{efn|The four-story [[National Methodist Sanatorium]] was converted into a building for the Ent Air Force Base.<ref name="Gazette June 1943">{{cite web|url=http://more.ppld.org:8080/specialcollections/index/ArticleOrders/2007/450846.pdf |title=Pikes Peak in war or peace, symbol of nature's wonderland |newspaper=The Gazette |location=Colorado Springs, Colorado |date=30 June 1943 |page=Supp:29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150211094726/http://more.ppld.org:8080/specialcollections/index/ArticleOrders/2007/450846.pdf |archive-date=11 February 2015}}</ref> The sanatorium, part of the Beth-El General Hospital complex, was opened in November 1926, dedicated to the treatment of tuberculosis.<ref name=CHH>{{Cite web|title=The Origin of Memorial Hospital, Colorado Springs |url=http://www.coloradohealthcarehistory.com/hospitals-memorial-colorado-springs.html |format=web chronology |work=Colorado's Healthcare Heritage |publisher=Thomas J. Sherlock |access-date=20 October 2013}}</ref> The Beth-El General Hospital became Memorial Hospital when it was sold to the city of Colorado Springs in 1943.{{r|CHH}} {{See also|Tuberculosis treatment in Colorado Springs}}}} for military use and construction of additional buildings for the base.{{r|Gazette June 1943}} Beginning in 1943, the Second Air Force was commanded by Major General [[Uzal Girard Ent]] who became the Commanding General after having been the Chief of Staff. Ent retired due to disability in the line of duty, due to injuries he sustained in a [[North American B-25 Mitchell|B-25]] crash in October 1944 during takeoff. He died on 5 March 1948.<ref name="Ent AF bio">{{Cite web  |url= https://www.af.mil/AboutUs/Biographies/Display/tabid/225/Article/108495/major-general-uzal-girard-ent.aspx |title=Biographies: Major General Uzal Girard Ent  |work=United States Air Force  |access-date=11 February 2015}}</ref> Major General [[Robert B. Williams (general)|Robert B. Williams]] became the commanding officer of the Second Air Force in October 1944; he retired 1 July 1946.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.af.mil/AboutUs/Biographies/Display/tabid/225/Article/108164/major-general-robert-b-williams.aspx | title=Major General Robert B. Williams | publisher=United States Air Force | access-date=11 February 2015}}</ref>

The facility became inactive when the 15th Air Force headquarters was assigned to [[March Air Reserve Base|March Air Force Base]] in November 1949. There were discussions about the city taking over the now unused property,<ref name="Deal underway">{{cite news | url=http://more.ppld.org:8080/SpecialCollections/Index/ArticleOrders/420077.pdf | title=Deal underway to give to city  |date=17 December 1949 | newspaper=Free Press |location=Colorado Springs, Colorado | page= 8:2 | access-date=11 February 2015 }}</ref> but in November 1950, it was announced that the base was to become the headquarters for the Air Defense Command.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://more.ppld.org:8080/specialCollections/Index/ArticleOrders/184705.pdf | title=Air defense of country will rest on Springs headquarters  |date=17 December 1950 | newspaper=The Gazette |location=Colorado Springs, Colorado | page=B1 | access-date=11 February 2015 }}</ref><ref name=Schaffel>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/TheEmergingShield | author=Kenneth Schaffel | year=1991 | title=Emerging Shield: The Air Force and the Evolution of Continental Air Defense 1945–1960 | series=General Histories | publisher=Office of Air Force History, United States Air Force | location=Washington, D.C. | isbn=0-912799-60-9 | access-date=26 September 2011 | url-access=registration }}</ref>{{rp|140}}