Editing Luke Air Force Base (section)

=== Origins ===
In 1940, the [[U.S. Army]] sent a representative to Arizona to choose a site for a [[U.S. Army Air Corps]] training field for advanced training in conventional fighter aircraft. The city of Phoenix bought {{convert|1440|acre|km2|1}} of land, which they leased to the government at $1 a year effective 24 March 1941. On 29 March 1941, the [[Del Webb|Del. E. Webb]] Construction Co. began excavation for the first building at what was known then as Litchfield Park Air Base.<ref name=":0" /> Another base known as Luke Field, in [[Pearl Harbor]], [[Hawaii]], released its name so the Arizona base could be called Luke Field. Advanced flight training in the [[AT-6 Texan]] began at Luke in June that same year. The first class of 45 students, Class 41 F, arrived on 6 June 1941 to begin advanced flight training in the AT-6, although a few essential buildings had been completed. Flying out of [[Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport|Sky Harbor Airport]] until the Luke runways were ready, pilots received 10 weeks of instruction and the first class graduated 15 August 1941. Then-captain [[Barry Goldwater]] served as director of ground training the following year.