The collection documents McClellan Air Force Base through base newspapers, historical studies, oral histories, and photographs. Material dates from 1942 to 2001. The largest part of the collection consists of bound volumes of the McClellan newspapers "Sacramento Air Depot (SAD) News," "Command Post," "Pacemaker," and "Spacemaker," dating from 1942 through the base's closure in 2001. The rest of the collection contains written oral histories of people associated with McClellan, historical studies of the base and the Sacramento Air Logistics Center, and photographs of the base.

McClellan Air Force Base was established as the Sacramento Air Depot in 1936 during the lead up to the United States' involvement in World War II. It began operations in 1939. That same year, the name was changed to McClellan Field in honor of Major Hezekiah McClellan. The base was extremely active during World War II, employing over 20,000 military and civilian workers who focused on the repair, arming, and preparation of aircraft for the Pacific Theater. The base was renamed McClellan Air Force Base in 1947, and it continued as an aircraft repair and supply depot during the Korean War, Vietnam War, and Gulf War. During the Cold War, it was home to the Sacramento Air Logistics Center. McClellan AFB closed in 2001. Today, the base is known as McClellan Business Park and is home to many businesses and organizations that operate out of its buildings, the Aerospace Museum of California, and an airfield called McClellan Airport.

12.5 Linear Feet

All requests to publish or quote from private manuscripts held by the Center for Sacramento History (CSH) must be submitted in writing to csh@cityofsacramento.org. Permission for publication is given on behalf of CSH as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the patron. No permission is necessary to publish or quote from public records.

Collection is open for research use.