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A−History
History · Wheeler AFB

19% of Wheeler AFB’s homes were built before 1940

More historic than 84% of U.S. towns. What drives it

1 place in town is on the National Register, among them the Wheeler Field, a National Historic Landmark, and a historic district with 2 buildings. Below: 6 old photos and papers and maps from 1953 on.

1on the National Register
19%homes built before 1940
6old photos & papers
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Wheeler AFB’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

Where Wheeler AFB’s name came from

How did Wheeler AFB get its name?

Wheeler AFB was named Wheeler Field on 11 November 1922 in honor of Major Sheldon H. Wheeler, former commander of Luke Field on Ford Island, killed in the crash of DH-4B, AAS Ser.

How historic is Wheeler AFB?

A−

More historic than 84% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Wheeler AFB’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Wheeler AFB is more historic than 84% of U.S. towns. All 2 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.

A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Wheeler AFB’s overall grade.
Founding eraNo founding year we can rely on, so the grade uses the other two–Homes built before 194019.4% of homes (±5.2) · typical HI town 1.7% · U.S. 8.4%B+National Register1 listing, 2 historic buildings, 9.5 per 10,000 residents · typical HI town 0.0 · U.S. 2.4B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 84%
NewerOlder

Few Hawaii towns list much on the Register (a typical Hawaii town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Wheeler AFB’s 9.5 sits above most of its state (89% of Hawaii towns have fewer) while its 2 historic buildings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.2 points).

Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Wheeler AFB’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A National Historic Landmark1 place on the National Register, including Wheeler Field, a National Historic Landmark.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

1 historic place in Wheeler AFB

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. One is a National Historic Landmark, the highest tier.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmark
1
Wheeler Field
historic buildings protected
2
each building in a district counts
first listed
1987
Wheeler Field
Wheeler Field, built 1941★
Districts★ landmark
★ Landmark
Wheeler FieldBuilt 1941

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

The story

How Wheeler AFB came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Wheeler AFB.

Read it all →

On 6 February 1922, a detachment of 20 enlisted men from Luke Field, proceeded to Schofield Barracks, under Lieutenant William T. Agee, to clear the flying field on the grounds of the former 17th Cavalry Regiment drill grounds and construct housing for the divisional air service. Two canvas hangars were erected and the field cleared of weeds, guava and algaroba trees. Thus Wheeler Field got its modest start. It was named Wheeler Field on 11 November 1922 in honor of Major Sheldon H. Wheeler, former commander of Luke Field on Ford Island, killed in the crash of DH-4B, AAS Ser. No. 63525 on 13 July 1921.

ChaptersWorld War IIWorld War II USAAF units assignedCold WarReturn to Army control

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Wheeler AFB, 1940 to 1987

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 20th century
  2. 1940In the archiveCurtiss A-12 Shrike Formation
  3. 1941BuiltWheeler Field is built
  4. 1953On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  5. 1984In the archiveA right underside view of an OV-10 Bronco aircraft from the 22nd Tactical Air Support Squ…
  6. 1987LandmarkWheeler Field named a National Historic Landmark
By decade

Wheeler AFB, decade by decade

2 decades in the archive, from the 1940s to the 1980s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1940s2 items
Curtiss A-12 Shrike Formation1940Curtiss A-12 Shrike FormationHoward C. Davidson decorating USAAF officers at Wheeler Field army.mil-25487-2008-12-10-1612411941Howard C. Davidson decorating USAAF officers at Wheel…
1950s–1970snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
1980s4 items
A right underside view of an OV-10 Bronco aircraft from the 22nd Tactical Air Support Squadron (TASS). The aircraft is …1984A right underside view of an OV-10 Bronco aircraft fr…OV-10A 22nd TASS taking off from Wheeler AFB 19841984OV-10A 22nd TASS taking off from Wheeler AFB 1984OV-10As 22nd TASS at Wheeler AFB 19841984OV-10As 22nd TASS at Wheeler AFB 1984AH-1S Hawaii Army National Guard in flight 19851985AH-1S Hawaii Army National Guard in flight 1985
1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today6 recent
Ace of cakes hawaii2009Ace of cakes hawaiiP-40 movie prop at Wheeler2008P-40 movie prop at WheelerFlickr - The U.S. Army - Trooper's spouses earn their spurs (3)2008Flickr - The U.S. Army - Trooper's spouses earn their…Flickr - The U.S. Army - Trooper's spouses earn their spurs (1)2008Flickr - The U.S. Army - Trooper's spouses earn their…Wheeler repelling2006Wheeler repellingUS Navy 030718-N-5024R-001 A Mobile Air Rescue Fire Fighting unit from Wheeler Air Force Base, Hawaii holds a demonstra…2003US Navy 030718-N-5024R-001 A Mobile Air Rescue Fire F…
On the map

Wheeler AFB on the map, 1953 to 1998

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Wheeler AFB. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Wheeler AFB on the 1953 USGS mapWheeler AFB on the 1960 USGS mapWheeler AFB on the 1977 USGS mapWheeler AFB on the 1983 USGS mapWheeler AFB on the 1998 USGS map1953Schofield Barracks sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Wheeler AFB.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Curtiss A-12 Shrike Formation
Retake this viewCurtiss A-12 Shrike Formation, 1940

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Wheeler AFB’s page.

Retake this view · +15
Famous people

Famous people close to Wheeler AFB

Nobody well known was born in Wheeler AFB itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
David IgeGovernor of Hawaii from 2014 to 2022 · b. 1957
B
Brook LeeAmerican beauty queen, Miss Universe 1997 · b. 1971
Brian ChingAmerican soccer player · b. 1978
Pua KealohaAmerican swimmer, Olympic gold medalist, former… · b. 1902
B
Brian ViloriaAmerican boxer · b. 1980
James AionaHawaiian-American politician · b. 1955
Places that used to be

Old corners and places now gone

Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Wheeler Field
Gone or out of use
Wheeler Air Force Basemilitary

Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Finish Wheeler AFB’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
2 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewCurtiss A-12 Shrike Formation: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Schofield Barracks2 historic placesB−Wahiawa2 historic placesC

Questions about Wheeler AFB’s history

How does Wheeler AFB rank for history?

Wheeler AFB is more historic than 84% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Wheeler AFB?

One place: the Wheeler Field (listed 1987).

How old are the homes in Wheeler AFB?

19% of Wheeler AFB’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.2 points), against a typical 1.7% for a Hawaii town; the median home was built in 1973.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (12), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.