Your San Antonio Chamber of Commerce was honored to join community members from across the Alamo Region at Fort Sam Houston to celebrate the great historic legacy of Benjamin Foulois, as well as San Antonio’s deep roots in military aviation. March 2nd marked the 113th anniversary of the inaugural military flight by Army 1st Lt. Benjamin Foulois that lasted fewer than eight minutes but served as the catalyst for military aviation as we know it today.
Lt. Gen. John R. Evans Jr., Commanding General, U.S. Army North (Fifth Army) and Senior Army Commander, Joint Base San Antonio, hosted the celebration that also featured static aviation displays, including a variety of rotary wing aircraft provided by the Texas Air National Guard. Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Dave Petersen, Interim President and CEO of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, served as guest speaker to highlight the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce’s role in supporting the military, as well as his personal reflection on serving as an Air Force pilot. “Foulois’ curiosity, ingenuity and bravery laid the foundation of military aviation from its humble Army roots to what is now superiority in the air and to what we know as the world’s greatest Air Force,” said Petersen.
On March 2, 1955, the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce recognized the value of commemorating Foulois’ legacy and worked with 4th Army partners to erect the monument which sits at Joint Base San Antonio - Fort Sam Houston’s main flagpole off Stanley Road, just a few hundred feet from where Foulois’ flight occurred.
This partnership of support between the area’s Army missions and businesses began long before Foulois’ flight in 1910 and became a dedicated mission for the Chamber soon afterward. On November 21, 1916, then Major Foulois, with the support of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, selected a site five miles southwest of the city for a new aviation airfield. Bordered by the Frio City Road on the northwest, the site was also adjacent to the Southern Pacific Railroad, providing easy access by road and rail. In addition, the new site was relatively flat, and thus suitable for flying operations.
In 1917, the Chamber held these 7,000 acres of land under option for Kelly Air Force Base, assembled the land, leased it from the landowner and then sub-leased it to the government, as well as assembled over 800 acres of land on the southeast corner for Brooks Air Force Base. This land agreement solidified efforts to create Kelly and Brooks Air Force Bases in San Antonio in 1920 and followed in 1927 with the purchase of land that now is home to JBSA-Randolph.
The Chamber is proud to have been a part of what has grown into the largest joint base in the department of defense. Today, the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce continues to seek ways to partner with military missions to ensure their success which not only impacts national security but also greatly benefits local and state economies. A thriving military industry creates a robust pipeline of talent, innovation, resources, and pride back into the region.