The Republic
01/17/1970
Last Good-Byes Said at Bakalar Base

 In the closing of a military base it is hard to say just which day was the last because there are so many phases in the procedure. However, from the standpoint of personnel leaving and those last-minute good byes it was all over on Friday for nearby Bakalar Air Force base.

The day was given more significance because it coincided with the first full meeting of Columbus' task force to acquire the facility.

As Air Force officers walked from one partially empty room to another at the main administration building, attending to details, 16 of this city's community leaders gathered at the Surrey Inn and laid preliminary plans that may open up Bakalar's near 2,200 acres for expansion in a number of programs.

Col. William J. Johnson, Jr., Bakalar's last commander, presented Mayor Eret Kline with the 434th Tactical Airlift wing insignia, a bronzed plaque presented last year by the Chamber of Commerce, a photograph of Lt. John Edmond Bakalar, for whom the base was named, and the lieutenant's many medals.

The presentation was done quietly in the commander's office, which was empty, except for a few articles lying on the floor and a telephone, which continued to ring at intervals.

The articles from the base will be displayed at Cleo Rogers Memorial library here, and they may some day be moved back out to the base for permanent exhibit if the base is acquired by the city.

Both Colonel Johnson an. Mayor Kline praised the good relationship that has existed between the city and Bakalar through the years.

The base commander praised the city for its foresight in attempting to acquire the facility.

"Although I hate to have to close up Bakalar for the Air Force I can think of no better use than for the city to take base over and utilize it for airport.

"Ten to 15 years from this could be an extremely active airport with feeder lines connecting the larger metropolitan areas," the commander said.

All the U-3 aircraft, affectionately called the "blue canoe," already had flown Friday to Grissom Air Force base at Peru - new home for the 930 and 931st reserve units at Bakalar.

Only seven of the C-119 "flying boxcars," which have become so familiar to Columbus residents remained.  They also will ire at Grissom by Monday.

The 136 Air Reserve technicians at the base will report to their jobs at Grissom Monday, as will some of the local civilian personnel. The number was not immediately available on how many of this latter group were offered jobs at Grissom, but the number is believed not large.

During the noon luncheon of, community leaders, it was learned that the cost of acquiring the base could be as high as $12,000,000 to $15,000,000, unless federal programs can be obtained.

Richard Fleming, member of the task force and a city councilman, told the group that parts or maybe all of the base could be obtained by the city for $1 "plus other considerations" with the federal programs.

He and Mayor Kline explained that if the Federal Aviation agency decided that the Bakalar airport should be kept open, as facility needed in this country's network of air travel, would qualify on the federal program.

The FAA also might consider the ground and other facilities surrounding the airport important to the airport's support they explained. 

Other federal programs available include developing facilities for developing programs, such as a community college or Indiana Vocational Technical college (Ivy Tech), or for recreation.  In either of these two programs the city would pay 10 percent of the assessed valuation of the particular property, and the remaining 90 percent would be picked up by the federal government.

“This community could not stand the price (of the base) outright.  So we are going to have to go to federal programs,” the mayor said following the meeting.

The 21-member task force was divided into three committees with objectives to determine requirements, costs and income of the base operation with  primary use as an airport; provide a forum for community interest groups to express land use ideas, and assist the mayor in obtaining an “excess declaration” by the Department of Defense and other federal agencies.

Approximately 700,000 pounds of materials have been transported from Bakalar to Grissom by C-119’s and trucks, and all excess material is expected to be off the base by the end of this month.  This includes material which will be declared “in excess” and offered to the the Air Force and other government agencies.

A caretaker status will begin on March 1 with 16 persons staying until the base is turned over to some other government agency or declared in excess.