In the class book for Eagle Pass Army Air Field Class 43-F and 43-G, there is a narrative history of the base. One paragraph describes the day the base was dedicated, which coincided with graduation day for Class 43-B:
Next in the recorded annals was the formal dedication of the field on February 16, 1943. Another class of cadets was graduated that day–Class 43-B–and its members sprouted their wings to stage a sparkling aerial revue in which they machine-gunned an oil-soaked cardboard replica of an Axis train carrying pictorial effigies of Hitler, Hirohito and Mussolini. Satisfactory clouds of black smoke pillared into the air, and everybody loved the exhibition–including the newsreel cameramen who were there.
The dedication ceremony mentioned was indeed captured by Fox Movietone News. You can view the actual clip at University of South Carolina Moving Image Research Collections. The Eagle Pass segment starts at about 6 minutes 25 seconds into the movie. You can also view the actual script and cameraman’s “Dope Sheet” about this episode there.
From a brief mention of newsreel cameramen, to a quick search of the Internet, a bit of history comes alive. You can read the rest of the base history. (Note: Click on “Site Details” there.)
The AAF Collection today reached another milestone with the addition of the 500th item!
Here’s an interesting look at the different terminology used by American and British airmen. This table was adapted from an appendix to the 
I enjoyed watching the recent 60 Minutes story on Marfa, Texas.
I’m often asked if the AAF Collection has information on a specific person. The collection does have hundreds of training class books. These are like high school year books, except they were produced for a training class at a particular Army Air Field or other training facility. Classes lasted anywhere from four to ten, or even twenty, weeks. Separate classes sometimes overlapped their training at the same base.
Thanks to the generosity of over 50 contributors, the AAF Collection has grown to 
