The Voices of Crissy Field

MAINceremony at crissy field c1969
Ceremony at Crissy Field

Golden Gate NRA, Park Archives, GOGA-1766






Crissy field had many uses. Beginning as a marsh the Ohlone used seasonally, to being part of the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition, an Army avaiation field that was instrumental in a lot of flying firsts, to finally a National Park site. But, these stories are the individual stories of those who were here.

Learn more about Crissy Field
 
aviators and wives May 1923 crissy field
Aviators and Civilians at Crissy Field

Golden Gate NRA, Park Archives, GOGA 32485


"Of course when he ended up at Crissy, why he was very interested and was allowed to take the members of the officers’ families or the enlisted men -I mean families or any of the children--up in airplanes if they wanted to go. So, as we can tell from the newspaper clipping that I found, we all took advantage of it that wanted to do it and I had my first ride on my grandmother's lap"- Dora Devol Brett

 
 
Crissy Field History Study Collection Plane landing from transcontinental reliability and endurance test 1919
Plane at Crissy

Golden Gate NRA, Park Archives, GOGA 35263


"It was getting late in the day. Crissy is not the best place to come into at night if you are not familiar with it, obviously. So, that was the last word we had. Then my dispatcher called me later in the evening and said, You better get down here" - Iva Young

 
 
Shot of crissy field from MISLS 1941
Crissy field from the military intelligence learning center. c1941

Golden Gate NRA, Park Archives, GOGA-2744


"My family, Japanese Americans in Oakland, were ordered to go to Tanforan. And the orders came out in March. Colonel Weckerling assured us that school would remain at the Presidio of San Francisco until the first class had graduated. That 11 the instructors would be protected from the relocation." - Shigeya Kihara

 
 
Aerial view of crissy field runway c1964-68
Aerial of Crissy Field c1964

Golden Gate NRA, Park Archives, GOGA 35263


"Crissy was a lot longer when it was first established and the airplanes for the most part, were pretty short takeoff and landing airplane. DC4 was their main airplane and then later the 047, which I've flown. Another very nice, easy airplane that takes off short and lands slow. And so, Crissy was pretty well adapted to the kind of flying they were doing then" -Wy Spalding

 
 
GOGA 35258 Crissy Field
Crissy Field

Golden Gate NRA, Park Archives, GOGA 35258


"So anyway, we ran right into that thing. I swear, that plane came to a complete stop. I was looking down at those rocks thinking it's going to be an awful cold swim in from there. We limped in under the Golden Gate Bridge and made an emergency landing at Crissy Field." - Jack Lehmkuhl

 
 

These oral histories may be used for any legitimate non-commercial public or press use with proper credit given to the National Park Service. If you have any questions or require additional information, please reach out to the Park Archives and Records Center’s reference archivist at 415-561-2807 or Contact Us.


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Last updated: July 10, 2024

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