▁Army ▁Air ▁Corps . ▁In ▁May , ▁General ▁Jacob ▁E . ▁F ick el ▁visited ▁Fort ▁W orth ▁on ▁an ▁ins pection ▁visit . ▁F ick el ▁had ▁learned ▁to ▁fly ▁at ▁Car r uth ers ▁Field ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 8 . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁the ▁Fort ▁W orth ▁Chamber ▁of ▁Com merce ▁was ▁trying ▁to ▁conv ince ▁aircraft ▁manufact ur ers ▁to ▁build ▁an ▁aircraft ▁assembly ▁plant ▁in ▁the ▁area . ▁ ▁Cons olid ated ▁A ircraft , ▁wanting ▁to ▁build ▁in ▁the ▁area , ▁suggested ▁to ▁the ▁Air ▁Corps ▁that ▁they ▁joint ly ▁build ▁an ▁air field ▁adjacent ▁to ▁the ▁heavy ▁bom ber ▁plant ▁they ▁wanted ▁to ▁build ▁in ▁Fort ▁W orth . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 6 ▁June ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁President ▁Franklin ▁D . ▁Ro ose vel t ▁approved ▁$ 1 . 7 5 ▁million ▁to ▁construct ▁an ▁air field ▁next ▁to ▁the ▁Cons olid ated ▁manufact uring ▁plant . ▁ ▁The ▁Army ▁wanted ▁to ▁have ▁the ▁air field ▁ready ▁quickly ▁before ▁the ▁plant ▁was ▁put ▁into ▁production ▁and ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁" L ake ▁W orth ▁Bom ber ▁Plant ▁Airport " ▁began ▁almost ▁immediately . ▁ ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁ ▁However , ▁after ▁the ▁Att ack ▁on ▁Pear l ▁Har bor , ▁the ▁Army ▁changed ▁its ▁plans ▁and ▁instead ▁of ▁being ▁an ▁oper ational ▁base , ▁" T arr ant ▁Field ", ▁as ▁the ▁facility ▁was ▁called , ▁became ▁a ▁heavy ▁bom ber ▁training ▁school . ▁The ▁first ▁unit ▁assigned