Moore Army Airfield is located in Fort Devens, Massachusetts. It was closed following the closure of the fort in 1995. It is named for Ayer native Chief Warrant Officer 2 Douglas Moore. It was the only Army Airfield named for someone killed in the Vietnam War.HistoryBeginningsThe earliest information concerning the construction of the airfield dates to 1 July 1926. It was originally known as Ayer (Camp Devens) Emergency Field. The sod airfield's dimensions were: 2300x. It also ran northwest/southeast. Camp Devens Airfield, as it was called later, was operated by the Army. A second runway was extablished the following year. Approximate dimensions were said to be 2325x. In 1934, it was marked as an auxiliary airfield to the Navy.World War IIWhen the nearby fort was expanded in 1940, the airport supposedly "gained" its own airfield. It was described as having a 5200ft runway. In 1944, the army withdrew from the airfield and it became known as Naval Auxiliary Air Facility Ayer, which supported training operations at Squantum Naval Air Station. Carrier Air Groups 4 and 83 were at Ayer in 1944. The nearby Naval Auxiliary Air Facility Beverly was used as a bounce field.Postwar yearsThe Navy discontinued their use of Ayer NAAS for unknown reasons between the years of 1944–1946. Fort Devens was deactivated as part of demobilization, in 1946, but it was reopened in 1948. By 1954, it was known as Ayer AAF. Then it was renamed Fort Devens AAF between 1954 and 1959. It had three operating runways but they were used intermittently on and off throughout the years. The longest runway was listed in 1960 as being 3,745 feet (not including overrun). In the 1970s it got an upgraded control tower and it was used for helicopter operations. The air traffic controllers worked in conjunction with their counterparts at the nearby Hanscom AFB. Around 1976 the field was renamed Moore Army Airfield.
