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Keesler visitor celebrates 100th birthday

  • Published
  • By Susan Griggs
  • 81st Training Wing Public Affairs
KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  This Labor Day, Keesler remembered the civilian workforce that built the base during World War II through the memories of one of its first employees who celebrated her 100th birthday Sept. 1.

When she visited the base Aug. 26, Idella Urie's blue eyes sparkled as she described Keesler Field in 1942, a beehive of activity for the Army Air Corps during the war.

Urie retired as a Keesler civilian with 31 years of federal service in 1973, more than four decades ago, and still lives in Biloxi.

Urie came to Mississippi 72 years ago to visit her boyfriend who was stationed at Keesler. During her trip, she met one of Keesler's hiring managers who said he could put her to work the next day. She returned to her home in Michigan, packed her things and was back in Biloxi two weeks later.

"I loved this area - the weather, the people, everything about it," she said.

In 1941 as World War II escalated, Keesler was established as Air Corps No. 8 on land that was donated by the City of Biloxi. Keesler Army Air Field was designated on Aug. 25, 1941. When Pearl Harbor was attacked on Dec. 7 of that year, Keesler scurried to hire hundreds of skilled technicians to support the war effort.

"All the people in Biloxi knew how to do was fish, but they were anxious to go to work at Keesler Field," Urie recalled. "We were all sent to various locations for specialized training and put to work."

Urie was employed in training aids, which evolved into the base's current trainer development flight. She was in charge of the plastics shop and part of her job was replacing plexiglass windows and windshields in various aircraft. Workers had to fly in the planes that they repaired to ensure quality control.

"I learned to rivet and I had all kinds of tools - a band saw to cut things, a joiner, a blow gun, a grinder," she pointed out. "I had an oven that we heated to about 300 degrees to shape the plastic to make whatever was needed. The plastic heated very quickly and cooled very quickly. I had to touch it gently and quickly so it wouldn't leave fingerprints."

Urie and other female workers lived in a boarding house about two blocks inside Gate 1, the current Meadows Drive Gate, and walked to work at one of the five hangars near the flight line. They ate some meals at a nearby chow hall, but often caught public transit to enjoy food at cafes, drug store lunch counters and drive-ins in downtown Biloxi.

"There were so many people that we had to wait in line to catch the bus," she remembered. "When we went to downtown Biloxi on the weekends, the streets were filled with soldiers."

During her recent windshield tour, Urie marveled at the changes that had transpired over the years at Keesler. She didn't recognize very many places, except the one existing hangar, the lone remaining barracks structure on Meadows Drive and the former Naval Reserve Park, now known as marina park, where picnics and gatherings still take place.

"Keesler was a beautiful place then, and it's still a lovely place now, but somehow it seems so much bigger today," she observed. "It's just like a city here now. If people are assigned here, I don't know why they'd ever want to leave."

During a stop at 81st Training Wing headquarters, Urie poured over a scrapbook of old newspaper clippings with Tomme Lassabe, trainer development flight chief for the 81st Training Support Squadron, and recognized many of her former co-workers and supervisors in the photos.

Urie also chatted with Brig. Gen. Patrick Higby, wing commander, who thanked her for "helping to build this place."

When he congratulated her on her upcoming triple-digit birthday, she responded coyly, "I don't have birthdays anymore!"

"Thank you for all you did for our Air Force and this installation," the general commented as he presented Urie with one of his wing coins. "We're grateful for all of the airplanes you worked on that helped us win the war."
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