| England Air Force Base occupied the site of Oak Isle, one of the largest plantations in pre-Civil War days. It was Alexandria Municipal Airport prior to World War II, when it became Alexandria Air Base. Renamed England Air Force Base for one of the pilots who trained there, the base then became the home of the 23rd Fighter Squadron, the "grandchild" of the old Flying Tigers, organized by a Louisiana native, General Claire Chenault. The air base covered approximately 3,5000 acres, and was of tremendous economic importance to Central Louisiana. However, the base was official closed in 1993 by Congressional ruling under the Clinton Administration. |