From the Annals of Aviation –   In 1943, the first class of military aerial navigators arrived at San Marcos Army Air Field.  Texas bases were widely used to train aviators during World War II.  More than 10,000 navigators were trained in San Marcos and elsewhere in Texas.  During the Korean War, SMAAF was the largest helicopter training base in the U.S. In 1953 the field was renamed Gary Air Force Base, in honor of 2d Lt. Arthur Edward Gary, the first San Marcos resident killed in World War II. The base was transferred to the army in 1956 and renamed Camp Gary. It was closed in 1963. The site is now used as the Gary Job Corps Center and San Marcos airport.