The plan to create the new Bolling Field began March 18, 1932. Stronger, permanent structures would take the place of weak, sheet-metal and plywood fabrications that didn't befit a modern military machine, which had proven its mettle on (and, in our case, over) the fields of France. Since summer of 1918, when Bolling Field was named, the Air Corps had wanted the installation built up to last.

The Civil Works Administration, a subdivision of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, led a 1,200-man effort to improve Bolling Field. The CWA built bridges, irrigated fields, built schools and dammed rivers. These weren't temporary jobs; they were commitments. Some projects took years to complete. Renovations and improvements to Bolling Field took almost 18 months.

Besides creating a better airfield for military flights, the CWA built several structures that still stand today. The biggest among them would be Building 20, a marble marvel of masonry as well as a monument of military might. This building has housed a dormitory, an indoor firing range, a bowling alley and a jail. The other facilities CWA built included warehouses, living quarters and a theater.

Many structures built in the 1930s did succumb to the ravages of time and the decisions of a flying legion that was constantly refining itself.

The stories of those 1,200 men are too many to be told here, but in many ways, Building 20 is a gift to their country. The CWA provided jobs to men with families to support, who have had no support otherwise. In that context, one can understand why the building still stands today.

Those 1,200 men were grateful for their chance to provide for their families without asking for charity - pride swells a man and he withers like a balloon when its taken from him - and they showed gratitude by building a base hardy enough to weather another world war and several smaller ones.

As many monuments as we have in today's military to the heroes who have led our Airmen in battle and the sacrifices many have made, Building 20 and the other structures the CWA built on Bolling Field's foundation remain a monument to the American citizens who stand behind the Air Force and support us in all we do. They remind today's Airmen that you don't have to wear a uniform to be a hero and that they have a public trust to maintain.