Biographical info:
Full Name: Asbury Watkins Meadows
Born: August 18, 1895 in Ruston, Louisiana
Died: April 2, 1985
WWI:
Asbury W. Meadows trained in San Antonio, TX.
After being promoted to 1st. Lt he was transferred to Taliaferro Field.
In the fall of 1918 he was listed as being a 1st Lieutenant.
His home town at the time was Hot Springs, Arkansas.
1920's:
The 154th Observation Squadron, Air Corps,
Arkansas National Guard, for which the airport
was secured and developed, was federally
recognized by the Militia Bureau, War Department, on
October 24, 1925, following an inspection by 1st
Lieut. Fred C. Nelson, Air Corps Attache, the
allotment of the squadron to this State was
obtained by Governor Terral, who personally went
to Washington for the purpose, taking his case to
officers of the War Department, the Secretary of
War, and finally to the President of the United
States. The squadron, an army observation squad-
ron, is the only one of its type in the National
Guard.
It is at present equipped with eight JN-6H air-
planes; however, this is being changed as rapidly as
funds will permit, and it will be issued three "ser-
vice"" and five training planes. The service type
ships will, no doubt, be Douglas O-2's, while the
training planes will be AT-11's. The former is
equipped with Liberty-12, 400 h. p., motors, has a
Cruising speed of approximately 135 miles per hour,
and gasoline carrying capacity to enable long cross-
country dights without landing for fuel. Several
pilots of the squadron have already qualified to
pilot service type craft, and no difficulty will be
experienced in the operation of the larger planes
when received.
Maj. A. W. Meadows, Air Corps, has commanded
the squadron from its organization, and is
recognized as one of the outstanding officers of the
entire Air Corps. He has a notable record of
achievements in the air service during the World
War, and was given the distinction by the War
Department of assignment to command the air ser-
vice unit of the organized reserves allotted to this
State after the war. He remained in command of
the organized reserves unit until the 154th
Observation Squadron was formed.
The officers of the squadron are Major Meadows:
Captains Murray B. Hall and Dave Weigel; 1st
Lieutenants Adrian Williamson, Grifith R.
McSwine, Neil G. Romich, Clem B. Wilson and
Wright Vermilya Jr., and 2nd Lieutenants Robert
W. Chrisp, Joe T. Shumate, Robert H. McCarroll,
Hunter D. Scott, Benton D. Brandon and Vivien
M. Culver. Lieutenants Chrisp and Shumate are
recent graduates of the Air Corps Primary Flying
School, Brooks Field, Texas, and Lieutenant
McCarroll is now a student at the school.
1930's:
Civil Aeronautics Board Crash Investigator
WWII:
Director: Texas Aviation School Ltd., Hicks Field Fort Worth Texas
Director: Texas Aeronautics Commission, Austin, Texas
