Air Force Glider Training Tow, Lamesa Texas, 1942

Original ACME press photograph dated July 11, 1942, showing an Army Air Forces tow plane lifting off from a Texas highway near Lamesa, towing a military training glider as part of the Advanced Air Force Glider School program. The scene captures the moment after a Staff Sgt. completed a 30-mile motorless flight and was quickly towed aloft again by pilot Charles Wood in a 450-horsepower aircraft. Lt. James Wesita, head of training, noted this same rapid redeployment method could be used in combat zones. The image, with the tow plane in sharp foreground and the glider rising in the distance, reflects the improvisation and skill of WWII U.S. Army glider operations.

💡 Historical Context
During WWII, the U.S. Army Air Forces operated specialized glider pilot schools to prepare crews for silent airborne troop insertions. Lamesa’s training field was one of several dedicated sites. Gliders like the Waco CG-4A could deliver troops, jeeps, or supplies without engines, relying on tow planes to b