MARCH IN REVIEW: An evening at the movies

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. John Hale
  • 452nd Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, Calif. --  The March Field Theater, built in 1933, was a popular place for the soldiers, family members and even dates.

The theater façade, a beautiful example of the Mission Revival style seen throughout the base, is almost identical to that of the post theater at Fort Huachuca in Arizona, and was possibly a standardized Quartermaster Corps design. Following the tenets of the City Beautiful architectural movement, March Field's buildings are grouped by function. The theater falls within the area designated for recreation, which also included the post exchange, the gymnasium, the chapel, and, slightly later, the bowling alley.

The theater was an important source of both entertainment and news for service members, as it was a place they could catch the most recent movies and newsreels from Hollywood. The Airmen and Soldiers of March Field were free to spend their leisure time off the post, of course, but in the early 1930s, some businesses in the city of Riverside posted signs stating "Dogs and Soldiers-Keep Out."

Lt. Col. Henry "Hap" Arnold, then the March Field commander, responded to the prejudice against his Airmen by making Riverside off limits and providing buses to take them to San Bernardino on the weekends. The merchants in Riverside soon felt the impact of the loss of revenue, and, along with a sincere apology, requested Colonel Arnold lift the ban. He did so, but had the soldiers paid in two dollar bills for months afterwards to serve as a reminder to the businesspeople of Riverside every time they opened their cash drawers.

In addition, Colonel Arnold frequently invited local dignitaries to the field for various events and he instructed each of his officers to join a local civic club to become more involved in local affairs. The relationship between March Field and the local community improved drastically following Colonel Arnold's efforts, which is still reflected in the excellent relationship between March Field, Riverside and Moreno Valley today.