Here’s how Cherry Point came into existence during WW II

The U.S. Congress authorized the construction of a Marine Corps Air Station in southern Craven County, N.C., along the Neuse River in July 1941 with an initial appropriation of nearly $15 million to clear an 8,000-acre tract of swamps, farms and timberland…and then build the airfield to shore up national security.

Construction got underway in November 1941, just 17 days before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, which immediately immersed the U.S. military into World War II.

The facility was originally planned as “Cunningham Field at Cherry Point” in memory of Lt. Col. Alfred A. Cunningham of Atlanta, Ga. (shown below), the first Marine officer to become an aviator in 1912.

Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point (incorporating Cunningham Field) was commissioned on May 20, 1942, taking its name from a small settlement of fishermen and hunters that once existed at “Cherry Point Landing” on the Neuse River near Hancock Creek.

“Havelock Station” was the name of a railroad depot that was built in 1858 to serve the steam locomotives that chugged along the new Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad. Tracks ran 95 miles from Morehead City through New Bern and on to Goldsboro.

Havelock historian Eddie Ellis said somebody selected the name of “Havelock” as a tribute to Sir Henry Havelock (shown below). He was a British general who died in 1857 after “gaining worldwide fame for his heroic rescues of hostage citizens during a bloody uprising in India.”

 

During America’s Civil War, Union troops captured New Bern in 1862. Yankee soldiers were charged with guarding Havelock Station, about 18 miles southeast of New Bern, for the duration of the war.

Ellis said: “The Union troops had few kind comments about the Havelock area, calling it desolate, snake-infested and muddy. One correspondent said the only comfort for the soldiers was the ‘chain-lightning whiskey’ available from local stores and farmhouses.”

That endearing term was used to describe inferior, but high-octane, hooch that had “powerful and rapid effect.”

After the Civil War, Havelock Station grew in importance. Ellis said: “Timber, naval stores and agricultural products went out of Havelock by steam train. This rail commerce helped foster a local economic boom.”

“A lot of high-quality, desirable moonshine was shipped from the area during Prohibition (1920-33), smuggled aboard the train hidden in potato barrels or shipments of fish,” Ellis said.

“The existence of the railroad was a critical element in the selection of Havelock” for the Marine Corps base. Ellis said: “Without the railroad, the base would have been built elsewhere with dire consequences for this community. During construction, nearly everything, including Marines and Sailors, was delivered by the trains….”

Marine Corps’ historians said: “Interestingly, early records indicate that the air station’s location was determined by viewing a ‘sunshine map.’ Having the greatest amount of annual sunshine is an important factor in an air base.”

 

Only a few wispy clouds dare to cast their shadows on Cherry Point.

“Two bad features that detracted from Cherry Point’s desirability were its exposure to hurricanes and the presence of malarial mosquitoes due to the swamps. Fortunately, sunshine won the day.”

Cherry Point’s primary World War II mission was to train units and individual Marines for service in the Pacific theater.

Ellis said: “Although the town of Havelock grew, it remained unincorporated with no local government structure, depending on the base for firefighting, ambulance services and to some extent law enforcement. The county was the only government for the area,” he said.

Havelock community leaders decided that a municipal government would be practical and useful, Ellis said. Havelock was chartered in 1959. Today, Havelock is classified as a city and has a population of about 16,570.