The unmistakable pounding of rotor blades through powder-blue Carolina skies serves notice that the future of Marine Corps aviation calls Jacksonville, North Carolina its home.

Capturing the community?s imagination, New River is a key component in our nation?s national defense and has been since it was purchased for $64,502 in 1941. At the time, it was only 29 parcels of land, a simple stretch of tobacco farm.

The officials of Camp Lejeune investigated the area in search of an existing airfield for hosting aircraft in support of amphibious operations. Capt. Barnett Robinson, a member of Marine Glider Group-71, concluded in his search that the farmland would suit the Marine Corps? needs.

The location was placed under the command of Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune and received its first squadron, Marine Bombing Squadron-612, in 1943. This squadron flew an aircraft similar to the Army?s B-25 Mitchell light bomber, known as the PBJ.

In 1944, the area of land was commissioned Peterfield Point, named after the original owner of the farmland that was part of the government purchase. This delineated the Station from Camp Lejeune, and marks its official birth as a Marine Corps installation.

Over the next few years, paratrooper Marines, glider troops and air delivery personnel where trained in King Air hangar, the Stations? first hangar, which was transported to Jacksonville from Parris Island, South Carolina.

As World War II came to an end, Peterfield Point was closed and reverted back to caretaker status. This didn?t last long, however, as in 1951 the installation was reactivated and became Marine Corps Air Facility Peterfield Point, Camp Lejeune. Only one year later the name was changed again, this time to Marine Corps Air Facility New River.

July of 1954 marked the arrival of the first operational Marine Aircraft Group, MAG-26, which was transferred from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point.

The area faced another major name change in 1968, where it was recommissioned as Marine Corps Air Station (Helicopter) New River, marking its growth from a small training area to a major operational airfield.

In 1972, the airfield was renamed after Brigadier General Keith B. McCutcheon, one of the fathers of Marine Corps helicopter aviation. McCutcheon Field is still the designation of the airstrip to this day.