In 1943, a navigator for the Air Force, Lt. Edwin Stith Jr., died in a horrific plane crash at the base along with nine others. In a letter he wrote to his parents before the accident, he explained to them how hot and sandy the base was and the dangerous conditions there: “‘Each time I’ve been up something has gone wrong. Last night our right outboard engine caught fire.” In 1944, an investigation on Blythe Field opened back up after a member of the Truman Committee requested that the War Department look further into the repeated accidents that continued to occur. It was reported that officers at the field joked about the probability of being killed while stationed at the base. In a bathroom, someone had written on the mirror, “‘Take a good look, son, tomorrow you may not be here.’” In a report from General William Hall, he acknowledged the rough conditions of the field and announced that the War Department ultimately decided to abandon and shut down the army