Reeves Field

The airport was closed as part of the 1995 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) commission's recommendations. Following the end of the Cold War, the U.S. military downsized its infrastructure, and Naval Air Station Terminal Island, including Reeves Field, was identified for closure. The land was subsequently transferred to the Port of Los Angeles for expansion, as its value for maritime commerce was deemed greater than its military necessity.

The site of the former Reeves Field has been completely redeveloped and is unrecognizable as an airport. The land is now occupied by the Los Angeles Container Terminal (LACT), operated by Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation. The former runways, taxiways, and hangars have been replaced by massive container cranes, storage yards, and docking facilities, forming an integral part of the Port of Los Angeles, one of the busiest container ports in the world.

Reeves Field was a historically significant U.S. Navy airfield located on Terminal Island. Commissioned in 1941, it was named after Rear Admiral Joseph M. Reeves, a pioneer of U.S. naval aviation. During World War II, it was one of the most important naval air stations on the West Coast. Its primary mission was to support the Pacific Fleet by assembling, repairing, and overhauling naval aircraft. It served as a home base for numerous carrier air groups, where pilots and crews trained before deploying to the Pacific theater. The field handled a vast array of aircraft, including F6F Hellcat fighters, SBD Dauntless dive bombers, and TBF Avenger torpedo bombers. After the war, it remained active as a Naval Air Reserve station until its decommissioning.

There are zero plans or prospects for reopening Reeves Field. The land has been permanently and irreversibly converted into critical port infrastructure. Its strategic location and economic importance as a container terminal make any consideration of returning it to aviation use entirely infeasible.