Wheeler Middle School
is a 2021 National Blue Ribbon School
The faculty is dedicated to meeting the needs of our students through middle school components. They strive to provide an exemplary education for our 6th through 8th graders.
Our school has been accredited for a period of 6 years (2016-2022) by the Western Association of Schools & Colleges. The Wheeler Middle School faculty and staff hope that all middle level learners will enjoy their time of exploration and learning.
The schools in the Leilehua Complex are:
• Helemano Elementary School (in Wahiawa town)
• Iliahi Elementary School (in Wahiawa town)
• Solomon Elementary School (on Schofield Barracks)
• Wahiawa Elementary School (in Wahiawa town)
Construction work began on a new airfield in Hawaii, located at Schofield Barracks on the island of Oahu.
It was named Wheeler Field on 11 November 1922 in honor of Major Sheldon H. Wheeler, former commander of Luke Field on Ford Island, who died in a plane crash on 13 July 1921.
• August 31, 1939
Wheeler Field became a separate permanent military post. By that time it had developed into a large and productive air base where constant training was conducted for combat units stationed there.
Wheeler was the site of several major historic aviation events, including:
• the first nonstop Mainland-to-Hawaii flight by Army Air Corps Lieutenants Lester J. Maitland and Albert F. Hegenberger in 1927
• the Great Dole Derby air race from California to Hawaii, also in 1927
• the first trans-Pacific flight from the United States to Australia, by Australian Squadron Leader Charles E. Kingsford-Smith
in 1928
• and the first Hawaii-to-Mainland solo flight in 1935 by Amelia Earhart, who flew from Wheeler Field to Oakland, California.
• December 7, 1941
When the Japanese attacked military installations in Hawaii on 7 December 1941, twelve pilots assigned to the 15th Pursuit Group at Wheeler (predecessor of the 15th Air Base Wing) succeeded in getting their P-36 and P-40 aircraft off the ground, engaged the enemy in furious dogfights, and scored some of the first American victories of World War ll (10 downed enemy aircraft).
Casualties at Wheeler totaled 33 killed and 75 wounded. Of the 233 aircraft assigned to the Hawaiian Air Force, 146 were in commission before the attack; afterward, only 83 were in commission (including 27 P-40s), and 76 had been totally destroyed.
During World War ll and until 1949, Wheeler was assigned to the Seventh Air Force (former Hawaiian Air Force) and successor commands.
• 1948
Wheeler Army Air Base was redesignated Wheeler Air Force Base. The following year, the installation was placed on minimum caretaker status; however, with expansion of the Air Force during the Korean conflict, Wheeler AFB was restored to fully operational status in 1952.
• February 24,1952
The 1508th Support Squadron was organized to provide administrative and logistical support to activities at Wheeler AFB.
• April 1, 1955
The unit was redesignated the 6487th Support Squadron
• November 1, 1971
Inactivated, concurrent with activation of the 15th Air Base Squadron. A subordinate unit of the 15th Air Base Wing, the 15 ABS served as the host organization at Wheeler AFB, which consisted of approximately 1,389 acres of land and facilities valued at over $37 million.
Responsibilities of the 15 ABS included providing munitions service and support to all Air Force activities within the Hawaiian area, in addition to operating a small arms firing range where personnel of the Air Force, US Customs, and local law enforcement agencies were
certified.
• August 1987
The Secretary of the Interior designated Wheeler AFB as a National Historic Landmark, recognizing it as a site of national significance in the history of the United States and, in particular, World War II in the Pacific.
• October 31, 1991
The 15th Air Base Squadron inactivated at Wheeler on 31 October 1991, one day before the US Army assumed operational control of the installation in accordance with a memorandum of understanding signed by the Commander in Chief, Pacific Air Forces, and the Commander, US Army Western Command.
• November 1, 1991
The Army held a simple ceremony to signify their takeover of the base, then changed the sign at the main gate to "Wheeler Army Airfield." The installation, however, remained on the real property records of the 15th Air Base Wing until 15 March 1993 when an Action Memorandum signed by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Environment, Safety and Occupational Health) and the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Installations and Housing) authorized the exchange of Wheeler AFB for Fort Kamehameha Military Reservation.
Photo courtesy of the
15th Wing History Office
On November 11, 1922, the new airdrome at Schofield Barracks, Territory of Hawaii, was named Wheeler Field in honor of Major Sheldon H. Wheeler, who was killed in an aircraft accident on July 13, 1921 at Luke Field. Located on Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, Luke Field was commanded by Major Wheeler at the time of his death.
Born on April 6, 1889 in New York City, Sheldon Harley Wheeler received his early education in Vermont. After attending the University of Vermont for two years, he was appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduated on June 12, 1914, and was commissioned a second lieutenant.
Lieutenant Wheeler served one year with the 25th Infantry Division before starting his aviation career in the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps at Rockwell Field, California, where he was rated a junior military aviator on September 2, 1915. As a member of the 1st Aero Squadron, Lieutenant Wheeler served with distinction during the punitive expedition into Mexico under the command of General John J. Pershing. He received his promotion to first lieutenant on May 1, 1916, then transferred later that year to the cavalry. On June 8, 1917, he attained the rank of captain of cavalry and transferred back to the air service later that year. Assigned to Kelly Field, Texas, Captain Wheeler assumed command of the 8th Aero Squadron and served as the officer in charge of flying at Kelly Field. After a month there, he moved on to Scott Field, Illinois where he was again placed as officer in charge of flying. From September 1917 until the spring of 1918, he served in the same capacity at Love Field in Dallas, Texas, and at Carlstrom Field in Arcadia, Florida.
In March 1918, Captain Wheeler joined the American Expeditionary Force in France, where he was once again placed in charge of the flying field at Orly, just outside Paris. On August 1, 1918, he was promoted to major, Aviation Section, Signal Corps. Major Wheeler returned to the United States in April 1919, he was assigned to Hazlehurst Field, Long Island, New York and officially received his full rating as a military aviator. On October 25, 1919, Major Wheeler next assignment sent him to the distant territory of Hawaii, where he assumed command of Luke Field on November 4, 1919. His commission as a major in the Air Service was made permanent in the Regular Army on July 1, 1920.
On July 13, 1921, Major Wheeler and his observer, Sergeant Thomas Kelly, both died when the De Havilland DH-4 observation biplane he was flying suffered an engine failure shortly after take-off. As Wheeler attempted to bring the crippled plane in for an emergency landing the DH-4 stalled and fell into an uncontrollable flat spin that resulted in the aircraft crashing onto Luke Field where it exploded and burst into flames. Major Wheeler's assignment with the Hawaiian Department was scheduled to end on October 1, 1921, and he had received orders transferring him to the field officers' school at Langley Field, Virginia upon completion of his tour of duty in Hawaii.
Sheldon H. Wheeler, only 32 years old when he died, was survived by his wife and two sons. His widow, Mary Patrick Wester (Wheeler) Bell later died of a heart attack in Chicago, Illinois on January 21, 1939. One son, Patrick Wester Wheeler, graduated from West Point in January 1943, served with the 11th Airborne Division, and was killed in action during the battle for Manila, Luzon, Philippines on February 10, 1945. For his actions he was awarded two Silver Stars (one posthumously), Bronze Star, and Purple Heart. He is interred at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial. His other son, Sheldon Harley Wheeler, Jr. received his commission in 1941 through the Reserve Officer Training Corps while attending Purdue University, eventually attaining the rank of colonel in the United States Army. In January 1968, while on R&R (Rest and Recuperation) leave from Vietnam, he and his wife Katherine visited his father’s namesake Wheeler AFB. Colonel Wheeler passed away at the age of 91 in the city of Northport, Michigan on May 10, 2011. His wife Katherine passed away at the age of 96 on March 14, 2016.
In 1976 and 1981 two of Major Wheeler’s grandchildren, Kathie Vestal and Gil Wheeler, followed in their parent’s footsteps, visiting and touring the base named in honor of their grandfather.
Historian’s Note: Source information for this biography is maintained at the 15th Wing History Office archives. Information compiled and edited by Mr. James Burrett, 15th Wing Historian, October 6, 2021.
Mural facing the main parking lot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Wheeler Middle School is located on 11 acres of State property within Wheeler Army Air Field in the midst of the Koolau and Waianae Mountains, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.
Address:
2 Wheeler Army Air Field
Wahiawa, HI 96786
Office Hours
7:00 am - 4:00 pm
Monday - Friday
Closed on Federal & State Holidays
Telephones
Office:
(808) 305-9000
FAX:
(808) 622-6529
Report Absences
808) 305-9000
Health Room
(808) 305-9011
Transportation
School Bus
(808) 622-0537
School visitation policy: "Any person shall be encouraged to visit schools throughout the school year, but such visits should be made after prior consultation with the schools in order not to disrupt the planned activities of the schools and classrooms and any visit shall conform to the regulations, directives, and guidelines of the department." BOE Policy 1720-4)
In accordance with this policy, visitors to our school are more than welcome to visit our campus. Please stop by the administration office to sign in and pick up a visitor's pass. If you'd like a to visit a specific classroom, please notify the classroom teacher ahead of time to ensure minimal disruption of planned activities.
SUBJECT: Policy Memorandum USAG-HI-12 Child Supervision Policy for Army Installations in Hawaii.
Parents are ultimately responsible for the welfare and actions of their children. Parents must use sound judgement and consider the physical, emotional, and psychological maturity of their children when determining the level of supervision their children require. Failure to exercise those parental responsibilities may constitute child neglect.
• It is highly encouraged that you make drop-off and pick-up arrangements with your child. The front of the school parking lot will be used for buses and will be a high-traffic area. Suggested alternate locations are the Community Center, across the street, or mailbox drop located next to the chapel.
• Continue to have conversations at home regarding the importance of proper mask-wearing and frequent hand washing.
• School begins at 7:40 am. Students should be in their assigned classes at this time or will be marked absent or tardy.
• The office will notify teachers of any students who arrive at school on a late bus and will update the attendance accordingly.
• Please clarify with your child that ONLY students riding a late bus will not be marked tardy. All other students arriving late will be marked tardy.
• Lastly, please stay home if you are sick.
Wheeler Middle School
Wahiawa, HI 96786
Telephone: (808) 305-9000
FAX: (808) 622-6529
