By Eric Smith | East Valley Tribune
From 1941 until 1993, the now Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport was Williams Air Force Base, or just “Willie” for short.
During its time, the old Air Force base was used as a training base for military pilots, but it also served as something more. It was a place that many families called home. The people who grew up on the base, who affectionately call themselves “Willie Brats,” remember the base with fond memories.