The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 100, July 1996 - April, 1997 Page: 457
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To Meet Fire with Fire
reciprocated by lending behind-the-scenes backing to the mayor in
1939, when the Miller council faced a well-organized slate of opposition
candidates, and again in municipal elections two years later.9 Reconcilia-
tion also aided Franklin Roosevelt in 1940 when both men worked ac-
tively in Texas for the president's renomination.
In terms of amity and productivity, the Johnson-Miller alliance
reached its zenith in the early years of World War II when, as a result of
a five-fold increase in military appropriations, a myriad of possibilities
arose for Central Texas projects. As the United States edged ever closer
to hostilities in 1941, Miller relayed to the congressman the fervent
desire of the city and its residents for a defense installation of some type,
preferably an air base.10 Such a base would inject millions of dollars in
construction and payroll revenues into the Austin economy and might
leave the city with a first-class facility that could serve as a civilian and
commercial airport at war's end. So important was the installation that
Miller and Austinites were willing to pay land-acquisition costs if
approval for such a project could be won in the nation's capital.
Accordingly, Johnson initiated discussions with the military on such a
possibility prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the American
declaration of war, and Johnson's subsequent entry into the navy in De-
cember 1941. Pressed into service in the congressman's office during
her husband's indeterminate leave of absence, Lady Bird Johnson quiet-
ly continued and successfully concluded the delicate negotiations, work-
ing closely with Tom Miller each step of the way. Austin voters approved
a bond issue of $600,00o to acquire the necessary acreage in the Del
Valle area in March 1942, and construction commenced shortly there-
after.11 Del Valle Army Air Base, renamed Bergstrom in 1943, was but
one of several war era projects secured by the Johnson-Miller team that
"Telegrams-M," Box 5, Ibid, Alvin Wirtz to Lyndon Johnson, May i1, 1938, letter, File: "A. J.
Wlrtz 1938," Box 36, LBJA Selected Names; Handwritten Statement by "An Austin Business-
man", n.d., note, ibid.; "An Austin Businessman" to Tom Miller, June 23, 1938, telegram, ibid;
A. J. Wirtz to Tom Miller, June 23, 1938, telegram, ibid.
9 Lyndon Johnson to Ray Lee, Jan. 24, 1939, letter, File: "Lee, Ray [1/39-5/39]," Box 23,
LBJA Selected Names; Ray Lee to Lyndon Johnson, Mar. 23, 1939, letter, ibid.; Ray Lee to
Lyndon Johnson, Mar. 29, 1939, letter, ibid.; Ray Lee to Lyndon Johnson, Mar. 30, 1939, letter,
Ibid.; Ray Lee to Lyndon Johnson, Mar. 31, 1939, letter, Ibid.; Ray Lee to LyndonJohnson, Apr.
3, 1939, letter, ibid.
10 Tom Miller to Lyndon Johnson, Apr. 9, 1941, letter, File: "[Miller, Tom] 1941, Johnson-
Personal, Miller, Tom," Box 27, LBJA Selected Names.
" Lady Bird Johnson to Tom Miller, Feb. 27, 1942, letter, File: "Tom Miller [1939-1943],"
Box 27, LBJA Selected Names; Tom Miller to Lady Bird Johnson, Mar. 3, 1942, letter, ibid.; Lady
Bird Johnson to Tom Miller, Mar. 6, 1942, letter, ibid.; Lady Bird Johnson to Tom Miller, Apr.
25, 1942, letter, ibid; Tom Miller to Lady Bird Johnson, Mar. 13, 1942, letter, File: "Johnson,
Personal-Correspondence, 1942," Box 37, House of Representatives Papers (LBJL); Lady Bird
Johnson to Tom Miller, Mar. 17, 1942, letter, ibid; Austin Amercan-Statesman, Mar. 15, 1942.1997
457
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 100, July 1996 - April, 1997, periodical, 1997; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101218/m1/535/: accessed April 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.