Plans for a U.S. Army Air Corps installation in Grayson County began in early 1941, and the 1,160-acre site was acquired in June as Air Corps personnel began arriving in August for a base intended to serve as a basic flight training facility. While it was under construction, the U.S. entered World War II after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7. The first class of flight students arrived on December 16 and graduated in February 1942 during ceremonies dedicating the base to Lt. Col. Elmer D. Perrin, a Texas test pilot killed in the line of duty in 1941. Pilots trained there later served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, flying aircraft that ranged from basic trainers of the 1940s to jets of the 1960s and 1970s. The base became important to Grayson County by creating jobs and boosting the local economy. After the 1961 death of Sam Rayburn, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, many dignitaries, including the president and vice president, arrived there and were taken by base personnel to the funeral in nearby Fannin County. Perrin Air Force Base closed in 1971, partly because of increased air traffic in the area.