the crates (made of one-inch oak) in which Patton’s tanks had been delivered were bought as surplus, were used to build sturdy hangars at the Flabob airport in riverside. The airport owner traded a plane and flying lessons for the lumber

The huge pile of wood gradually became hangars and structures at the airport, so hard that it was necessary to drill holes to start nails. ​

Other buildings came from surplus at March Field, Madariaga explaining that his donkey Napoleon and some chickens borrowed from the neighbors made him a “farmer” and thus eligible for such surplus structures.

https://www.flabobairport.org/era-ii