Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
Southern California
MCB Pendleton Insignia
Type	Military base
Built	March 1942
In use	September 25, 1942—
Controlled by	United States Marine Corps
Garrison	I Marine Expeditionary Force
Commanders	Colonel James B. Southern California, or So Cal, is defined as the southern portion of the U Events 303 - On a voyage preaching the Gospel, Saint Fermin of Pamplona is beheaded in Amiens, France Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The 1st Marine Expeditionary Force is a Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF of the United States Marine Corps primarily composed of the 1st Marine Division Seaton III

Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and serves as its prime amphibious training base. The " West Coast " " Western Seaboard " or " Pacific Seaboard " are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the Western United States ^[1] It is located in Southern California between the cities of Oceanside and San Clemente. Southern California, or So Cal, is defined as the southern portion of the U Oceanside is the third-largest city in San Diego County, California. This article is about a city in Orange County California For other meanings see San Clemente (disambiguation. The base was established in 1942 to train U. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. S. Marines for service in World War II. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including By October 1944, Camp Pendleton was declared as a "permanent installation" and by 1946, it became the home of the 1st Marine Division. It is named after Marine General Joseph Henry Pendleton, who long advocated setting up a West Coast training base for the Marine Corps. Major General Joseph Henry Pendleton (June 2 1860 - February 4 1942 was Today it is the home to a myriad of Fleet Marine Force units including the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force and various training commands. The Fleet Marine Force (FMF is a combined command of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps which comprises a combination of permanent afloat personnel The 1st Marine Expeditionary Force is a Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF of the United States Marine Corps primarily composed of the 1st Marine Division

History prior to WWII

Early years

Camp Pendleton

In 1769, a Spaniard by the name of Capt. Year 1769 ( MDCCLXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Gaspar de Portola led an expeditionary force northward from lower California, seeking to establish Franciscan missions throughout California. Gaspar de Portolà i Rovira (1716 1784 was a soldier Governor of Baja and Alta California (1767&ndash1770 Explorer and founder of California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The term Franciscan is commonly used to refer to members of Catholic On July 20 of that same year, the expedition arrived at a location now known as Camp Pendleton, and as it was the holy day St. Margaret, they baptized the land in the name of Santa Margarita. Events 1304 - Wars of Scottish Independence: Fall of Stirling Castle - King Edward I of England takes the last rebel stronghold Saint Margaret may refer to Saint Margaret the Virgin - the oldest and much the most prominent also known as Margaret of Antioch Saint

During the next 30 years, 21 missions were established, the most productive one being Mission San Luis Rey, just south of the present-day Camp Pendleton. For the novel by Thornton Wilder, see The Bridge of San Luis Rey. ^[2] At that time, San Luis Rey Mission had control over the Santa Margarita area.

In 1821, following Mexico’s independence from Spain, the Californios became the new ruling class of California, and many were the first generation descendants of the Portola expedition. Year 1821 ( MDCCCXXI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Californio's (Spanish for "Californian" is a term used to identify a Californian of Hispanic and/or Latin-American descent first as a part of New Spain, later California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The Mexican governor was awarding land grants and ranchos to prominent businessmen, officials and military leaders. In 1841, two brothers by the name of Don Pio and Don Andres Pico became the first private owners of Rancho Santa Margarita. For the game see 1841 (board game. Year 1841 ( MDCCCXLI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link More land was later added to the grant, making the name Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores, and that name stayed with the ranch until the Marine Corps acquired it in 1942. The Las Flores Estancia (also known as Las Flores Asistencia) was established in 1823 as an estancia ("station" situated approximately halfway between Marines (from the English adjective marine, meaning of the sea, from Latin language mare, meaning sea via French adjective

In 1863, an Englishman named John Forster (Pio Pico’s brother-in-law) paid off Pico’s gambling debts in return for the deed to the ranch. During his tenure as owner of the ranch, he expanded the ranch house, which was first built in 1827, and developed the rancho into a thriving cattle industry. Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domesticated Ungulates a member of the Subfamily Bovinae of the family

Forster’s heirs, however, were forced to sell the ranch in 1882 because of a string of bad luck, which included a series of droughts and a fence law that forced Forster to construct fencing around the extensive rancho lands. Luck (also called fortunity) is a chance happening, or that which happens beyond a person's control. It was purchased by wealthy cattleman James Flood and managed by Irishman Richard O’Neill who was eventually rewarded for his faithful service with half ownership. The Irish people ( Irish: Muintir na hÉireann, na hÉireannaigh, na Gaeil) are a Western European Ethnic group who originate Under the guidance of O’Neill’s son, Jerome, the ranch began to net a profit of nearly half a million dollars annually, and the house was modernized and furnished to its present form.

World War II

In the early ‘40s, both the Army and the Marine Corps were looking for land for a large training base. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. The Army lost interest in the project, but in February of 1942 it was announced that the 122,798 acres (497 km²) of Rancho Santa Margarita y Los Flores was about to be transformed into the largest Marine Corps base in the country. ^[3] It was named for Major General Joseph Henry Pendleton who had long advocated the establishment of a West Coast training base. Major General Joseph Henry Pendleton (June 2 1860 - February 4 1942 was Construction began in April but the base was considered a temporary facility so it was built to minimum standards of wood frame construction. ^[4] After five months of furious building activity, the 9th Marine Regiment, under then Colonel Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr., marched from Camp Elliott in San Diego to Camp Pendleton to be the first troops to occupy the new base. The 9th Marine Regiment was an infantry Regiment of the United States Marine Corps. General Lemuel Cornick Shepherd Jr (10 February 1896&ndash6 August 1990 was a general of the United States Marine Corps. Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (MCAS Miramar, formerly Naval Air Station (NAS Miramar is a United States Marine Corps installation that is home to the 3rd On September 25, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt officially dedicated the base. Events 303 - On a voyage preaching the Gospel, Saint Fermin of Pamplona is beheaded in Amiens, France Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[5]

Korean War through the 1990s

During the Korean War, $20 million helped expand and upgrade existing facilities, including the construction of Camp Horno. The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the When Camp Pendleton trained the country's fighting force for the Korean and Vietnam Wars, approximately 200,000 Marines passed through the base on their way to the Far East. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia

Camp Pendleton has continued to grow through renovations, replacing its original tent camps with more than 2,600 buildings and 500 miles of roads.

Efforts today continue to preserve the heritage of Camp Pendleton's founders and the Marine Corps' history. The original ranch house has been declared a National Historic Site. A national historic site is a designation that an area possesses national historical significance

Today

The main gate of Camp Pendleton. This is the main road for traffic into the base. This gate has been open and manned by Marines 24 hours a day since 1942.

The base's diverse geography, spanning over 125,000 acres (506 km²), plays host to year round training for Marines in addition to all other branches of the U.S. military. The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified military forces of the United States Amphibious and sea-to-shore training takes place at several key points along the base's 17 miles (27 km) of coastline. The main base is in the Mainside Complex, at the southeastern end of the base, and the remote northern interior is an impact area. Daytime population is around 100,000. Recruits from nearby Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego spend a month on Pendleton's Edson Range receiving field training, and after graduating from boot camp return to the base's School of Infantry for further training. Marine Corps Recruit Depot (Commonly referred to as M-Crud or MCRD San Diego is a United States military installation in San Diego California. Edson Range, named for Marine "Red" Mike Edson, is located on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. The School of Infantry (SOI &mdash SOI East (located at United States Marine Corps Base Camp Geiger, a satellite facility of Camp Lejeune) and the SOI Camp Pendleton remains the last major undeveloped portion of the Southern California coastline, save for a few small state parks. In this way, it acts as a kind of buffer between Orange County and the Greater Los Angeles Area, and San Diego County. Orange County is a county in Southern California, United States. The Greater Los Angeles Area, or the Southland, (not to be confused with the Los Angeles Metro Area which includes only Los Angeles and San Diego County is a County located on the Pacific Ocean in the far southwest of the U

Unit locations (by area)

• 11 Area - 1st Marine Division headquarters
• 13 Area (Mainside) - Headquarters Area 1st Marine Logistics Group
• 21 Area (Camp Del Mar) - I Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters, 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion
• 23 Area (MCAS Camp Pendleton) - Marine Aircraft Group 39
• 31 Area - MCRD Edson Range, WFTBN
• 32 Area - MASS-3, 3rd LAAD, MACS-1
• 33 Area (Camp Margarita) - Headquarters Battalion, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion
• 41 Area (Camp Las Flores) - 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 5th Battalion 11th Marines
• 43 Area (Camp Las Pulgas) - 11th Marine Regiment
• 52 Area (Camp San Onofre) - United States Marine Corps School of Infantry
• 53 Area (Camp Horno) - 1st Marine Regiment
• 62 Area (Camp San Mateo) - 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Combat Engineer Battalion

See also

• List of United States Marine Corps bases
• Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton
• WWII/Korea LVT Museum at Camp Del Mar

References

Notes

Books

• Estes, Kenneth W. (1999). The Marine Officer's Guide - Sixth Edition. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-567-5.  
• O'Hara, Thomas (2005). Images of America - Camp Pendleton. Charleston, SC: Arcadia. ISBN 0-73852-982-6.  
• Shettle Jr. , M. L. (2001). United States Marine Corps Air Stations of World War II. Bowersville, Georgia: Schaertel Publishing Co. . ISBN 0-964-33882-3.  

Web

• Camp Pendleton Base History. United States Marine Corps. Retrieved on 2007-03-01. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant

External links

• Camp Pendleton (official site)
• Camp Pendleton (GlobalSecurity. org)
• Marine Corps Community Services at Camp Pendleton
• Resources for this U. S. military airport:
  • AirNav airport information for KNFG
  • ASN accident history for NFG
  • NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
  • SkyVector aeronautical chart for KNFG
  • FAA Airport Diagram(PDF), effective 5 June 2008
• Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is at coordinates 33°18′05″N 117°21′19″W / 33.301333, -117.355167 (Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton)Coordinates: 33°18′05″N 117°21′19″W / 33.301333, -117.355167 (Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton)