Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

coast in San Diego County and is bordered by Oceanside to the south, San Clemente in Orange County to the north, Riverside County to the northeast, and Fallbrook to the east. The base was established in 1942 to train U.S. Marines for service in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. By October 1944, Camp Pendleton was declared a "permanent installation," and by 1946 it became the home of the 1st Marine Division. It was named after Major General Joseph Henry Pendleton (1860–1942), who had long advocated setting up a training base for the Marine Corps on the West Coast. Today it is home to many Operating Force units, including the I Marine Expeditionary Force and various training commands.

History

Prior to World War II

In 1769, a Spanish expedition led by Captain Gaspar de Portolá explored northward from Loreto, Baja California Sur, seeking to reach

Monterey Bay Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean located on the coast of the U.S. state of California, south of the San Francisco Bay Area. San Francisco itself is further north along the coast, by about 75 miles (120 km), accessible via California S ...

, something never before done overland by Europeans. On July 20 of that year, the expedition arrived in the area now known as Camp Pendleton, and as it was the feast day of St. Margaret, they christened the land in the name of Santa Margarita. The expedition went on to establish military outposts and

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

missions at

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

and Monterey. 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. At that time, San Luis Rey Mission had control over the Santa Margarita area. After 1821, following the

Mexican War of Independence The Mexican War of Independence (, 16 September 1810 – 27 September 1821) was an armed conflict and political process resulting in Mexico's independence from the Spanish Empire. It was not a single, coherent event, but local and regional ...

from Spain, some of the former members of the Portolà expedition who had stayed on (mostly garrison soldiers) were awarded large

land grant A land grant is a gift of real estate—land or its use privileges—made by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants ...

s (''ranchos'') by Mexican governors. The retired soldiers were joined as ''rancheros'' by prominent businessmen, officials, and military leaders. They and their children, the

Californio Californios (singular Californio) are Californians of Spaniards, Spanish descent, especially those descended from settlers of the 17th through 19th centuries before California was annexed by the United States. California's Spanish language in C ...

s, became the landed gentry of

Alta California Alta California (, ), also known as Nueva California () among other names, was a province of New Spain formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but was made a separat ...

. In 1841, two brothers, Pio Pico and Andrés Pico, became the first private owners of Rancho Santa Margarita. More land was later added to the grant, giving it the name of Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores, which stayed with the ranch until the Marine Corps acquired it in 1942. The design of the ranch's cattle brand is seen in the base's logo today. In 1863, an Englishman named John (Don Juan) 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, he expanded the ranch house, built in 1827, and developed the rancho into a thriving cattle industry. Forster's heirs were forced to sell the ranch in 1882 because of a series of

drought A drought is a period of drier-than-normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D. Jiang, A. Khan, W. Pokam Mba, D. Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, ...

s and a fence law that forced Forster to construct fencing around the extensive rancho lands. It was purchased by wealthy cattleman James Clair Flood and managed by Irishman Richard O'Neill, who was eventually rewarded for his faithful service with half ownership. Under the guidance of O'Neill's son, Jerome, the ranch made a profit of nearly half a million dollars annually, and the house was modernized and refurbished.

World War II

In the early 1940s, both the

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

and the Marine Corps were looking for land for a large training base. The Army lost interest in the project, but in February 1942 it was announced that the of Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores would be transformed into the largest Marine Corps base in the country. It was named for Major General Joseph Henry Pendleton who had long advocated the establishment of a West Coast training base. Construction began in April as a temporary facility built to minimum standards of wood frame construction. 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. On September 25, 1942, President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

officially dedicated the base. Wartime training facilities at the base included landing craft school, amphibious tractor school, beach battalion school, amphibious communications school, Naval Construction Battalion Training Center1. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Marine Corps Installations-West, Installation Histories, USMC Official website p.2,

/ref> and a medical field service school at the naval hospital at Santa Margarita Ranch, now Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton. The facility was used as a discharge base for soldiers returning from Europe and Asia after World War II ended in 1945.

Post-World War II

During the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

, $20 million helped expand and upgrade existing facilities, including the construction of Camp Horno. When Camp Pendleton trained the country's fighting force for the Korean and

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

s, approximately 200,000 Marines passed through the base on their way to the Far East. Beginning in 1954, Camp Pendleton has hosted a variation of Basic Training familiarization for teenagers age 14 to 17. This training, called "Devil Pups", promotes physical fitness, instills discipline and promotes love of country and the Marine Corps. The camp's stables display a plaque and statue commemorating a horse, Sergeant Reckless, which served with the Marine Corps in Korea. In 1975 Camp Pendleton was the first U.S. military base to provide accommodations for Vietnamese evacuees in Operation New Arrivals. Over 50,000 refugees came to the base in the largest humanitarian airlift in history. Camp Pendleton front gate

Camp Pendleton has continued to grow through renovations, replacing its original tent camps with 2,626 buildings and over of roads. Preservation of Camp Pendleton heritage and Marine Corps history is ongoing. The original ranch house as well as the Las Flores Adobe have been declared a National Historic Site.

21st century

The base's diverse geography, spanning over , plays host to year-round training for Marines in addition to all other branches of the U.S. military. Amphibious and sea-to-shore training takes place at several key points along the base's 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 four weeks at Pendleton's Edson Range receiving field training; after graduating from

recruit training Military recruit training, commonly known as basic training or boot camp, refers to the initial instruction of new military personnel. It is a physically and psychologically intensive process, which Resocialization, resocializes its subjects for ...

, newly minted infantry Marines return to the base's School of Infantry for further training. Camp Pendleton remains the last major undeveloped portion of the California coastline south of Santa Barbara, save for a few relatively small state parks. In 2015 the site was proposed for a large civilian airport. Since August 2004, Camp Pendleton has been one of five locations in the Department of Defense to operate the

Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System The Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS) is an air traffic control automation system manufactured by Raytheon and is currently being used in many TRACONs around the United States by the FAA. STARS replaced the Automated Rada ...

(STARS) air radar. The STARS radar allows the facility to simulate air traffic for training purposes. Camp Pendleton's five-man color guard has participated in many sporting events in

and at the 1996 Republican National Convention, accompanying

national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European ...

performers. Among the more famous performers who were accompanied by the Camp Pendleton color guard have been

Frankie Laine Frankie Laine (born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio; March 30, 1913 – February 6, 2007) was an American singer and songwriter whose career spanned nearly 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performa ...

Herb Alpert Herb Alpert (born March 31, 1935) is an American trumpeter, pianist, singer, songwriter, record producer, arranger, conductor, painter, sculptor and theatre producer, who led the band Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (sometimes called "Herb Alpe ...

Wilson Phillips Wilson Phillips is an American pop vocal group formed in Los Angeles in 1989. The group consists of sisters Carnie and Wendy Wilson, the daughters of Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, and Chynna Phillips, the daughter of John and Michelle Phi ...

, Jewel,

Trisha Yearwood Patricia Lynn Yearwood (born September 19, 1964) is an American country singer. She rose to fame with her 1991 debut single "She's in Love with the Boy", which became a number one hit on the ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' Hot Country Songs ...

and the Dixie Chicks, all of whom had performed the National Anthem at either a

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...

game,

Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...

, or, in Wilson Phillips' case, a

Major League Baseball All-Star Game The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual professional baseball game sanctioned by Major League Baseball (MLB) and contested between the all-stars from the American League (AL) and National ...

that was played at what is now SDCCU Stadium. In a 2002 letter to the

United States Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent agency of the United States government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it began operation on De ...

, Marine Corps Commandant J. L. Jones stated to the Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA), who operates the toll roads in Orange County, "Frankly, my preference is that the proposed toll road not be constructed on or near Camp Pendleton. This construction is one more encroachment venture that will hinder urability to prepare for war. It will also result in additional losses of natural areas that support endangered species, thus placing an even greater burden on Camp Pendleton to protect the region’s biodiversity." In 2008, after the rejection of the proposed toll road extension of SR 241 through San Onofre State Beach Park for environmental reasons, the TCA filed for permission to build on the northwestern portion of the base. A spokesman for Camp Pendleton denied the request in 2010, stating that they could only allow the toll road to run through the San Onofre State Beach Park because their training missions could not be completed without the proposed land. In fact, the California gnatcatcher, an

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

, resides on the northwestern portion of the base. The TCA funded a study in 2013 to remove the California gnatcatcher from the endangered species list, which would have made it easier to negotiate the construction and planning of the 241's extension through the San Onofre State Beach Park.

Areas of Camp Pendleton

Areas 11-16 are collectively known as "Mainside." * 11 Area: Serra Mesa Housing, Paige Field House * 12 Area: Combat Logistics Regiment 1, Combat Logistics Battalion 1, Combat Logistics Battalion 13 * 13 Area: 1st Marine Logistics Group; 9th Communications Battalion; 1st Dental Battalion; Marine Corps Installations West Headquarters; Historic 1st Marine Division "White House" * 14 Area: Combat Logistics Regiment 17; 7th Engineer Support Battalion * 15 Area: Security & Emergency Services Battalion, Marine Corps Police Department * 16 Area: 1st Radio Battalion; 1st Intelligence Battalion; 1st EOD Company; 1st Topographic Platoon * 17 Area: San Luis Rey Housing * 18 Area: Marine Memorial Golf Course * 20 Area: MCX, Commissary, Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, Pacific Views Event Center * 21 Area (Camp Del Mar): I Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters; 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion; Combat Logistics Battalion 5; Amphibious Vehicle Test Branch; Field Medical Training Battalion, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit and 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit * 22 Area (Camp Chappo): 1st Supply Battalion; 1st Medical Battalion * 23 Area ( MCAS Camp Pendleton): Marine Aircraft Group 39 * 24 Area (Camp Pico): Marine Aircraft Group 39 Barracks; Base Brig * 25 Area (Camp Vado Del Rio): Marine Wing Support Squadron 372 * 26 Area: Lake O'Neill, DeLuz Housing * 27 Area (Naval Hospital): Mental Health Clinic, American Red Cross, Naval Hospital Barracks * 31A Area ( Edson Range): Weapons & Field Training Battalion * 31B Area: Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity * 31C Area: Assault Craft Unit 5 * 32 Area: Marine Air Support Squadron 3, 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, Marine Air Control Squadron 1 Det A * 33 Area (Camp Margarita): 1st Marine Division headquarters, 1st Marine Division Headquarters Battalion, Marine Corps Training Information Management System training facility, 1st Marine Division Band * 41 Area (Camp Las Flores): 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion; 1st Reconnaissance Battalion ; 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, 4th Tank Battalion (disbanded) * 43 Area ( Camp Las Pulgas): 11th Marine Regiment; 1st Maintenance Battalion * 51 Area (Camp San Onofre): San Onofre Housing * 52 Area (School of Infantry): 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 * 63 Area (Camp Christianitos): Naval Expeditionary Medical Training Institute, La Christianita Historic Site * 64 Area (Camp Talega): Deployment Processing Command / Reserve Support Unit (West)

Ecology

Camp Pendleton was built on a wide swath of coastal land that once supported an

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime enviro ...

at the mouth of the Santa Margarita River and extensive

salt marsh A salt marsh, saltmarsh or salting, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. I ...

habitat. Outlying land within the base is made up of

floodplain A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river. Floodplains stretch from the banks of a river channel to the base of the enclosing valley, and experience flooding during periods of high Discharge (hydrolog ...

, oak woodlands,

coastal dunes A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...

and bluffs, coastal sage scrub,

chaparral Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant plant community, community found primarily in California, southern Oregon, and northern Baja California. It is shaped by a Mediterranean climate (mild wet winters and hot dry summers) and infrequent, high-intens ...

, and several types of wetlands, including ephemeral wetlands such as vernal pools.Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan.
USMC.

Wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, or a bushfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a ...

is not uncommon. Research in ecology takes place on undeveloped areas of the base, which contain examples of rare and endangered California habitat types. The Department of Defense has issued management plans for various ecosystems on this territory. Land within the base still includes breeding habitat for birds such as the western snowy plover and California gnatcatcher. The coastal bluffs have many of the few existing specimens of the Pendleton button-celery, which was named for the base.California Native Plant Society: ''E. pendletonensis''
/ref> Rare mammals on the base include the Pacific pocket mouse and Stephens's kangaroo rat.

Bison

Fourteen

American bison The American bison (''Bison bison''; : ''bison''), commonly known as the American buffalo, or simply buffalo (not to be confused with Bubalina, true buffalo), is a species of bison that is endemic species, endemic (or native) to North America. ...

were introduced from the

San Diego Zoo The San Diego Zoo is a zoo in San Diego, California, United States, located in Balboa Park (San Diego), Balboa Park. It began with a collection of animals left over from the 1915 Panama–California Exposition that were brought together by its ...

between 1973 and 1979. They roam the Delta and Charlie training areas, Zulu Impact Area and Case Springs on the base. In early 2021, there were around 90 adults, and 14 calves were expected in April.

Education

Dependents on base are zoned to schools operated by local school districts. The Camp Pendleton property does not have any Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools. The Oceanside Unified School District covers portions of the base and operates the following on-post schools: Santa Margarita School ( K-8 school), North Terrace Elementary School, Stuart Mesa Elementary School, and Stuart Mesa Middle School. - .mil site. The Fallbrook Union Elementary School District operates the following on-post schools: Mary Fay Elementary School, San Onofre Elementary School, Mary Fay Middle School, and San Onofre Middle School. Some portions of the base are assigned to the Capistrano Unified School District. Oceanside USD-zoned areas on Camp Pendleton property are assigned to Oceanside High School. The

San Diego Association of Governments The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for San Diego County, California. It is an association of local county governments, with policy makers consisting of mayors, councilmembers, and Coun ...

(SANDAG) stated that the school "has been noted as an important resource for the Camp Pendleton community as it serves as the high school for many students of military families since there is no high school on base." Fallbrook Union ESD feeds into Fallbrook Union High School District,
Text list
/ref> which operates Fallbrook High School. The Capistrano district operates San Clemente High School. The base has no on-post high schools.

References

External links

Camp Pendleton
(official site)

(GlobalSecurity.org)
Marine Corps Community Services at Camp Pendleton

Historical Society

Camp Pendleton Personnel/Vets Locator

Camp Pendleton Base Overview & PCS Information
(MarineCorpsUSA.org)
Image of a Vietnamese mother and children in a tent at a refugee camp at Camp Pendleton, California, 1975.

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

Photographic Archive (Collection 1429). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library,

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...

. ** {{Authority control Pendleton Military facilities in San Diego County, California Military Superfund sites Military units and formations established in 1942 Military installations in California Pendleton North County (San Diego County) Superfund sites in California 1942 establishments in California *