On March 10, 1942, the Navy Department announced the purchase of approximately 130,000 acres, the "Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores," located between Los Angeles and San Diego.  Building started March 23, 1942, with the awarding of a contract to build training facilities for amphibious forces.  After five months the 9th Marine Regiment lead by future commandant Col. Lemuel Sheppard, completed a four-day march from Camp Elliott in San Diego to be the first troops to occupy the newly acquired West Coast training base, later known as Camp Joseph H. Pendleton.  The camp was named for Major General Joseph H. Pendleton a long-time advocate for the establishment of a West Coast training base.  On Sept. 25, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt arrived for the official dedication.

Major General Joseph H. Pendleton

"After WW2 they started amateurs radio stations, the first was in Camp Pendleton out in DeLuz canyon in a home made shack built with scrap lumber that could be scrounged up, their primary communications was with the BC610's and Collins 51J receiver at that time all communications were on AM and some RTTY but most traffic was AM, some CW for the good operators which they had a bunch of being at the com school."   Kit Kitterer MSgt 

W6IAB remains licensed to Navy Marine Corps MARS, Camp Pendleton CA.  N0RSE has been assigned to Nicholas A. Hale and  N0MPN has been assigned to Jess P Lavold.  (01/01/2005)                        Back to Top