Camp Kearny
Encyclopedia
Camp Kearny was a U.S. military base (first Army, later Navy) in San Diego, California
, on the site of the current Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
. It operated from 1917 to 1946.
and later sold to the Jessop family. It was Scripps who named the area Miramar, meaning "view of the sea".
The new base was named in honor of Brigadier General Stephen W. Kearny
, a leader in the Mexican-American War who also served as a military governor of California. Camp Kearny was one of 32 new camps created by the Army in 1917 as a mobilization and training facility for troops on their way to battlegrounds of World War I
. The first commander was Major James Stuart McKnight. Army aircraft occasionally landed on the parade ground, but an actual airfield was not established during World War I.
After the war, the camp was used as a demobilization center and was closed in 1920. It was largely abandoned after 1920 but was retained by the government for use as a military and civilian airfield. The U.S. Public Health Service used it for a time. In 1927 the Ryan Aircraft Company used the field to weight-test the plane The Spirit of St. Louis which they were then building for Charles A. Lindbergh. During 1929-1930 the facility was known as Airtech Field, operated by the San Diego Air Service Corp.
dirigibles on the base. The mast was used for visits by the Navy's two enormous airships, the USS Akron
and USS Macon
, each 785 feet (239.3 m) long. The Akron first visited Camp Kearny on May 11, 1932. That mooring ended in disaster when a gust of wind carried the airship upward, killing two ground handlers and injuring a third. However, the Navy continued to use the facility, and the Macon moored at Camp Kearny four times during 1934. The airships were homeported at Moffett Field in Sunnyvale, California
, whose civic leaders had won a vigorous public relations battle with San Diego in the late 1920s to become the host of the Navy's airfield for dirigibles.
In 1940 the Navy began a series of projects to improve and expand Camp Kearny. By 1941 the base contained more than 26000 acres (105.2 km²). On February 20, 1943, the area was commissioned as Naval Auxiliary Air Station Camp Kearny. (By then the misspelling "Kearney" had become so common that the base was actually commissioned as "NAAS Camp Kearney".) It had three runways: a 3000 feet (914.4 m) asphalt runway mainly used for aircraft parking, and two 6000 feet (1,828.8 m) concrete runways. The primary mission of the base was training pilots in the use of PB4Y Liberators
(B-24s), which were built by the nearby Consolidated Aircraft Company.
to use for maneuvers and gunnery ranges.
At the beginning of World War II
the Marines took over the northern portion of Camp Kearny, which they christened Marine Corps Air Depot Camp Kearny. In 1943 the Marines changed their station name to Marine Corps Air Depot Miramar to avoid confusion with the Navy base. The Marine base was mainly used to process Marine squadrons en route to the South Pacific. At various times it was the headquarters of Marine Aircraft Group 11
, Marine Aircraft Group 12
, Marine Aircraft Group 13
, Marine Aircraft Group 14
, and Marine Aircraft Group 15
before they deployed to the Pacific.
The Marines also developed a training base on the grounds of Camp Kearny called Camp Holcomb, named for Major-General Thomas Holcomb
who was then commandant of the Marine Corps. By 1940 the number of volunteer recruits was overwhelming the local training base, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego
, so the Marines replaced Camp Holcomb with a much larger training base directly east of Camp Kearny which was called Camp Elliott, named for George F. Elliott
, a former commandant of the Marine Corps.
After the end of the war, the Navy used Camp Kearny for demobilization. On May 1, 1946, the Navy departed Camp Kearny, handing it over to the Marines, and the station became MCAS Miramar.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, on the site of the current Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar , formerly Naval Air Station Miramar is a United States Marine Corps installation that is home to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is the aviation element of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force...
. It operated from 1917 to 1946.
Establishment and early years
The camp was established by the Army in 1917 on 12721 acres (51.5 km²) of land on a mesa north of San Diego. The area included the 2130 acres (8.6 km²) Miramar Ranch, which had originally been established by newspaperman E. W. ScrippsE. W. Scripps
Edward Willis Scripps , was an American newspaper publisher and founder of The E. W. Scripps Company, a diversified media conglomerate, and United Press news service. It became United Press International when International News Service merged with United Press in 1958. The E. W...
and later sold to the Jessop family. It was Scripps who named the area Miramar, meaning "view of the sea".
The new base was named in honor of Brigadier General Stephen W. Kearny
Stephen W. Kearny
Stephen Watts Kearny surname also appears as Kearney in some historic sources; August 30, 1794 October 31, 1848), was one of the foremost antebellum frontier officers of the United States Army. He is remembered for his significant contributions in the Mexican-American War, especially the conquest...
, a leader in the Mexican-American War who also served as a military governor of California. Camp Kearny was one of 32 new camps created by the Army in 1917 as a mobilization and training facility for troops on their way to battlegrounds of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The first commander was Major James Stuart McKnight. Army aircraft occasionally landed on the parade ground, but an actual airfield was not established during World War I.
After the war, the camp was used as a demobilization center and was closed in 1920. It was largely abandoned after 1920 but was retained by the government for use as a military and civilian airfield. The U.S. Public Health Service used it for a time. In 1927 the Ryan Aircraft Company used the field to weight-test the plane The Spirit of St. Louis which they were then building for Charles A. Lindbergh. During 1929-1930 the facility was known as Airtech Field, operated by the San Diego Air Service Corp.
United States Navy use
In 1932 the Navy installed a mooring mast for heliumHelium
Helium is the chemical element with atomic number 2 and an atomic weight of 4.002602, which is represented by the symbol He. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas that heads the noble gas group in the periodic table...
dirigibles on the base. The mast was used for visits by the Navy's two enormous airships, the USS Akron
USS Akron (ZRS-4)
USS Akron was a helium-filled rigid airship of the United States Navy that was lost in a weather-related accident off the New Jersey coast early on April 4, 1933, killing 73 of the 76 crew and passengers on board...
and USS Macon
USS Macon (ZRS-5)
USS Macon was a rigid airship built and operated by the United States Navy for scouting. She served as a "flying aircraft carrier", launching Curtiss F9C Sparrowhawk biplane fighters. In service for less than two years, in 1935 Macon was damaged in a storm and lost off California's Big Sur coast,...
, each 785 feet (239.3 m) long. The Akron first visited Camp Kearny on May 11, 1932. That mooring ended in disaster when a gust of wind carried the airship upward, killing two ground handlers and injuring a third. However, the Navy continued to use the facility, and the Macon moored at Camp Kearny four times during 1934. The airships were homeported at Moffett Field in Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. It is one of the major cities that make up the Silicon Valley located in the San Francisco Bay Area...
, whose civic leaders had won a vigorous public relations battle with San Diego in the late 1920s to become the host of the Navy's airfield for dirigibles.
In 1940 the Navy began a series of projects to improve and expand Camp Kearny. By 1941 the base contained more than 26000 acres (105.2 km²). On February 20, 1943, the area was commissioned as Naval Auxiliary Air Station Camp Kearny. (By then the misspelling "Kearney" had become so common that the base was actually commissioned as "NAAS Camp Kearney".) It had three runways: a 3000 feet (914.4 m) asphalt runway mainly used for aircraft parking, and two 6000 feet (1,828.8 m) concrete runways. The primary mission of the base was training pilots in the use of PB4Y Liberators
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
(B-24s), which were built by the nearby Consolidated Aircraft Company.
United States Marine Corps use
In 1934 part of the base was leased to the Marine CorpsUnited States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
to use for maneuvers and gunnery ranges.
At the beginning of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the Marines took over the northern portion of Camp Kearny, which they christened Marine Corps Air Depot Camp Kearny. In 1943 the Marines changed their station name to Marine Corps Air Depot Miramar to avoid confusion with the Navy base. The Marine base was mainly used to process Marine squadrons en route to the South Pacific. At various times it was the headquarters of Marine Aircraft Group 11
Marine Aircraft Group 11
Marine Aircraft Group 11 is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar that is currently composed of three F/A-18C squadrons, three F/A-18D squadrons, one fleet readiness squadron, one KC-130 tactical aerial refueling squadron and a maintenance and...
, Marine Aircraft Group 12
Marine Aircraft Group 12
Marine Aircraft Group 12 is an active air group of the United States Marine Corps, tasked with providing assault support aircraft. It is currently part of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing , itself an integral part of the III Marine Expeditionary Force, and based at MCAS Iwakuni in Japan.-Mission:The...
, Marine Aircraft Group 13
Marine Aircraft Group 13
Marine Aircraft Group 13 is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma that is currently composed of four AV-8B Harrier squadrons and a maintenance and logistics squadron...
, Marine Aircraft Group 14
Marine Aircraft Group 14
Marine Aircraft Group 14 is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina that is currently composed of four AV-8B Harrier squadrons, four EA-6B Prowler squadrons, one KC-130 squadron and a maintenance and logistics...
, and Marine Aircraft Group 15
Marine Aircraft Group 15
Marine Aircraft Group 15 was a United States Marine Corps aviation group established during World War II. MAG-15, a transport and photo-reconnaissance training group, was commissioned on 1 March 1942, headquartered at Camp Kearny, San Diego. In addition to radio and photographic training, the...
before they deployed to the Pacific.
The Marines also developed a training base on the grounds of Camp Kearny called Camp Holcomb, named for Major-General Thomas Holcomb
Thomas Holcomb
General Thomas Holcomb was the seventeenth Commandant of the United States Marine Corps . He was the first Marine to achieve the rank of General. After retiring from the Marine Corps, Holcomb served as Minister to South Africa .-Early years:Holcomb was born on August 5, 1879 in New Castle, Delaware...
who was then commandant of the Marine Corps. By 1940 the number of volunteer recruits was overwhelming the local training base, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego
Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego
Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego is a United States Marine Corps military installation in San Diego, California. It lies between San Diego Bay and Interstate 5, adjacent to San Diego International Airport and the former Naval Training Center San Diego...
, so the Marines replaced Camp Holcomb with a much larger training base directly east of Camp Kearny which was called Camp Elliott, named for George F. Elliott
George F. Elliott
George Frank Elliott was a United States Marine Corps major general. He was the tenth Commandant of the Marine Corps between 1903 and 1910.-Biography:...
, a former commandant of the Marine Corps.
After the end of the war, the Navy used Camp Kearny for demobilization. On May 1, 1946, the Navy departed Camp Kearny, handing it over to the Marines, and the station became MCAS Miramar.