View source for Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

{{Short description|US Marine Corps base in California}}
{{Redirect|Camp Pendleton|the National Guard camp in Virginia|Camp Pendleton (Virginia)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox military installation
| name                   = Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
| ensign                 = 
| ensign_size            = 
| native_name            = 
| partof                 = <!-- for elements within a larger site -->
| location               = 
| nearest_town           = [[Oceanside, California|Oceanside]], [[California]]
| country                = the [[United States]]
| image                  = 1st LAR Highlander Games Warrior Night Burns Late into the Night 140605-M-ZH987-033.jpg
| alt                    = 
| caption                = Marines hiking at Camp Pendleton during 2014
| image2                 = Seal of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.png
| image2_size            = 125px
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| caption2               = 
| type                   = Marine Corps base
| coordinates            = {{Coord|33|12|53.1|N|117|23|15|W|region:US-CA_type:landmark|display=inline, title}}
| gridref                = 
| image_map              = 
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| pushpin_map            = USA
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| pushpin_map_caption    = Location in the United States
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| pushpin_label          = MCB Camp Pendleton
| pushpin_label_position = 
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| ownership              = [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]]
| operator               = [[United States Marine Corps|US Marine Corps]]
| controlledby           = [[Marine Corps Installations West]]
| open_to_public         = <!-- for out of use sites/sites with museums etc -->
| site_other_label       = <!-- for renaming "Other facilities" in infobox -->
| site_other             = <!-- for other sorts of facilities – radar types, etc -->  
| site_area              = > {{convert|125,000|acre|hectare}}
| code                   = <!--facility/installation code, applies to US -->
| built                  = March–September {{Start date|1942}}
| used                   = 1942–present <!--{{End date|1946}} -->
| builder                = 
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| height                 = <!-- height of tallest part, not above sea level -->
| length                 = <!-- for border fences or other DMZs -->
| fate                   = <!--changed from demolished parameter-->
| condition              = Operational
| battles                = 
| events                 = 
| current_commander      = [[Brigadier general (United States)|Brigadier General]] Nick I. Brown
| past_commanders        = <!-- past notable commander(s) -->
| garrison               = [[I Marine Expeditionary Force]]
| occupants              = <!-- squadrons only -->
| designations           = 
| website                = {{Official website|https://www.pendleton.marines.mil}}
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| airfield_other_label = Airfield
| airfield_other       = [[Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton]]
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}}

'''Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton''' is the major [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]] base of the [[United States Marine Corps]] and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the [[Southern California]] coast in [[San Diego County]] and is bordered by [[Oceanside, California|Oceanside]] to the south, [[San Clemente]] in [[Orange County, California|Orange County]] to the north, [[Riverside County, California|Riverside County]] to the northeast, and [[Fallbrook, California|Fallbrook]] to the east.

The base was established in 1942 to train U.S. Marines for service in [[World War II]]. By October 1944, Camp Pendleton was declared a "permanent installation," and by 1946 it became the home of the [[1st Marine Division (United States)|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 [[Fleet Marine Force|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]], something never before done overland by Europeans. On [[Timeline of the Portola expedition|July 20 of that year]], the expedition arrived in the area now known as Camp Pendleton, and as it was the feast day of [[Margaret the Virgin|St. Margaret]], they christened the land in the name of Santa Margarita. The expedition went on to establish military outposts and [[Franciscan]] missions at [[San Diego]] 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.<ref name=PendletonHistoryUSMC>{{cite web |access-date=2007-10-29 |url=http://www.pendleton.usmc.mil/cpao/pages/history.asp |title=Base History |work=Camp Pendleton |publisher=United States Marine Corps |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060703182217/http://www.pendleton.usmc.mil/cpao/pages/history.asp |archive-date=2006-07-03 }}</ref> At that time, San Luis Rey Mission had control over the Santa Margarita area.

After 1821, following the [[Mexican War of Independence]] from Spain, some of the former members of the Portolà expedition who had stayed on (mostly garrison soldiers) were awarded large [[land grant]]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]]s, became the landed gentry of [[Alta California]].

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 [[United States Marine Corps|Marine Corps]] acquired it in 1942. The design of the ranch's [[cattle branding|cattle brand]] is seen in the base's logo today.<ref>{{cite news|title=HERE'S WHY|last=MCT staff|date=May 31, 2010|newspaper=[[Marine Corps Times]]|page=3}}</ref>

In 1863, an [[English people|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]]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 [[Irish people|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===
[[File:Four Marines hide and camouflage themselves in the brush during a training exercise, Camp Pendleton, circa 1943 (cropped).jpg|left|thumb|Four Marines training at Camp Pendleton in 1943]]
In the early 1940s, both the [[United States Army|Army]] 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 {{convert|122798|acre|km2|0}} of Rancho Santa Margarita y Las&nbsp;Flores would be transformed into the largest Marine Corps base in the country.<ref name="Shettle">{{cite book |last=Shettle |first=M. L. Jr. |title=United States Marine Corps Air Stations of World War II |publisher=Schaertel Publishing Co |year=2001 |location=[[Bowersville, Georgia]] |isbn=0-9643388-2-3 |page=84}}</ref> 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 [[Framing (construction)|frame]] construction.<ref name="Shettle" /> After five months of furious building activity, the [[9th Marine Regiment (United States)|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]] officially dedicated the base.<ref name="Estes">{{cite book | last = Estes | first = Kenneth W. |year=1999 |title=The Marine Officer's Guide - Sixth Edition |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location = Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=1-55750-567-5 |page=176}}</ref> Wartime training facilities at the base included [[landing craft]] school, [[amphibious tractor]] school, beach battalion school, [[US Amphibious Training Base|amphibious communications school]], [[Naval Construction Battalion]] Training Center<ref name="MCBCP">1. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Marine Corps Installations-West, Installation  Histories, USMC Official website p.2, 4 [https://www.mciwest.marines.mil/Portals/62/Docs/Government%20Affairs/INSTALLATION%20HISTORIES%20-%20MCIW.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210929010357/https://www.mciwest.marines.mil/Portals/62/Docs/Government%20Affairs/INSTALLATION%20HISTORIES%20-%20MCIW.pdf|date=September 29, 2021}}</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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ref/USN-Act/CA.html|title=U.S. Naval Activities World War II by State|publisher=Patrick Clancey|access-date=2012-03-19}}</ref>

===Post-World War II===
During the [[Korean War]], $20&nbsp;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]]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.<ref>[http://www.devilpups.com/index.php?option=com_eventlist&Itemid=8 "Devil Pups, Youth Program for America"], Devil Pups Inc, 2008.</ref>

The camp's stables display a plaque and statue commemorating a horse, [[Sergeant Reckless]], which served with the Marine Corps in Korea.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ritchie|first1=Erika T.|title=A Salute to Valor|newspaper=[[The Orange County Register]]|date=October 27, 2016|page=Local 1}}</ref>

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.<ref>[http://articles.ocregister.com/2010-04-07/cities/24647619_1_refugee-camp-camp-pendleton-exhibit Vietnamese refugee camp exhibit coming to Pendleton] ([[Orange County Register]], April 7, 2010) {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110816045819/http://articles.ocregister.com/2010-04-07/cities/24647619_1_refugee-camp-camp-pendleton-exhibit |date=August 16, 2011 }}</ref><ref>[http://articles.ocregister.com/2010-04-08/cities/24644492_1_war-refugees-operation-new-arrivals-camp-pendleton Pendleton once home for 50,000 war refugees] ([[Orange County Register]], April 8, 2010) {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120709063600/http://articles.ocregister.com/2010-04-08/cities/24644492_1_war-refugees-operation-new-arrivals-camp-pendleton |date=July 9, 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url = http://www.latimes.com/local/great-reads/la-me-ff-c1-tent-city-2-20150428-story.html|title = Vietnamese refugees began new lives in Camp Pendleton's 1975 'tent city'|last = Anh|first = Do|date = April 29, 2015|work = [[Los Angeles Times]] }}</ref>[[File:Camp Pendleton front gate.jpg|thumb|The main gate of Camp Pendleton in November 1997]]Camp Pendleton has continued to grow through renovations, replacing its original [[Tent city|tent camps]] with 2,626 buildings and over {{convert|500|mi|km}} 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 Sites (United States)|National Historic Site]].

===21st century===
[[File:George W Bush cropped.PNG|thumb|right|[[President of the United States|President]] [[George W. Bush]] addressing Marines and sailors at Camp Pendleton in December 2004.]]
[[File:Chuck Sketch, a Wounded Warrior with the veteran swim team, swims laps during a practice session 120214-M-YO938-177.jpg|thumb|right|Wounded Warrior Chuck Sketch participates in swim practice on Feb. 14, 2012 at Camp Pendleton]]
The base's diverse geography, spanning over {{convert|125000|acre|km2|0}}, 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 {{convert|17|mi|km|0}} 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]], newly minted infantry Marines return to the base's [[United States Marine Corps School of Infantry|School of Infantry]] for further training.

Camp Pendleton remains the last major undeveloped portion of the California coastline south of [[Santa Barbara, California|Santa Barbara]], save for a few relatively small state parks. In 2015 the site was proposed for a large civilian airport.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/education/sdut-csusm-pendleton-airport-study-2015dec08-story.html|title=CSUSM study finds Pendleton airport feasible|last=Tribune|first=San Diego Union|newspaper=sandiegouniontribune.com|access-date=2016-10-14}}</ref>

Since August 2004, Camp Pendleton has been one of five locations in the Department of Defense to operate the [[Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System]] (STARS) air radar. The STARS radar allows the facility to simulate air traffic for training purposes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kongsberggeospatial.com/applications/i-sim|title=I-SIM|last=Ivey|first=Christopher|website=Kongsberg Geospatial|language=en-gb|access-date=2019-01-15}}</ref>{{Citation needed|date=October 2010}}

Camp Pendleton's five-man color guard has participated in many sporting events in [[San Diego]] and at the [[1996 Republican National Convention]], accompanying [[The Star-Spangled Banner|national anthem]] performers. Among the more famous performers who were accompanied by the Camp Pendleton color guard have been [[Frankie Laine]], [[Herb Alpert]], [[Wilson Phillips]], [[Jewel (singer)|Jewel]], [[Trisha Yearwood]] and the [[Dixie Chicks]], all of whom had performed the National Anthem at either a [[World Series]] game, [[Super Bowl]], or, in Wilson Phillips' case, a [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game]] that was played at what is now [[SDCCU Stadium]].

In a 2002 letter to the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency]], Marine Corps Commandant J. L. Jones stated to the [[Transportation Corridor Agencies]] (TCA), who operates the toll roads in [[Orange County, California|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 [our] ability 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."<ref>[https://assets.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/lan_07011001a.pdf The Foothill-South Toll Road: Fact vs. Fiction]</ref> In 2008, after the rejection of the proposed toll road extension of [[California State Route 241|SR 241]] through [[San Onofre State Beach|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]], resides on the northwestern portion of the base.<ref>[https://www.ocweekly.com/they-didnt-pave-paradise-the-top-10-reasons-why-the-foothill-south-toll-road-extension-failed-6362850/ They didn't pave paradise. The top 10 reasons why the Foothill South toll road extension failed]</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kcet.org/redefine/this-tiny-bird-scored-a-win-for-science|title=This tiny bird scored a win for science|author-first1=Chris|author-last1=Clarke|date=21 September 2016|publisher=PBS SoCal}}</ref><ref>[http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-toll-road-must-not-interfere-with-base-mission-2010mar28-story.html Toll road must not interfere with base mission]</ref>

==Areas==
[[File:DM-SD-98-03384.jpg|thumb|An [[M1 Abrams]] breaches the obstacle belt during an amphibious exercise in 1997.]]
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 (United States)|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 (United States)|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]], [[Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company|1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company]], [[4th Tank Battalion]] (disbanded)
* 43 Area ([[Camp Las Pulgas]]): [[11th Marine Regiment (United States)|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 (United States)|1st Marine Regiment]]
* 62 Area (Camp San Mateo): [[5th Marine Regiment (United States)|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==
[[File:USMC-100804-M-3215R-002.jpg|thumb|Beach Volleyball Tournament at Camp Del Mar's beach, Aug. 4, 2010]]
Camp Pendleton was built on a wide swath of coastal land that once supported an [[estuary]] at the mouth of the [[Santa Margarita River]] and extensive [[salt marsh]] habitat.<ref name=fsmr>{{Cite web |url=http://fsmr.org/ecology/estuary.html |title=Ecology of the Santa Margarita River |access-date=2010-12-21 |archive-date=2011-07-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726070700/http://fsmr.org/ecology/estuary.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Outlying land within the base is made up of [[floodplain]], [[California oak woodland|oak woodlands]], [[dune|coastal dunes]] and bluffs, [[coastal sage scrub]], [[chaparral]], and several types of wetlands, including ephemeral wetlands such as [[vernal pool]]s.<ref name=inrmp>[http://www.pendleton.usmc.mil/inrmp/html/pdf/INRMP_ES.pdf Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622125200/http://www.pendleton.usmc.mil/inrmp/html/pdf/INRMP_ES.pdf |date=2011-06-22 }} USMC.</ref> [[Wildfire]] is not uncommon.<ref name=inrmp/> 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.<ref name=inrmp/>

Land within the base still includes breeding habitat for birds such as the [[western snowy plover]]<ref name=fsmr/> and [[California gnatcatcher]].<ref>Wirtz, W. O, et al. (1995). [http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/publications/4403/EffectsOfFire.pdf Effects of fire on the ecology of the California Gnatcatcher, ''Polioptila californica'', in California sage scrub communities.] ''Proceedings - Fire Effects... Conference''.</ref> The coastal bluffs have many of the few existing specimens of the [[Eryngium pendletonense|Pendleton button-celery]], which was named for the base.<ref name=cnps>[http://www.rareplants.cnps.org/detail/1341.html California Native Plant Society: ''E. pendletonensis'']</ref> Rare mammals on the base include the [[Perognathus longimembris pacificus|Pacific pocket mouse]] and [[Stephens's kangaroo rat]].<ref name=inrmp/><ref>{{Cite news |last=Blodgett |first=Tim |date=May 17, 2021 |title=50 years ago the San Diego Zoo gifted just over a dozen North American Bison to Camp Pendleton where 90 of them now roam |url=https://www.cbs8.com/article/life/animals/50-years-ago-the-san-diego-zoo-gifted-just-over-a-dozen-north-american-bison-to-camp-pendleton-where-90-of-them-now-roam/509-f8b5cf5b-79be-4478-bf08-b28f32c9f15a |access-date=2022-08-30 |work=CBS8 |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Bison<span class="anchor" id="Bison herd"></span>===
{{main|Camp Pendleton bison herd}}
Fourteen [[American bison]] were introduced from the [[San Diego Zoo]] between 1973 and 1979.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Perry|first1=Tony|title=Camp Pendleton's where these bison like to roam |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-nov-04-me-bison4-story.html|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|access-date=14 May 2016|date=2008-11-04}}</ref> They roam the Delta and Charlie training areas, Zulu Impact Area and Case Springs on the base.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stilwell |first=Blake |title=Why the Marine Corps Maintains Its Private Herd of American Bison |url=https://www.military.com/history/why-marine-corps-maintains-its-private-herd-of-american-bison.html |access-date=2022-08-29 |work=Military.com }}</ref> In early 2021, there were around 90 adults, and 14 calves were expected in April.<ref name="2021-04-15_NN">{{Cite news |last=Chagnon |first=Dylan |last2=Dennis |first2=Charlotte |date=2021-04-15 |title=Camp Pendleton has happy bison |url=https://navynews.com/News2021/0521/cpen-bison-paradise.html |access-date=2022-08-30 |website=Dispatch Newspaper {{!}} Navy News}}</ref>

==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.<ref name=SchoolinfoMilone>{{cite web|url=https://installations.militaryonesource.mil/military-installation/camp-pendleton/education/education|title=Camp Pendleton Education|publisher=[[Militaryonesource]]|access-date=2024-12-21}} - [[.mil]] site.</ref> 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]].<ref name=SchoolinfoMilone/>

Oceanside USD-zoned areas on Camp Pendleton property are assigned to [[Oceanside High School]].<ref name=Pendletonlist>{{cite web|url=https://www.pendleton.marines.mil:443/Portals/98/Docs/SLO/Resources/MCB_Camp_Pendleton_School_Liaison-Office_Welcome_Letter.pdf|title=The MCB Camp Pendleton School Liaison Office Welcomes You|publisher=Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton|access-date=2024-12-21}}</ref> The [[San Diego Association of Governments]] (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."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sandag.org/-/media/SANDAG/Documents/PDF/meetings-and-events/working-groups/military/marine-corps-base-camp-pendleton-briefing-book.pdf|title=Military Multimodal Access Strategy|publisher=[[San Diego Association of Governments]]|access-date=2024-12-21}}</ref> Fallbrook Union ESD feeds into [[Fallbrook Union High School District]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st06_ca/schooldistrict_maps/c06073_san_diego/DC20SD_C06073.pdf|title=2020 census - school district reference map: San Diego County, CA|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|page=1 (PDF p. 2/7)|accessdate=2024-12-21}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st06_ca/schooldistrict_maps/c06073_san_diego/DC20SD_C06073_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref> which operates [[Fallbrook High School]]. The Capistrano district operates [[San Clemente High School (San Clemente, California)|San Clemente High School]].<ref name=Pendletonlist/> The base has no on-post high schools.<ref name=SchoolinfoMilone/>

==See also==
{{Portal|California|United States<!--Federal military property-->}}
* [[Camp Pendleton North]] and [[Camp Pendleton South]] – two [[census-designated place]]s (CDP) at the base
* [[Caruso Memorial Chapel]]
* [[List of United States Marine Corps installations]]
* [[Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton]]
* [[WWII/Korea LVT Museum]] at Camp Del Mar

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book
 | last = O'Hara
 | first = Thomas
 | year = 2005
 | title = Images of America: Camp Pendleton
 | publisher = Arcadia
 | location = Charleston, South Carolina
 | isbn = 0-7385-2982-6
}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.pendleton.marines.mil/ Camp Pendleton] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220312230442/http://www.pendleton.marines.mil/ |date=March 12, 2022 }} (official site)
* [http://www.mccscamppendleton.com/ Marine Corps Community Services at Camp Pendleton] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220309185553/http://www.mccscamppendleton.com/ |date=March 9, 2022 }}
* [http://www.camppendletonhistoricalsociety.org/ Historical Society]
* [http://www.gisearch.com/search/i:mcb-camp-pendleton-1080/ Camp Pendleton Personnel/Vets Locator]
* [http://camppendleton.ca.marinecorpsusa.org/ Camp Pendleton Base Overview & PCS Information] (MarineCorpsUSA.org)
* [http://digital2.library.ucla.edu/viewItem.do?ark=21198/zz0002px1p Image of a Vietnamese mother and children in a tent at a refugee camp at Camp Pendleton, California, 1975.] [[Los Angeles Times]] Photographic Archive (Collection 1429). UCLA Library Special Collections, [[Charles E. Young Research Library]], [[University of California, Los Angeles]].
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** {{FAA-diagram|05985}}

{{Geographic location
 | Centre =Camp Pendleton
 | North = [[Santa Ana Mountains]] & [[Cleveland National Forest]]
 | Northeast = [[Santa Ana Mountains]] & [[Cleveland National Forest]]
 | East = [[Fallbrook, California|Fallbrook]]
 | Southeast = [[Oceanside, California|Oceanside]]
 | South = [[Oceanside, California|Oceanside]]
 | Southwest = [[Pacific Ocean]]
 | West = [[Pacific Ocean]]
 | Northwest = [[San Clemente, California|San Clemente]]
 | image =
}}
{{CAMilitary|state=autocollapse}}
{{US Marine Corps navbox}}
{{Summer camps in California}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Military camps in the United States|Pendleton]]
[[Category:Military facilities in San Diego County, California]]
[[Category:Military Superfund sites]]
[[Category:Military installations established in 1942]]
[[Category:Military installations in California]]
[[Category:United States Marine Corps bases|Pendleton]]
[[Category:North County (San Diego County)]]
[[Category:Superfund sites in California]]
[[Category:1942 establishments in California]]
[[Category:Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton|*]]