MCB CAMP PENDLETON: THE EARLY DAYS SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, SAN DIEGO CHAPTER MAY 20, 2017 SLIDE 1. Logo Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Dick Rothwell. Thank you for the delicious breakfast. I am the president of the Camp Pendleton Historical Society. I am very happy to be here this morning representing the our Society before the San Diego Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. On behalf of my wife, Ann, and fellow Board member, retired Marine Master Gunnery Sergeant Mike Lewis, than you for the invitation and for the delicious breakfast. Your invitation gives me the opportunity to talk about one of my favorite subjects -- the history of Camp Pendleton to members of an organization that I admire. SLIDE 2. SAR & CPHS Our two organizations share a common interest, a bond if you will, in patriotism and history. In today’ self-centered world patriotism does not just happen. It must be instilled. It comes as a result of our citizens’ knowledge and pride in our nation’s history and the accomplishments and sacrifices of those who came before us. That knowledge must be taught and re-taught to each generation. Without organizations such as the SAR that are dedicated to keeping our nation’s history alive, people will lose site of their heritage and patriotism, as we know it, will fade away. You do a great service to our country for which I thank you. SLIDE 3. Title As many of you are aware, 2017 marks the 75th anniversary of Camp Pendleton. This morning I want to tell you how about how Camp Pendleton came to be. I call it Camp Pendleton at 75. SLIDE 4. Two Tracks It is a long, multi-track story. One track is the land. The other is the Marine Corps. Then there is the story of how the two came together. I don’t want to keep you too long on a Saturday morning, so I will go through the story of the land rather quickly, telling you just enough to put things into perspective. My focus will be on the Marines in Southern California and how they and the land came together. SLIDE 5. Camp Pendleton Sign I suspect that when most people hear or read the words “Camp Pendleton” they automatically think “U.S. Marines.” That’s understandable since the Marines have been here longer than some people in this room have been alive. From a more distant perspective, however, the Marine Corps presence is just the latest chapter a long, rich history. All slide 6 graphics appear on one slide in the PDF version of the presentation SLIDE 6A. Divers History/Indians For thousands of years this land was home to our Native Americans. SLIDE 6B. Mission SLR It was once part, a relatively small part, of the huge and hugely successful Mission San Luis Rey. I might add that Oceanside, Vista, Carlsbad, and Encinitas share that heritage. SLIDE 6C. Cattle Ranch For 100 years before Marines came, Camp Pendleton was part of Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores, a very successful cattle ranch, probably the largest in California. SLIDE 6D. Amphib. Training Base It is only in the last 75 years that it has been the world’s largest amphibious training base. SLIDE 7. Enduring Features One of the most endearing and enduring features of Camp Pendleton is that unlike so much of surrounding Southern California, the men and women who lived all of those stories would recognize large tracts of Camp Pendleton if they could just walk its hills and canyons once more. SLIDE 8. Portola In 1769, during the last part of the Chapter 1, Gaspar de Portola passed through present day Camp Pendleton on his way to Monterey. He paused long enough to name the river in the southern part of the base the Santa Margarita, because he camped there on the feast day of St. Margret of Antioch. Two days later as the party reached the northern part of the Base, Franciscan missionaries accompanying him performed the first Christian baptism in Alta California on two young, Indian girls. The area where that occurred is known as Christianitos to this day. SLIDE 9. Mission SLR When Mission San Luis Rey opened in 1798 Camp Pendleton fell under its umbrella. And, a huge umbrella it was. Mission lands included Camp Pendleton, the Fallbrook Naval Weapons Station Annex, Oceanside, Vista, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Fallbrook, Pala, Temecula, all the way to Warner Springs – over 950,000 acres. To give you some perspective, Camp Pendleton, which today is about 125,000 acres comprised only about 13% of the mission. The mission was so large that the Franciscans divided it into a series of ranches. One of them was Rancho Santa Margarita, which comprised what is now the southern part of Camp Pendleton today. All slide10 graphics appear on one slide in the PDF version of the presentation SLIDE 10A. Mexican Revolution 1821 Following the successful Mexican revolution of 1821 SLIDE 10B. Secularization the new government began to secularize the missions. This movement reached Alta California in 1833. As the Franciscan missions were sent home, the territorial governor appointed civilian administrators to keep the old missions productive. That was a euphonium for keeping the Indians working. SLIDE 11. Picos Ranch Administrators Two brothers, Andre and Pio Pico, became administrators for San Luis Rey. Several years later, in 1842, the Mexican governor of Alta California, Juan Batista Alvarado, deeded almost 90,000 acres of former mission land, Rancho Santa Margarita, to the Pico brothers. As I mentioned earlier, that grant formed the southern part of present day Camp Pendleton. SLIDE 12. Rancho LMyLF Of the brothers Pio was interested in ranching while Andre wanted to be a soldier. Pio built a modest two-bedroom adobe home on a low hill near the Santa Margarita River that was the beginning of the present day Camp Pendleton Ranch House. He then began adding additional former mission land to his ranch, expanding it to 133,000 acres, known as known as Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores. SLIDE 13. John Forster Pio was a gambler and an unsuccessful businessman. So in 1864, plagued by personal debt, he sold Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores to his brother in law, an English immigrant to Mexico known as Don Juan Forster. SLIDE 14 Ranch map Don Juan’s owned former mission land in present day Orange County that abutted Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores. With those the rancho ballooned to over 200,000 acres, making it probably the largest ranch in California. SLIDE 15. Forster’s Ranch House Don Juan expanded Pio’s modest two bedroom home into an impressive hacienda. Like Pio Pico, Don Juan accumulated considerable debt, although mostly for reasons beyond his control. So, when he died in 1882 his heirs decided to sell the ranch. SLIDE 16 Flood & O’Neill Don Juan’s heirs sold the 200,000 acre Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores to a partnership of two Irishmen: James C. Flood and Richard O’Neill. SLIDE 17. Ranch House Flood was the investor. He lived in San Francisco. O’Neill, the rancher, moved his family into Don Juan’s Ranch House and began to manage the property. SLIDE 18. Flood’s house Flood remained in his modest family home on Nob Hill in San Francisco. All slide 19 graphics appear on one slide in the PDF version of the presentation SLIDE 19A. Flood & O’Neill SLIDE 19B. James Jr. James C. Flood died about six years into the partnership and his son, James L. Flood (sometimes referred to James Jr. or James II), assumed his position in the partnership. SLIDE 19C Jerome When Richard O’Neill died in 1908, his son, Jerome, took his place. So, the partnership continued under the leadership of the sons. SLIDE 19D. Blank This arrangement lasted until 1926, when James L. Flood and Jerome O’Neill died within a day of each other. This unfortunate circumstance forced both families to address a very difficult question. What do we do with the land? SLIDE 20 Ranch map The Floods, who for the most part lived in San Francisco, were the investors. They wanted to sell and divide the profit. The O’Neills, who had worked the land since 1882, wanted to keep it as a working cattle ranch. This loggerhead continued for a number of years. In the meantime control of the ranch passed to a bank acting as conservator. SLIDE 21. Amphib. Training Base I hope that you now have a feel for the story of the land, so let’s the switch to the Marine’s story. SLIDE 22. First to Fight Marines had long been proud of their aggressive nature in battle. One of their historic mottos, second only to Semper Fidelis, is First to Fight. But, when it came to recognizing the value of Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores as a training base, SLIDE 23. Tail End Charlie the Corps was more like a tail end Charlie. As much as it pains me to tell you, Camp Pendleton could have become Fort Kearney or some such. It almost became an army base. SLIDE 24. Gillispie Marines came to Southern California well before 1942. Gillespie Field, a civilian airport in El Cajon is named for Marine Lt. Archibald H. Gillespie. Gillespie came to California shortly before our war with Mexico that began in 1846. He spoke fluent Spanish, wore civilian clothing, and traveled with a cover story. He was a spy sent by for President James K.