In April of 1942, the ground where Camp Pendleton now stands on was transformed into the largest Marine Corps base in the country. It was named for Major General Joseph H. Pendleton who had long advocated the establishment of a West Coast training base. After five months of furious building activity, the 9th Marine Regiment marched from Camp Elliot in San Diego to Camp Pendleton to be the first troops to occupy the new base.
1942 16-yr old Marine Recruit
(taken from military records)
1943 (Marine PFC. Joe Bright )
Picture taken from 23rd Marines "Red Book" Camp Pendleton, California
Joe Bright (3rd from Right - Front Row) 1942
A rare photograph here of the 90th platoon - taken very early in Dad's 4 year military career.. After his graduation, Dad wound up at Camp Lejuene- New River, North Carolina, where he continued training. Eventually, he shipped back to Camp Pendleton, California, where he became a Machine Gunner with C Company's Machine Gun Platoon. The 4th Marine Division has the distinction of being the first group of Marines who went directly from stateside into battle (Roi-Namur ). Sometimes I wonder what it must have been like for those young boys in C-1-23; walking up the gangplank aboard the USS LaSalle as they began their long journey towards the Land Of The Rising Sun..