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WINTER 2022
Newsletter of the Flying Leatherneck Historical Foundation
EL TORO: There Used to Be a Marine Corps Air Station... By George A Haloulakos, MBA, CFA
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he title of this article – derived from the song “There Used to Be a Ballpark” (written by Joe Raposo and performed by Frank Sinatra) – expresses a wistful remembrance of a legendary West Coast center for Marine Corps aviation. MCAS (Marine Corps Air Station) El Toro located near Irvine, CA was created in 1942 during World War II to meet the demand for training pilots to serve in the Pacific Theater. The fabled history of MCAS El Toro began inauspiciously as the first pilot to use the air station was a Major Carmichael who made an emergency landing while the base was still under construction. Construction of the base uprooted the largest lima bean field in North America. It was from these humble beginnings that gave flight to storied aircraft such as Helldivers, Wildcats, Phantoms and Hornets – all with stellar service records in Marine Corps Aviation history.1 During the post-World War II era until its closure in 1999, MCAS El Toro grew into a major center of Marine Corps aviation. While the military aviation history of El Toro is a matter of record firmly ingrained in the public
consciousness, what is less known is its connection with the entertainment industry. Both motion picture and television stars whose life stories are interlocked with the legendary air base, along with plot lines of various films and TV programs directly and indirectly associated with the facility itself. With the passage of time, more and more cinematic connections have arisen. It is for this reason that in writing this article readers are invited to add to this historic record by sharing their own personal remembrances of various entertainment celebrities whose life path intersected with El Toro and posting them to the Flying Leatherneck’s website (www.flyingleathernecks.org). While the history of cinema is voluminous, it is also fragmented. Therefore, deeper context and clarity can be accomplished through public participation as we reflect on the cinematic legacy of MCAS El Toro. With the relocation of the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum to Great Park in Irvine, this article is the latest in a series by The Log Book offering yet another window into the history of where there once was a Marine Corps Air Station. Continued on page 3