Camp Pendleton

[Subdeacon Joe]

25 September 1942 - Camp Pendleton dedicated

#OTD in 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in honor of World War I MGen Joseph H. Pendleton. The base would become the Corps' largest West Coast expeditionary training facility.

Sound off if you have served on Camp Pendleton!!

Find out more about Camp Pendleton's history: http://www.pendleton.marines.mil/About/History-and-Museums/

Gunnery Sergeant Carl A. Ostrom, USMC, holds the US Flag prior to the flag raising to dedicate Camp Joseph H. Pendleton; President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Mary Fay Pendleton, widow of MGen Pendleton, look on. (25 September 1942) By Sgt. Asia Sorenson

 

[Wyatt Earp SASS#1628L]

Mary Fay Pendelton sure looks like Eleanor Roosevelt. 

[Yul Lose]

Never served on Pendleton but archery deer hunted there many times. The buffalo herd is impressive.

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

3 hours ago, Wyatt Earp SASS#1628L said:

Mary Fay Pendelton sure looks like Eleanor Roosevelt. 

It could be, tho I don’t recall Eleanor wearing glasses like that. She was seldom photographed with them in public. These pics are sometimes mislabeled. 
 

I’m surprised by the Gunny’s mustache. Doesn’t look regulation for that era. 

[Alpo]

21 minutes ago, Abilene Slim SASS 81783 said:

I’m surprised by the Gunny’s mustache. Doesn’t look regulation for that era

I wondered about the mustache. Also about where he is wearing his pants. His trouser belt shows them to be hanging at about level with his hip bones, which is like four or five inches lower than people wore them at that time period. His pistol belt is about where his pants belt should be - right around the area of his navel.

[Subdeacon Joe]

https://www.pendleton.marines.mil/Main-Menu/History-and-Museums/

[Subdeacon Joe]

1 hour ago, Alpo said:

I wondered about the mustache. Also about where he is wearing his pants. His trouser belt shows them to be hanging at about level with his hip bones, which is like four or five inches lower than people wore them at that time period. His pistol belt is about where his pants belt should be - right around the area of his navel.

 

Several my brother sent me of our dad, ~1942. Only the last shows the pants belt.

 

80-G-27186: Navy Cross: Guadalcanal Campaign, August 1942 to February 1943

U.S. Marines, Major John L. Smith, Major Robert E. Galer, and Captain Marion E. Carl, who received the Navy Cross.

 

 

Edited September 25 by Subdeacon Joe

[Subdeacon Joe]

1 hour ago, Abilene Slim SASS 81783 said:

I’m surprised by the Gunny’s mustache. Doesn’t look regulation for that era. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Pierson_Crowe

 

 

I don't have a copy of the picture, but my dad had a rather substantial moustache as a Marine in WWII.

[Capt. R. Hugh Kidnme]

43 minutes ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

 

Several my brother sent me of our dad, ~1942. Only the last shows the pants belt.

 

80-G-27186: Navy Cross: Guadalcanal Campaign, August 1942 to February 1943

U.S. Marines, Major John L. Smith, Major Robert E. Galer, and Captain Marion E. Carl, who received the Navy Cross.

 

 

Don't know about the Gunny's 'stache, but your Dad's reg 'stache is on point.

[Capt. R. Hugh Kidnme]

Also, not sure why Gunny Ostrom is wearing a helmet for a dedication ceremony, with the President?????

 

I know he needs a cover , cause he outdoors. But did he lose his campaign hat, fore 'n aft, and 8 pt all in a tragic accident? 

[Rip Snorter]

1942, the war was on, the helmet a martial note.  FDR positioned in a vehicle because of the Polio and the Chair or crutches were never  (or almost never) shown.  The belts are puzzling, every Gunny I ever saw was squared away to the Nth degree.

[Subdeacon Joe]

11 minutes ago, Capt. R. Hugh Kidnme said:

Don't know about the Gunny's 'stache, but your Dad's reg 'stache is on point.

The next year he had let it grow out.  I put that set of photos in (my brother sent it to me as one image) to show his belt.

 

 

4 minutes ago, Capt. R. Hugh Kidnme said:

Also, not sure why Gunny Ostrom is wearing a helmet for a dedication ceremony, with the President?????

 

I know he needs a cover , cause he outdoors. But did he lose his campaign hat, fore 'n aft, and 8 pt all in a tragic accident? 

 

Could be that was what was the uniform of the day.  He's not likely to question what his CO tells him to wear.

[Subdeacon Joe]

If you look at the photo of the 3 with the Navy Cross, the belts look on par with what the position the Gunny has his.  If anything, his pistol belt may be high.

[Smuteye John SASS#24774]

I seem to remember seeing a picture of Joe Foss with a goatee or beard that was taken about the same time.  (Then again, he was busy flying out of Cactus at the time, so shaving might not have been high on his priority list).

 

Then again, Joe Foss could pretty much get away with whatever he wanted and it would be alright with me.

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

Military personnel in the field often grew facial in combat areas where grooming enforcement was lax. But this was in front of POTUS and stateside to boot. This guy seems a bit of a slob like Sad Sack. 
 

The guys in the Navy Cross image are likely pilots. At least the guy in the middle with the ‘stache is. 
 

Edited September 25 by Abilene Slim SASS 81783

[Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619]

8 hours ago, Wyatt Earp SASS#1628L said:

Mary Fay Pendelton sure looks like Eleanor Roosevelt. 

 

Seems like all the 'old ladies'  dressed like that back then. I remember as a kid 'old ladies' wore black dresses, those chunky black lace-up shoes, and had their hair in buns. They put on that uniform at about 60. 

 

Now they are in running tights and a lot of them look darn pretty good. All in the attitude I reckon.

[Subdeacon Joe]

I tried to look up information about Mary Fay Pendleton all that came up on Google, aside from the Find a Grave page, were about the school named for her in Oceanside, CA.  

 

The only photo of her was the one in the OP.

 

 

[BenW]

I spent about 8 years at CamPen during my career, 9th Comm Bn and Comm Co., HQ Bn, 1st FSSG.  I retired from there in 1991.  Was a good duty station.  I spent a great deal of time at the rifle, pistol and shotgun ranges.  

[Subdeacon Joe]

18 minutes ago, BenW said:

I spent about 8 years at CamPen during my career, 9th Comm Bn and Comm Co., HQ Bn, 1st FSSG.  I retired from there in 1991.  Was a good duty station.  I spent a great deal of time at the rifle, pistol and shotgun ranges.  

 

Camp Pendleton was where my dad was discharged in '47.   He and mom lived in Oceanside for a short time, then bought a place in Vista. 

[Rip Snorter]

16 hours ago, Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619 said:

 

Seems like all the 'old ladies'  dressed like that back then. I remember as a kid 'old ladies' wore black dresses, those chunky black lace-up shoes, and had their hair in buns. They put on that uniform at about 60. 

 

Now they are in running tights and a lot of them look darn pretty good. All in the attitude I reckon.

Her husband had died, widows weeds.

[Bailey Creek,5759]

I am a Hollywood Marine.

Bootcamp in San Diago. 

Rifle Range and Grunt training in Pendleton.

ITR, training at Pendleton. 1972.