Existing comment:
Camp Matthews:
In 1915, the first Marines to be stationed in San Diego set up their tents in Balboa Park while on duty at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. They were the first Marines to begin rifle practice on city-owned Pueblo Lands that later became Camp Matthews. Their informal training continued for years before any plans for a permanent rifle range were ever discussed. In 1918, Marines installed the first permanent fixtures; eight targets on Range A built with their picks and shovels. Also in the same year, a lease was negotiated with the City of San Diego for the Marine Corps' use of 544 acres of Pueblo Lands. Although there is no consensus on the date that Camp Matthews was formally established, sources agree that recruits were using the ranges by 1923. The designated land was temporarily named "Marine Rifle Range, La Jolla" until the camp was named after distinguished Marine Officer, Brigade General Calvin B. Matthews, on March 23, 1942.
Construction of the camp evolved slowly. Not until 1927 did the first permanent structure, Headquarters, go up> The next two years witnessed further construction of permanent buildings. All of the projects were completed by Marines in training. The 1930s witnessed an increase in the rate of expansion as the strategic importance of San Diego's MCRD grew to be recognized by high officials. This trend intensified even more with the start of World War II.
Camp Matthews trained Marine recruits in small-arms marksmanship, with emphasis on rifle shooting. Marines trained in three-week cycles in order to attain the rifle certification. The training was intensive with only 88% of the recruits passing qualifications. At the peak of World War II, as many as 70,000 riflemen trained there per year. The increasing demands of the war forced Marine aviation, Army, and Navy units to share the camp's facilities. Trainees form nearby Camp Callan also came to train on the ranges. |