Existing comment:
Soon after the Panama California Exposition closed at the end of 1916, the city of San Diego turned the park and exposition grounds over to the Navy at a lease rate of $1.00 per year for the entire property. The Navy established a training station for recruits, an aviation ground school, several other intermediate and advanced schools, and a naval hospital, all in buildings that had been intended only for temporary use during the exposition.
No doubt, the hospitality San Diego extended to the navy between 1917 and 1919 helped cement the positive and growing relationship between the service and the city.
During World War II, the Navy again moved into Balboa Park, and wiht the other services, including the Army, Marine Corps, and USO, took over most of the space.
The Naval Hospital and Camp Kidd Naval Training Station were major occupants throughout the war. Camp Kidd served as a Naval Hospital Corps School, occupying 22 Exposition Buildings and 33 army-style barracks used for training. From 1941 to 1946, Camp Kidd provided medical, dental, and hygienic training and support to Navy personnel. In addition, housing (five barracks), a dispensary, and recreational facilities were provided.
Facilities maintenance and ship service support activities were also conducted at Camp Kidd. After 1945, the Camp Kidd Naval Training Station area was used as a post-war Naval recreational services center, and was transferred back to the City of San Diego in the latter half of 1946. |