Monday, November 08, 2010

Veteran's Day event: MCAS El Toro's history

Join the Orange County Historical Society on Veterans Day for “Reflections from the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station Oral History Project.” The meeting will be held Thurs., Nov. 11, 2010, 7:30 to 9pm, at Trinity Episcopal Church, 2400 N. Canal St., Orange.
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Three panelists from CSUF’s Center for Oral & Public History (COPH) will discuss the history of MCAS El Toro and COPH's efforts to collect its history through focused interviews with those who lived and worked there and in the surrounding community.
Leading the panel will be Dr. Natalie Fousekis, Director of COPH, and an Associate Professor of History. She has 15 years experience in oral history, including teaching oral history methodology to undergraduate and graduate students, and directing oral history projects.
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Janet Tanner is a graduate history student at CSUF and the project coordinator for the project.
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Kira A. Gentry is the manager for the project and a CSUF graduate twice, including a master’s degree in history.
The photos of MCAS El Toro in today's post come from the Tom Pulley postcard collection at the Orange County Archives. The image at the top of this post shows a F-4J Phantom II jet landing at El Toro in about 1970. The second photo depicts the station's headquarters building. The third image, immediately above, shows the on-base chapel. And the final postcard, below, is a view of the golf course. Like many large military faclities, MCAS El Toro had most of the features of any small town or community.
Thursday's OCHS program is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served afterward. Hope to see you there!

6 comments:

Connie Moreno said...

By any chance, is that chapel the same one that is currently on Culver?

Anonymous said...

Chris - the F-4 has actually just landed. The drag chute is deployed.

Mike

Chris Jepsen said...

Mike: Well, that wasn't very bright of me, was it? Thanks for pointing that out. I will make the appropriate correction.

Chris Jepsen said...

Connie: I'm afraid I don't know. Good question. Does anyone else out there know?

Anonymous said...

Chapel burned down when hit by vintage aircraft during an airshow in the mid 1980's. plane piloted by Mr Arrowsmith? not sure of correct spelling. passenger died also. My MP friend Steve Huecker was directing traffic in the intersection where the plane hit and ran to avoid being hit as the plane bounced off that intersection into the chapel.

gsracer5 said...

I was married in that chaple on 5 oct. 1974. at the time i was working at the visting aircraft line and also had worked on putting the anual air show on. at that time the blue angles were flying A-4S
ssgt Gary spangle