MCAS El Toro was my first duty station after my MOS training in Quantico. I showed up February 1980. At 18 years old being in southern California for the first time was a amazing experience. Used to do my morning 4 mile run from our air hanger to the golf course entrance and back. It was good duty. God I miss those days. Orange county was amazing back then. Shout out to 4TH FASC DET B 1st FSSG. Semper Fi, fellow Marines, Cpl MAO.

Nice to see my old shop, The one with the 4 Aces. MWSS-373

As of August 4th 2024 only 4 hangers the airtraffic control tower and the 3 train depot building are left

Marine SSGT/MWSS-373 Explosive Ordnance Disposal/JEODT MCAS El Toro till '94.... My time in the USMC went by in the blnk of an eye...I miss it terribly.

My 1st duty station after school also. in 1975.., VMGR-352...stayed about 9 months then accepted orders to Kaneohe MCAS... El Toro was always a busy base I thought.

Stationed there 6/66 hitch-hiked all over......Mag 11..Transferred to VMFA 122..F4....Hydraulics..went to Nam 9/67..Greatest time in my life..SFMF's

Thanks Jay - well done! 3:51 That wide open view never to be seen again. 6:16 yeah had RV storage at the end, and that moved to Irvine Lake. Blogspot is long gone now. I remember last exploring the base around 2006 when it was still like a ghost town. My old army buddy worked at Beech hangar from ‘91 until the end, then went to Los Al. Lots of memories just like this. Time flies ha.

Out of all of the KZbin videos that I have watched over the years, This is my favorite one. Because it is like watching a home movie and brings back good memories of my youth. plus I like the music. I come back to watch it now and then to read the new comments and to feel good. Semper Fi.

"Thank-you for the Memories - Semper-Fi"

Stationed there from Dec. 64 to May 66, WERS 37 refuel/defueler near the south end of the runway near the the freeway. Lived in quonset huts then. Sad to see its now a regional park, thanks for the memories. SEMPER FI!

superfund site

I was only there a few times with my husband to watch him play basketball in a tournament or two and was sad when they closed it. Oddly enough, we were stationed at Pendleton and got orders to Miramar. In 1997, we got orders to Willow Grove, PA, for a few years. He separated after and we came back to CA. Now, I’m trying to find pics or video of MCAS Tustin where my dad was stationed. I used to walk through those hangars and would love to get pics or video inside the gates while there’s still something left standing.

I hit the military lottery when I got stationed here in 85. What a beautiful base it was. I just look at this and think about all the car washes and bake sales the people that lived here had to make it what it was. We all fought hard for 20 years to keep it. In the end the RE developers won. JET NOISE. THE SOUND OF FREEDOM.

I was stationed there in '64 attached to S.O.E.S squadron (Station Operations and Engineering Squadron). Mostly good memories.

I just went by what's left of MCAS El Toro May 6th, 2023. The tower is still standing and 3 of the MAG 11 F-4 hangers remain. I was a tower controller in the early 1970's. Semper Fi.

Home from '82-'85. Thanks for the ride! H&M-13 OMD, A-4's and Outlaws Forever!

Every now and then I re-watch this video because my two years Station there from Jan 1977 to Sept 1978 were the best years of my youth, not that life is not good now, it is, but reflecting back on my 67 years so far on earth, the 2 years that I was there has been the best time in my life. when I watch this it brings back good memories. I took my wife and 3 kids there back in 1999 for one last time, but only made it to the front gate. they had shut down a few months earlier. I had made many good friends with not just Marines but civilians in the area, I lived off base in 1978 in the city of Stanton, and I am always wondering what had happened to those people who I hung out with or worked with. I have forgotten their names over time but still see their faces in my head, LOL! That said Semper Fi.

I just delivered food to all of you. 1992-94. But still. It’s a memory I have When I was younger. Loved that place. Nostalgia working it’s wonders here. Now it’s just a bunch of ugly close together houses. No soul. Just cookie cutter houses. Ruined. There are a few airplane hangers ,,, some residential places. I’ve been taking pictures as much as I can. I’ll be back to take as many as possible before it’s gone. I wish I got to drive around before they tore most of it down. I’ll have the memories and photos ❤️✌️

Flew out of Tustin, but operated out of El Toro as well from 83 to 94.

I live in Aliso Viejo and I've said for years I don't see why they don't convert this into a place for affordable housing makes no sense

Work in the area now you can still see flight control tower and some of the hangers. You can drive trough most of what’s left although it’s not much.

Whoa, that brought back a flood of memories, all good but a tear or two. Seems like a lifetime ago. way back in 75, 76 and I guess it is. I worked at Building 58 JRC with a great bunch of guys, officers included. Back then SoCal wasn’t so congested that you couldn’t move. There was still open land and it wasn’t city all along the coastline as it is now.. Big Bear, beaches, big cities, so many adventures, it was an eye opening experience for an 18yo yokel from rural Washington. Great, great duty!

Three years ago I was able to sneak onto the base as demolition was underway. I was trying to find VMA 121 Hdqrtrs. I followed a dump truck around a construction road and ended up in this huge parking lot that looked pretty weird. I climbed up onto my car and realized it was the threshold to Rnwy 34. The numbers were still there. They had turned it into a parking lot. I was thrilled to stand upon the runway I had used so many times in the past.

Thanks Jay... I was with VMA(AW)-121 from 1978-1981. Was a pleasure.

I reported to MWSS-373, on my 19th birthday in January of 1989.MCAS El Toro was my first and only duty station. I was there until March of 1993 (except for Desert Shield/Storm). I met my wife of 31 years at the E-Club. Now our son is an active duty Marine with MWSS-371 at MCAS Yuma. I love the way California looks. I hate the way California operates. What a shame. Thank you for the video. Semper Fi

I served as an Aviation Firefighter and Rescue man there in 1978-1979. In 79 I was sent overseas.

Great video my friend. I was at El Toro from 1985-87 at MAG 11 HAMS 11 GSE. Best base in the Corps. Loved the area so much, i decided to purchase houses in RSM and Trabuco Cyn. Semper Fi!

Thanks for the posting... amazing. Was there with VMA-242 from 1986 to 1991. Could not ask for a better place to be stationed. Sad to see this once great base closed.

I was a tower controller at El Toro (NZJ) from Feb '73 to June '76. I drove a red 1970 GTO convertible and spent a lot of time cruising the PCH. Thanks for the video.

{0:39-0:44} Barracks 732...Lived there for a while in the early eighties!

VMFP-3 '81- '82. It's true what they say about California Girls 😉

great movie i was stationed there after Millington I was there in 67-69 with vmfa-232 red devils and then with vma 214 blacksheepi loved that station because I lived in Redondo beach about 30 miles north of mcas el toro memories flood back to me I lived in bldg 88 and sometimes in bldg 54

Stationed there from May 1980 until October 1982. 4th FASC, DET B, 1ST FSSG. I love the Marine Corps. Semper Fi.

Our last duty station. We lived on Johnson Avenue in housing. Although, the houses are gone, I recognize things by the palm trees.. Dad is a retired senior chief hospital corpsman and I remember El Toro really well. Great memories. I got my first ever job at the PX and up until the middle of my junior year I went to high school at University High School in Irvine. Even though I graduated somewhere else, I'm Always a Uni Trojan.

Great Video. I served there with VMA-311 TomCats from Nov 81 to May 83 when we went to Japan for six months then back to El Toro Dec 83 till I was transferred to Italy (Barracks Duty) In July 85. El Toro was the BEST base I ever served at. P S That Barracks #732 was my Barracks while I was there, 2nd floor front room just above where you were filming.

MCAS El Toro was my first duty station as a young Sailor, 1986-1989, H&HS. I'm 60 years old now and sad to see the base is gone, so much good memories and made lots of good Marine friends.

I was there from 81 to 83. Worked at the control tower bldg. We maintained the air traffic control radars and nav aids. It was fun being next to the runway during flight ops when i was at the approach radar shelter. Especially at night. 35 yrs later i was still building radar for military use. Semper Fi.

I lived at 1533 E Street for 6 years. I recognize the row of palms even without the houses. Thanks for putting this together.

Stationed here 1983-1987.

At 6:45 in the video, the build you pull in front of in your last shot, that was my building where I worked! It was AMAZING to see it one last time in your video. There use to be some jets along the road side also back in 1998 as you begin to make that curve around the flight line. Never thought I would see this again other than in my memories. Thanks for the great vid!

Best duty station ever,was with VMFA-531 airframes from 1978-81 Great memories and unforgettable times. Semper Fi !!!

Remember running the mountains? It was great to be there in the 1980s. Semper Fi.

This video put a big gulp in my throat, and a little bitty tear came rolling down. It is hard to explain it to a civilian or anybody who didn't experience MCAS El Toro. I went there as a Lance Cpl after attending Marine Aviation Opns (7041 MOS) in Memphis....and was sent to work at G3 Opns, 3rdMaw in the spring of 1966. There I made Cpl. Just a clerk typist at that point, but switched occupations to Counterintelligence and attended an Army Intelligence Course 1966-67, before returning to El Toro again briefly until being shipped to Vietnam. After a tour in combat, I was back at El Toro late 1968-70 to serve out my enlistment as a "West Coast Marine," a term they used, like "Airwing Marine or Airedale" as well. El Toro was in my view the best base to be stationed, better than Pendleton, San Diego, Camp Lejeune, Cherry Point, or any anyplace....well maybe "Kaneohe Bay" where a friend of mine went...might have been a good base too. Just my preference. Orange County was a great place for Liberty. El Toro has lots of memories. I think the ghosts of Marines still must haunt the place. Semper Fi, fellow Marines, JJF

I was there from 1988 to 1992 with VMFA-314 Seat Shop. Great times sad to see it like this.

My first duty station 1981-83 MWHS-3 then over to MCAS Tustin HMM-161. Bitter Sweet!!!!! Brought tears to my eyes and a smile to my face. Thanks for the memories, great video

I requested to be stationed there right out of radio school in 1988. Ended up at Cherry Point instead. Always hoped I would get there someday but it never came to be! Heard nothing but good things about it!

Brought back some good and hard memories. WTS-37 1977 - 1979. I had augmented from the reserves for a two year active duty hitch. Never forget the place. It was a lonely place for me. Spent most evenings at the movie theatre or just walking around. The barracks were filled with dopers and shit birds, and as such. Kinda folks if you hung around with them trouble will follow. Did not care for hanging out at the Enlisted Club, place was a dump. Minded my own business. Spent last few months at C-Pool making runs back and forth between El Toro and North Island Air Station hauling F-4 fuel drop tanks for rework. That was good duty be alone driving the truck off base. A bit of freedom and good scenery. Finished my enlistment tour got out and never spent much time looking back.

Thank you for this well done piece. Some others have posted vids of kids vandalizing this facility. It really grinds my gears, again, thanks.

MCAS El Toro is being demolished to make way for the new Orange County Great Park. And also for covering up drug trafficking

That damn main gaurd shack, stood many hours there waving people in. Thank you for sharing this