World War II left|thumb|Four Marines training at Camp Pendleton in 1943 In the early 1940s, both the Army and the Marine Corps were looking for land for a large training base. The Army lost interest in the project, but in February 1942 it was announced that the of Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores would be transformed into the largest Marine Corps base in the country. It was named for Major General Joseph Henry Pendleton who had long advocated the establishment of a West Coast training base. Construction began in April as a temporary facility built to minimum standards of wood frame construction. After five months of furious building activity, the 9th Marine Regiment, under then Colonel Lemuel C. Shepherd Jr., marched from Camp Elliott in San Diego to Camp Pendleton to be the first troops to occupy the new base. On September 25, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt officially dedicated the base. Wartime training facilities at the base included landing craft school, amphibious tractor school, beach battalion school, amphibious communications school, Naval Construction Battalion Training Center1. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Marine Corps Installations-West, Installation Histories, USMC Official website p.2, 4 and a medical field service school at the naval hospital at Santa Margarita Ranch, now Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton. The facility was used as a discharge base for soldiers returning from Europe and Asia after World War II ended in 1945.
world war ii left|thumb|four marines training at camp pendleton in 1943 in the early 1940s both the army and the marine corps were looking for land for a large training base the army lost interest in the project but in february 1942 it was announced that the of rancho santa margarita y las flores would be transformed into the largest marine corps base in the country it was named for major general joseph henry pendleton who had long advocated the establishment of a west coast training base construction began in april as a temporary facility built to minimum standards of wood frame construction after five months of furious building activity the 9th marine regiment under then colonel lemuel c shepherd jr marched from camp elliott in san diego to camp pendleton to be the first troops to occupy the new base on september 25 1942 president franklin d roosevelt officially dedicated the base wartime training facilities at the base included landing craft school amphibious tractor school beach battalion school amphibious communications school naval construction battalion training center1 marine corps base camp pendleton marine corps installations-west installation histories usmc official website p2 4 and a medical field service school at the naval hospital at santa margarita ranch now naval hospital camp pendleton the facility was used as a discharge base for soldiers returning from europe and asia after world war ii ended in 1945