Camp Pendleton

Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps. It is located on the Southern California coast, in San Diego County, and bordered by Oceanside to the south, Cleveland National Forest, Orange and Riverside counties to the north, and Fallbrook to the east.

The base was established in 1942 to train U.S. Marines for service in World War II. By October 1944, Camp Pendleton was declared a "permanent installation" and by 1946, it became the home of the 1st Marine Division. It was named after Major General Joseph Henry Pendleton (1860–1942), who had long advocated setting up a training base for the Marine Corps on the west coast. Today it is the home to myriad Operating Force units including the I Marine Expeditionary Force and various training commands.

Camp Pendleton in Days of Infamy
Prior to the first attempt by the U.S. to liberate Hawaii, Platoon Sergeant Les Dillon was offered a promotion to Gunnery Sergeant by his superior, Captain Braxton Bradford if he would take a training position at the new Camp Pendleton. Dillon declined the promotion because he wanted to take part in the invasion but the U.S. Navy failed to defeat the Japanese Navy so the landings were never carried out.

Much to his disgust, Dillon was eventually assigned to Camp Pendleton anyway to train recruits at his old rank of Platoon Sergeant.