Sad, really sad, the way this Lady has been shut down by the Left Coast Californicated Nut Jobs.

A sad day indeed

It sure is sad to see what was such a great duty station just rotting away & being demolished.
Good duty,good food,nice digs,nice EM club,nice quiet liberty town,you name it.
I think Billy C. is the only one of us that didn't love LTA.,Al. Next time you're in his area.,give him a good smack from all of us. Ha.Ha.

Tustin commercialization ..............

https://www.popasmoke.com/notam2/showthread.php?p=23446#post23446

Check out these four pics posted three years ago of the build-up around
the hanger in the right distance in Wally's pic.

If you look closely, you can see the red building in front of the hanger.

Scroll back up to my post ' The "new" Tustin ' to view the four pics.

Lta

I hated being sent there, when I asked for New River, but loved it lots, after I got there!! Once in a lifetime experience all that time in So.Cal. for a Georgia boy!:D

Aerial

Here's an in-flight aerial view of the base. Not sure when it was taken, but it's interesting to see from that angle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqLMyPNnwVY&feature=related

MCAS (LTA) Tustin

Always brings back so many great memories & than the sad realization , "never more "!! I have posted several times my first assignment in 1951 there in the forming of VMO-2. We were the first on LTA. What a Country scene it was than. Surrounded by bean fields & orange groves on the back gate road to El Toro. In the front was a Country store & small beer joint. Half of Hangar one where we were was occupied by the Navy Blimps that were still operating at that time. Stacked along one wall was Howard Hughes storage stuff. We had HTL-3 Helicopters & the old OY fixed wing. I purchase a nice new home 1805 Alona St off W 17th St for the whopping total of $4,900.00. $300 down & $49.00 a month GI loan. I was later back there again in 1954 after returning from the Korean "Police Action" . Than again in 1957 when the base was built up & the NCO club we VMO-2 NCOs started in the old Laundry building was in full bloom. Will try & post photo of the origianl Personel that was in VMO-2 than. I was than a Tsgt & the line Chief. El Toro is also part of the good & sad memories along with MCAS. I first went through El Toro in 1944 when it was only about one year old. Later returned there from the Pacific in 1945/46. Than returned there in 1963 for my retirement. SF PM (new computer will try later for photo )

El Toro & LTA Santa Ana

Paul, when I was there in early '67, the orange groves were still there.

Was always tempted to stop and grab an armload of oranges, but listened
to the advice not to do it !

I checked into Mag 36 at Santa Ana in October 1959 and served there until July 1962. I returned there to serve as the XO of H&HS squadron and Comptroller from May 1966 until October 1959. I operated in and out of Santa Ana in 1982 and 1983 with Mag-49. I have many good memories of MCAF. I went there again in August 2000 after it was closed and it was sad to see it then.

Joined HMR362 at LTA in 1952 straight out of Memphis. Remember watching the squids hanging on those ropes and flying up and down in the air trying to coral those big blimps. Came back in 1955 and joined HMR 361. Came back again in 1963 and joined 362 again. I was always amazed at the size of the hangers. Remember when a sgt climbed up in the rafters and wanted to commit suicide. The chaplin talked him down sometime in the 52-53 time frame.

When I arrived at MCAF Santa Ana in Jan of 56 I thought I had died and went to heaven. I was Sgt E 4 then and we lived in the old wooded barracks near the front gate. I was with HQ&HQ Sq we hade 2 SNB 5.s and shared hanger 1 with the Navy blimps.
Across the street fron the front gate they had some small trailers that the married E4 and below lived in. As Paul said orange groves ever where it smell so good when they where in bloom. Girls called the barracks to get Marines to go to beach parties. I had a good friend from Texas who worked in the tower in FEb it was in the high 80's so we decided to go swimming at Newport Beach big mistake we turned blue in a hurry. I met my wife at Halls Drive in on East Main St.In 59 I received orders to Oppoma Japan . I was assigned to the engine shop and it was very boring so when I heard 261 needed people I asked my boss if I could go . That was my first helicopter squadron but not my last.
In 1968 after Viet Nam I returned to MCAS Tustin and was assigned to HMMT 302. The area sure had grew but most of the Orange groves where still there. Yes we spent some happy years there 3 of my childern where born while I was there 2 the first time and 1 the second. My wife's family lived in the area until the late 70's when they retired they all moved to Oregon. My mother in law had bought a housein 57 in Santa Ana for a little less then $6000 and sold it for &155,000 when she moved. The last time I saw the base was in 2000 when we had the reunion in San Diego. SF

Lta

I was there briefly with HMH-462 Feb-Apr 68 right after "A" school in Millington. I had wanted East coast. Loved it for those 2 mos before going to MMAF with HML-167. Needless to say it was my first choice of duty station upon my return to "the world". Spent the rest of my time at New River. Go figure.

Anywho, this link is an informative video about the construction and history of the hangars.

http://tustinca.org/VIDEOS/HANGARSHISTORY.WMV

Thanks to my good friend MSGT Bill Gantz for the link.

Semper Fi -- Keith

Oh my - ....I remember all the good years I spent there with many of the 46 's and H&HS..

Well, better to be over the hill than under it!

Original VMO-2 Personel 1951 LTA

Had tried to post the photo with my response to this subject. Would like to hear from any of these Marines if they are still around. (Me second row second from the left) SF PM

Tustin

I was discharged from there in Sept 1975... Had some great times around there!
Birdman

Lta

I think Billy C. is the only one of us that didn't love LTA., Al. Next time you're in his area.,give him a good smack from all of us. Ha.Ha.

Craze,
I had to "learn" to love it, but love it I did! I was R.A.D there in early 1970 when my four years was up, and may Georgia wife and I couldn't wait to get back home, but the memories are still vivid today! We still have contact with many good friends from those years in Santa Ana, too! My oldest son was nearly born there, but waited untril we got home to make is entrance into the world.
I made it back there in the mid 80's and barely recognized it, but it was still going then. They wouldn't let me aboard to check it out.

Rerun

I would give my half acre in hell to go back there in 1951 !!! SF PM

Tustin/LTA

I sort of liked the place too, Paul .....

...... and I was only there for three or four months. :D:D:D

Tustin Hangars

I just watched a Verizon commercial on TV that was filmed at Tustin in the Hangar and showing the Hangar behind some sand piles and construction equipment. I am on sat here in Wake Forest and don't know if it is on cable TV as well. It does make for a bit of nostalgia.
I was only there from March thru July 1968 with HMH-462 when it was stabilized for deployment to Vietnam. I lived in the SNCO quarters next door to a MSgt pilot who was an Air Traffic Controller and also flew the station plane on occasion.
He was a character who always drank an after dinner liquer called a King Alfonse at the SNCO Club.
That was my only tour with the wing but I enjoyed my time in Tustion. I left there as part of the Advance Party for HMH-462 and arrived at Phu Bai the first week of August 1968 and was the S-2 Chief of the squadron until May of 1969 when I was commissioned.
It is a shame to see the base closed and those historic Hangers going to waste.

Semper Fi - Duke Dearing