Miramar Air Station Essay, Research Paper

World War II opened many American?s eyes to the possibility of invasion from another country; as was seen when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in the winter of 1941. Since that time, the reality of war has been a major contributing factor to the Californian lifestyle and how it views the military. This new found reality during and after War II caused California to help support a massive increase in the number of military bases being constructed throughout the state (?32 Million Asked For Local Bases? 1956, 1:3). Naval Air Station (NAS) Miramar is one base in particular has stood above the rest: both in, military prestige and effectiveness (Vistica 1990, B1). NAS Miramar evolved from an ordinary air base to an air station with such distinction that the city of San Diego was nicknamed ?Fighter Town U.S.A.?

Miramar Naval Air Station has a unique and decorated past. Evolving from a lowly ignored army infantry training base into the most prestigious jet fighter combat training school in America. This paper will discuss how Miramar became a naval base first; an air station second. This essay will also bring into light the struggle the U.S. navy had with the city of San Diego in turning Miramar into an air station. To what extents did the protest have on the base will be shared also. Lastly the paper will discuss the evolution of NAS Miramar into the most distinguished combat flying school in the U.S. armed services: TOPGUN.

The future site of the U.S. Naval Air Station Miramar has been owned by the United States government since the middle of World War I when it was used as an Army Infantry Training Center entitled Camp Kearny (?History of Miramar Naval Air Station? 1969, 5). It was under U.S. Army control for various functions until it was split in half at the start of World War II; the southern part of the station became an auxiliary air station to Naval Air Station North Island (?History of Miramar. . .? 1969, 5). This was a small run-off airstrip, which helped lighten the heavy load of planes at NAS North Island. At the same time of this southern conversion, the northern half of the station was designated into a Marine Corps Depot (?History of Miramar. . .? 1969, 5). The two halves of the base worked separately for four years until the first of may 1946 when it was consolidated into Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar, with permission to allow and maintain Naval and Marine Corps aircraft (?NAS Miramar History? 1985, 6). It remained a Marine Corps Air Station until June of 1947 when all Marine aircraft were stationed to Marine Air Corps Station El Toro; thus turning all of Miramar into a Naval Auxiliary Air Station (?NAS Miramar. . .? 1985, 6).