Location: University of California at San Diego, private land:
Genessee Ave to N. Torrey Pines Rd. (foundations to the south).
The old main entrance is at the Torrey Pines Inn off of Torrey
Pines Rd.
Camp Callan was built in November of 1940 as a Coast Artillery
Corps replacement training center for new inductees. Open for
business in January of 1941, it was named for Maj. Gen. Robert
Callan (1874-1936), a veteran of the Spanish American War and
World War I. By 1942, the post had over 297 buildings, covered
23 blocks, had 5 post exchanges, 3 theaters and 5 chapels. About
15,000 men went through a 13 week training cycle with a strong
emphasis on modern coast artillery and anti-aircraft defense
weapons. The Anti-Aircraft training program was moved to Ft.
Bliss, Texas, in 1944 and Camp Callan was declared surplus in
November 1945. Most of the buildings were purchased by the city
of San Diego and sold for salvage. Today, the site contains a
variety of developments including: the Torrey Pines golf course,
several private businesses and research facilities, a glider
port and a section of the University of California at San Diego.
A few foundations remain in the area to the north of the University
of California Campus.
Acquisition,
Improvement and Disposal
The property was authorized for acquisition
on 9 October 1940 as follows: 710 acres by lease from the City
of San Diego , 0.90 acres by lease form the City of San Diego,
120.08 acres by lease from Margaret C. Hawkins, 72.12 acres by
lease from F.T. Scripps, Inc., 367.00 acres by revocable permit
from the City of San Diego and 12.85 acres by license from the
City of San Diego. Total acreage acquired for the site was 1282.95
acres.
The site was used as an anti aircraft
replacement training center. Improvements included barracks,
a 910 bed station hospital, offices, storage, shops, support
buildings, a landfill, small arms training ranges and artillery
gun positions. No evidence of buildings or other improvements,
with the exception of the landfill, were noted during the site
visit.
The site was declared surplus on 1 November
1945 and disposed of as follows: 710 lease acres and 0.90 lease
acres were cancelled 25 March 1946, 120.08 lease acres were
cancelled 9 August 1946, 72.12 lease acres were cancelled 30
June 1946, 376 permit acres were cancelled 13 December 1945,
and 12.85 license acres were cancelled 25 March 1946.
The land under permit was released in lieu of restoration clause.
Note: The landfill is not on the permit land. The site is currently
owned by several hundred parties. Most of the
property is developed residentially and commercially. A park
and golf course are located in the northern portion and the University
of California, San Diego is located in the southeast portion
of the site. The total acreage terminated was 1282.95.
Source: Army Corps of Engineers
History
By Justin M. Ruhge, Goleta Valley Historical
Society
A press photo dated
22 April 1941 showing draftee's training on an M-1918 GPF mobile
seacoast gun at Camp Callan.
Camp Callan was named in honor of Major General Robert E. Callan,
distinguished Coast Artillery Officer. He served in the United
States, the Philippines, and saw frontline action in the Spanish-American
War and World War I. He was born March 24, 1864 in Baltimore and
died November 20, 1936 in Washington, D.C.
As stated by Judy P. Schulman "Camp
Callan was a World War II anti-aircraft artillery replacement
training center. Located along U.S. Highway 101 approximately
15 miles north of downtown San Diego, it occupied a three-by-half
mile rectangular area on Torrey Pines Mesa.
On November 22, 1940, the War Department
announced plans to create the nucleus for new coast artillery
units with men inducted under the Selective Service Program and
assigned to the center on Torrey Pines Mesa. A month earlier,
the San Diego City Council had granted the military 710 acres
of land for $1 a year. Additional acreage was acquired from private
sources.
With the establishment of a cantonment site
and gun firing positions, the purpose of the camp was to teach
trainees how to fire long-range weapons in the event the Japanese
fleet tried to attack the West Coast.
Construction of the camp began in November
1940 and official occupation of the facility was marked by a flag-raising
ceremony on January 15, 1941. Twenty officers and 120 servicemen,
all members of the first unit of operations personnel, attended
the ceremony. Brigadier General Francis P. Hardaway was the camp's
first commander. He spoke on the importance of the camp to the
defense program.
On February 24, 1941 the first large guns
arrived at the camp. Among these were nine French-made 155-mm
guns that dated back to World War I. Between the last week of
February and the end of March, some 5,000 trainees arrived by
rail at a nearby reopened railroad station. These trainees came
mainly from Forts Ord and MacArthur in California, Fort Sheridan
in Illinois, Fort Missoula in Montana, and Fort Vancouver in Washington.
The first military review was held April
2, 1941. Six thousand men passed in formation before Major General
Joseph A. Green, Chief of Coast Artillery. He congratulated the
trainees on the progress they had made in such a short time. As
Camp Callan still had no band of its own, a 100-piece Marine Corps
band provided military music.
March of 1942 began a period of important
change for Camp Callan. Whereas training emphasis had been on
anti-aircraft and seacoast artillery, the decision was made to
place full emphasis on anti-aircraft weapons, The military had
seen the terrible damage inflicted on England by the German Luftwaffe.
The change signaled what was to become a
two-year period of peak activity for the camp. The camp had grown
to some 297 buildings covering 23 blocks. About 15,000 men were
now going through each 13-week training cycle. Ranges existed
for training with everything from hand-held guns to the larger
anti-aircraft artillery. This included a 1,000-inch range and
a 200-yard rifle range. A pistol range, and automatic weapons
range, and a three-inch anti-aircraft gun range."
The men trained with guns of 155-mm, 90-mm,
75-mm and 40-mm calibers and the associated fire control equipment.
Like other camps, all the living amenities
were provided for the health, general education and war training
schools for the troops. A weekly newspaper called The Range
Finder and an annual pictorial review called The Callander
were published at the camp. The camp got its own 40-piece band.
During June 1944 the training emphasis at
Camp Callan was again to change. The anti-aircraft cadres were
transferred to Fort Bliss, Texas, and the camp became an important
link in preparations for massive overseas amphibious assaults.
However, the need for such training was short lived. By May 8,
1945, the war was over in Europe and by August 15, 1945 the Japanese
had surrendered. On November 1, 1945, Camp Callan was declared
surplus.
But its usefulness to the American people
wasn't over quite yet, at least not at the local level. At the
time the camp closed, there was a serious shortage of lumber and
building materials in Southern California. In order to mitigate
the problem for the many veterans who chose to stay in San Diego,
the City Council negotiated with the War Department to acquire
all the 500 buildings and facilities of the camp_ The selling
price was $200,000. These items were then resold to veterans and
other citizens at reasonable prices." From these facilities
several thousand homes, several churches and many utilities were
constructed. In the end the city recouped its $200,000 and made
a $250,000 profit. "Part of this money went to build the
Veteran's War Memorial Building in San Diego's 1,074-acre Balboa
Park."
However, by the 1980s what was once a proud
and vital training camp became barely recognizable as such. Few
today seem to realize what the area once was. It has been incorporated
into a golf course, Torrey Pines State Reserve, research facilities,
part of the University of California at San Diego and a residential
area.
Reference: World War II Triggers Weapons
Training Center by Judy P. Schulman, Traditions San Diego's
Military Heritage Magazine, July 1994, Vol. 1, No. 2, pg 3.
San Diego, San Diego County.
US Army Corps
of Engineers History
Acquisition
On October 9, 1940, the San Diego City Council
leased the United States military 710 acres (2,900,000 m2) of
land for $1.00 a year. The city council also leased an additional
0.90 acres (3,600 m2) to the military. Margaret C. Hawkins leased
the military 120.08 acres (485,900 m2) and F.T. Scripps, Inc.
leased them 72.12 acres (291,900 m2). The military acquired 367.00
acres (1,485,200 m2) by revocable permit from the city council
and 12.85 acres (52,000 m2) by license from the city council.
Altogether, 1,282.95 acres (5,191,900 m2) of land for the base
was authorized for acquisition by the government.
Early Period of Operation
On November 22, 1940, the War Department
announced plans to create a replacement training center for Coast
artillery units in the Torrey Pines Mesa area. Men inducted into
the military under the Selective Service Program would be assigned
to this new training center. The purpose of this training center
was to teach trainees how to fire long-range weapons in the event
the Imperial Japanese Navy tried to attack the West Coast of the
United States. This training center was named "Camp Callan"
in honor of Major General Robert Emmet Callan, a distinguished
Coast Artillery officer. Construction of the base began in November
1940 and official occupation of the camp was marked by a military
flag-raising ceremony that took place on January 15, 1941. Twenty
officers and one hundred and twenty enlisted men were present.
They were all members of the first unit of operations personnel
at the new base. Brigadier General Francis P. Hardaway was the
new camp's first commander. He spoke on the importance of the
camp to the defense program at this ceremony. On February 24,
1941, the first large guns arrived at the camp. Nine of these
guns were French-made 155 mm guns that dated back to World War
I. Around five thousand trainees arrived at the camp between the
last week of February and the end of March. They arrived by rail
at a nearby reopened railroad station. The first trainees came
mostly from Fort Ord and Fort MacArthur in California, Fort Sheridan
in Illinois, Fort Missoula in Montana and Fort Vancouver in Washington.
The first military review was held on April 2, 1941. Six thousand
men passed in formation before Major General Joseph A. Green,
Chief of Coastal Artillery. He congratulated them on the progress
they had made in such a short time. Since the camp did not have
its own military band, a 100-piece Marine Corps band provided
music for this ceremony.
Middle Period of Operation
A period of significant change for the camp
began in March 1942. The military had seen the terrible damage
the Luftwaffe had inflicted on the United Kingdom so they diecided
to place full training emphasis on anti-aircraft weapons rather
than on a combination of seacoast artillery and anti-aircraft
weapons. This change marked the beginning of a two-year period
of peak activity for the camp. Approximately fifteen thousand
trainees were going through their training during each thirteen
week training cycle. Training ranges on the base included a 1,000-inch
range, a 200-yard rifle range, a pistol range, an automatic weapons
range and a 3-inch anti-aircraft gun range. The trainees learned
to use 155 mm, 90 mm, 75 mm, and 40 mm caliber guns as well as
the associated fire control equipment. Gun firing positions were
established for this training. In addition to artillery gun positions
and small arms ranges, a variety of other facilities and structures
were built on the base. These improvements included barracks and
cantonments, a 910-bed station hospital, offices, five Post Exchanges,
three theaters, five chapels, support buildings, storage buildings
and a landfill. In all, the developed part of the base covered
twenty-three blocks and had over 297 buildings at this time. Various
living amenities were provided for the health, general education
and war training schooling of the trainees, much like other Army
camps of the time. A weekly newspaper called The Range Finder
and an annual pictorial review called The Callander were published
at the camp. The camp eventually got its own 40-piece military
band as well.
Late Period of Operation
The training emphasis at the camp changed
again during June 1944. The anti-aircraft training program was
transferred to Fort Bliss, Texas and the camp assumed an important
role in preparations for massive overseas amphibious assaults.
However, this period of camp activity was short-lived. By May
8, 1945, the war was over in Europe and by August 15 the Japanese
had surrendered. Because of these changes, this training was no
longer needed. On November 1, 1945, Camp Callan was declared surplus.
Disposal
After the camp was declared surplus, the
land it was on was disposed of over the course of a year. 710
acres (2,900,000 m2) and an additional 0.90 acres (3,600 m2) of
leased land was cancelled on March 25, 1946. 120.08 acres (485,900
m2) of leased land was cancelled on August 9, 1946. 72.12 acres
(291,900 m2) of leased land was cancelled on June 30, 1946. 367.00
acres (1,485,200 m2) of permit land was cancelled on December
13, 1945. 12.85 acres (52,000 m2) of licensed land was cancelled
on March 25, 1946.
After Closing
At the time the camp closed, Southern California
was facing a shortage of lumbar and building materials. This problem
was made worse because many veterans chose to stay in San Diego
after the war. In order to mitigate this problem, the San Diego
City Council negotiated with the War Department to acquire most
of the buildings and facilities of the camp (which numbered around
five hundred at the time the camp closed). The selling price was
$200,000. These material were then resold to veterans and other
citizens at reasonable prices. Several thousand homes, several
churches and many utilities were constructed from this material.
The city recouped its $200,000 investment and made a $250,000
profit on these sales. Part of this profit went to build the Veteran's
War Memorial Building in Balboa Park. Today, almost all evidence
of improvements or buildings built on the former base during its
existence (except the landfill) have disappeared. A few foundations
remain in the area to the north of the UC San Diego campus. The
old main entrance of the base is at the Torrey Pines Inn off of
Torrey Pines Road.
Extract,
War Department Inventory of Owned, Sponsored and Leased Facilities,
1945
Capacity:
Enlisted:
Permanent Buildings:
Mobilization Buildings: 8,883
Theater of Operations Buildings: 204
Hutments:
Tents: 1.065
Total:
10,152
Officers: 492
Station Hosppital: 1,116
Acreage
Owned: 367
acres
Leased: 1,270acres (5 leases)
Total: 1,637
acres
Storage:
Covered:
158,000 sq ft
Open: 29,000
sq ft
Cost to Government Since 1 July 1940:
Annual lease payments: $2,573.00
Land: $519,090.00
Construction:
$10,701,573.00
Total (less annual leases): $10,701,573.00
Remarks: 367
acres declared by the City of San Diego. Declared surplus 1 November
1945.
Army Units
Assigned to Camp Callan
Data Source
Date(s)
Unit(s)
7
December 1941
Corps Area Support Unit 1953
166th Station Hospital
Army
of the United States Station List
1
June 1943
Army Ground Forces:
Coast Artillery Replacement Training
Center
Coast Artillery Officer Replacement
Pool
11th Anti-Aircraft Replacement
Training Group
51st thtough 58th Anti-Aircraft
Training Battalions
Army Service Forces:
Post Photographic Laboratory
1953rd Service Command Unit
(Station Complement)
Western Defense Command:
18th Ordnance Medium Maintenance
Company
Army
of the United States Station List
7
April 1945
Army Ground Forces:
286th Joint Assault Signal Company
3122nd Ordnance Floating Maintenance
Barge
3350th Quartermaster Truck Company
Army Service Forces:
1953rd Service Command Unit
(Station Complement) (ASF)
Robert Emmet Callan, born 24 March 1864
at Baltimore, Md., graduated from the Military Academy and was
assigned to the 5th Artillery. Following service in Cuba, Puerto
Rico, West Point, and Washington, D.C., he became Chief of Staff
of the Philippine Department in 1917. During WWI he was on duty
in France and was Chief of Staff of the 1st Army Artillery, Commanding
General of the 33d Artillery Brigade, and participated in the
Montdidier-Noyon Defensive and in the Aisne-Marne Offensive. General
Callan served in New York, Panama, and Hawaii before his promotion
to Major General in 1931. He commanded the 3d Corps Area, Baltimore,
Md., until retiring at his own request in 1936 after 40 years
of service. General Callan was awarded the Distinguished Service
Medal for his services during WWI. He died 20 November 1936 at
Washington, D.C.
In addition to Camp Callan, General Callan
was memorialized by the troopship USS R.E. Callan (AP-139)
