California State Military
DepartmentCalifornia State Military
DepartmentLOCATION: The Camp Kidd Naval Training Station was located on the Palisades area of the City of San Diego's Balboa Park, adjacent to the downtown area of San Diego, California.
SITE HISTORY: On 10 December 1941, the Navy
acquired 33 acres of the Palisades area of the City of San Diego's
Balboa Park. The Camp Kidd Naval Training Station was named in
honor of Admiral Issac C. Kidd, who died at Pearl Harbor 7 December
1941. The Navy used Camp Kidd Naval Training Station as a Naval
Hospital Corps School (Camp Kidd was designated as Unit 3 of the
existing San Diego Naval Hospital and School). The training station
occupied 22 existing Balboa Park Exposition Buildings and 33 army-style
barracks used for training purposes. Over the 5 years (1941-1945)
that the United States participated in World War II, Camp Kidd
provided medical, dental, and hygienic training and support to
Navy personnel. In addition, housing facilities (five barracks),
a dispensary, and recreational facilities were provided. Facilities
maintenance and ship service support activities were also conducted
at Camp Kidd. After 1945, the Camp Kidd Naval Training Station
area was converted to a post-war Naval recreational services center,
and was subsequently
transferred back to the City of San Diego in the latter half of
1946. The area is currently managed by the City of San Diego's
Parks and Recreation Department as part of the present day Balboa
Park. Twenty-four (24) buildings once used by the Navy currently
exist in the Palisades area of the park. They have all been used
beneficially by the City of San Diego.
Source: US Army Corps of
Engineers