Camp Calvin B. Matthews
Camp Calvin B. Matthews or Marine Corps Rifle Range Camp Matthews or Marine Corps Rifle Range, La Jolla (prior to World War II)[1] or more simply Camp Matthews was a United States Marine Corps military base from 1917 until 1964, when the base was decommissioned and transferred to the University of California to be part of the new University of California, San Diego campus.
During these years, the base had no official name but was called Marine Rifle Range, La Jolla.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor and the entry of the United States into World War II, the base was busier than ever.
At the peak of the base's activity in 1944, it put 9,000 recruits through marksmanship training every three weeks, because MCRD was never suitable for this.
[2] In December 1945 an ammunition truck caught fire near Camp Matthews and blew up causing a large crater near highway 101.
As the community of La Jolla expanded after World War II, local people became more and more concerned over the close proximity of a military rifle range facility in their neighborhood.
In 1959, Congressman Bob Wilson introduced a bill in Congress that would transfer Camp Matthews to the University of California for the planned San Diego campus.
A. Hochmuth, the Commanding General of MCRD at the time, fired the ceremonial "last rounds" before the camp closed.
[6] The Navy conveyed titles and interest in 544 acres (2.2 km2) and improvements to the Regents of the University of California on September 23 of this year.
It had 7 barracks, approximately 270 tents, administration buildings, quartermaster storerooms, magazines, an armory, maintenance shops, a dispensary, a service station, and a main post exchange.
A monument commemorating the former base stands there as well as a fountain designed by Michael Asher which is part of the Stuart Collection.
[7] The rear entrance sentry booth still stands near the UC San Diego Health, La Jolla parking lot.
Drawings and graffiti left by Marine recruits still decorate the interior of the sentry booth and are now protected by plexiglas.
The hotel hired a private company to survey the area for more ordnance with metal detectors but found none.
Small arms projectiles (.30-caliber and .45-caliber) have been found north of the UCSD Jacobs Medical Center complex.
Over the years, the government has investigated the former Camp Matthews site due to concern over the previous use of the base.
The most recent investigations indicate that high levels of lead and arsenic (as well as other potentially harmful chemicals) are found in the soil and a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) should be conducted.
