IV 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 59 
Recognizing the 75th anniversary of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 22, 2017 
Mr. ISSA (for himself, Mr. HUNTER, Mr. PETERS, Mr. VARGAS, Mrs. DAVIS 
of California, Mr. JONES, Mr. COOK, Mr. KNIGHT, Mr. HIMES, Mr. 
BYRNE, Mrs. HARTZLER, Mr. GALLAGHER, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. 
MOULTON, Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina, Mr. PITTENGER, Mr. WITT-
MAN, Mr. ROE of Tennessee, Mr. CHABOT, Mr. COLE, Mr. LAMALFA, 
Mrs. DINGELL, Mr. BOST, Mr. COFFMAN, Mrs. MIMI WALTERS of Cali-
fornia, Mr. HILL, Mr. CARBAJAL, Mr. CORREA, Mr. KILMER, and Mr. 
BANKS of Indiana) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which 
was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the 75th anniversary of Marine Corps Base 
Camp Pendleton. 
Whereas Camp Pendleton, California, has been a critical 
training base for the United States Marines for 75 years, 
and upon the anniversary of its three-quarters of a cen-
tury of service, it is deserving of the highest commenda-
tions and the heartiest congratulations; 
Whereas in March 1942, Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flo-
res was purchased for $4.2 million and officially named 
after retired Major General Joseph Henry Pendleton, 
who lived in southern California and was a strong advo-
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•HCON 59 IH 
cate for a Marine Corps west coast training base before 
his death in February 1942; 
Whereas, on September 25, 1942, in an unpublicized visit to 
the base, President Franklin D. Roosevelt officially dedi-
cated the new training base as Marine Barracks, Camp 
Joseph H. Pendleton; Mary Fay Pendleton, the widow of 
Major General Pendleton, assisted with the raising of the 
flag; Gunnery Sergeant Carl A. Ostrom presented the 
Colors; and Governor Culbert L. Olson of California was 
also in attendance; 
Whereas throughout the next few years as the base was grow-
ing, Marines trained for combat in the Pacific, and Pen-
dleton-trained Marines fought at Bougainville, Tarawa, 
Cape Gloucester, Kwajalein, Eniwetok, Saipan, Guam, 
Iwo Jima, and Okinawa; 
Whereas a group of American Indians known as the Navajo 
Code Talkers were trained at Camp Pendleton during 
World War II, and these communication specialists suc-
cessfully confused the Japanese who were unable to deci-
pher their unique code based on their unwritten native 
tongue; 
Whereas in 1946, Camp Pendleton was declared a permanent 
installation and became the permanent home to the 1st 
Marine Division in 1947, and in July 1950, the 1st Pro-
visional Marine Brigade, commanded by Brigadier Gen-
eral Edward Craig, left Camp Pendleton for combat in 
Korea; 
Whereas in fall 1951, to train the Marines for the extremes 
of temperature found in Korea, a satellite camp was es-
tablished at Pickel Meadows in the High Sierras, which 
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continues today to train Marines in severe cold weather 
situations and in mountain warfare techniques; 
Whereas, on September 1, 1953, Camp Joseph H. Pendleton 
was redesignated as Marine Corps Base, Camp Pen-
dleton, California; 
Whereas in 1965, Camp Pendleton Marines were again called 
upon to test their training on the battlefield, this time in 
the jungles of Southeast Asia; the 1st Marine Division 
headquarters would be gone from Camp Pendleton until 
its return in 1971; and Staging Battalion at the base be-
came the training pipeline for replacement troops going 
to Vietnam; 
Whereas in April 1975, Camp Pendleton became home to 
more than 50,000 Southeast Asian refugees, who were 
housed in 8 massive tent camps which were erected in the 
northern part of the base, and the camp operated this 
refugee housing for 6 months; 
Whereas in August 1990, Camp Pendleton Marines found 
themselves the first combat troops on the scene in South-
west Asia preparing to fight against the superior num-
bers of Saddam Hussein’s military forces, and they re-
turned home 9 months later, victorious, and proud of 
being the world’s finest fighting force; 
Whereas in 2001, Camp Pendleton’s 15th Marine Expedi-
tionary Unit conducted combat operations against the 
Taliban and Al Qaeda during the opening days of Oper-
ation Enduring Freedom after the September 11 terrorist 
attacks in New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia; and 
Camp Pendleton provided the training ranges and other 
support facilities to all I Marine Expeditionary Force 
Units who deployed to Afghanistan; 
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