Camp Callan Camp Callan was a United States Army anti - aircraft artillery replacement training center that was operational during World War II . It was located in La Jolla , California , but was closed after WWII ended . Few traces of the former base can be seen today . Location and current use . Camp Callan was located near U . S . Highway 101 about north of downtown San Diego in the La Jolla area . It occupied a roughly rectangular piece of land approximately north - to - south and east - to - west . This land is on the Torrey Pines Mesa and is near the Pacific Ocean . The northern portion of the former base is today the Torrey Pines Golf Course and the Torrey Pines State Reserve . The southeastern portion of the former base is now part of the University of California , San Diego campus . The rest of the southern portion of the former base includes private land ( both residential and commercial ) , the Scripps Green Hospital and research institutes such as the Salk Institute for Biological Studies . This portion of the former base is in the vicinity of present - day Genesee Avenue and North Torrey Pines Road . History . Acquisition . On October 9 , 1940 , the San Diego City Council leased the U . S . military of land for a nominal one US $ per year . The city council also leased an additional to the military . Margaret C . Hawkins leased the military and F . T . Scripps , Inc . leased them . The military acquired by revocable permit from the city council and by license from the city council . Altogether , 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 decided 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 . and an additional of leased land was cancelled on March 25 , 1946 . of leased land was cancelled on August 9 , 1946 . of leased land was cancelled on June 30 , 1946 . of permit land was cancelled on December 13 , 1945 . of licensed land was cancelled on March 25 , 1946 . The land under permit was released in lieu of restoration clause . The landfill was not on the permit land . After closing . At the time the camp closed , Southern California was facing a shortage of lumber 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 .