FIRST -- US Air Facility Developed Solely for Helicopter Operations - Tustin, CA
Posted by: 
bluesnote
N 33° 42.172 W 117° 49.109
11S E 424151 N 3729512
One of many historical markers at Victory Park in Tustin.
Waymark Code: WM111FC
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 07/29/2019
Views: 1
The plaque says, "In 1951, the Tustin bas was reactivated as Marine Corps Air Facility (MCAF) Santa Ana to support the Korean War.
MCAF Santa Ana was the country's first air facility developed solely for helicopter operations.
During the Vietnam War, the base was a center for on-goring testing of radar installations which were erected, tested, disassembled, and shipped to Vietnam.
On September 1, 1969, the name was changed from Marine Corps air Facility Santa Ana to Marine Corps Air Station (Helicopter)-MACAS(H). It was a training facility for helicopter pilots.
The base was annexed by the City of Tustin on April 23, 1976.
It was renamed Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Tustin on June 1, 1978, to better reflect its location.
At its peak, MCAS Tustin housed over 100 helicopters.
The hangers were placed on the National Historic Register on August 22, 1979.
In 1993, the blimp hangers were designated National Civil Engineering Landmarks by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
On July 3, 1999 MCAS Tustin was officially closed
57 years after the base and its iconic hangers arose from the farm fields of Orange County."
FIRST - Classification Variable: Place or Location
Date of FIRST: Not listed
More Information - Web URL: Not listed
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