| Camp McQuaide | |
|---|---|
  Location of Camp McQuaide in California | |
| Location | Watsonville, California |
| Coordinates | 36°54′36″N121°50′16″W / 36.910113°N 121.83783°W |
| Area | 664 acres |
| Built | 1938 |
| Architect | US Army |
Camp McQuaide is a former United States Army camp located near the city of Watsonville in Santa Cruz County, California, USA. After it was closed, it redeveloped into the Monterey Bay Academy and the airfield was reopened as the Monterey Bay Academy Airport.
In 1926, the 250th Coast Artillery Regiment [1] moved from Santa Cruz, California, to an area just east of the town of Capitola. Its camp was named for Major Joseph P. McQuaide, who was born in 1867 and graduated from Santa Clara University. He served as Chaplain of the California National Guard in the Spanish–American War and World War I, and died March 29, 1924. By 1938, noise from target practice annoyed Capitola residents, so a more remote place was found. [2] 379 acres (1.53 km2) were purchased farther south, on coastal farmland near the town of Watsonville. The Works Progress Administration built San Andreas road to the new site. [3] [4]
It became the training center of what was then the 250th Coast Artillery regiment. In September 1940, the regiment was called up for duty in Alaska. During World War II it returned for training in 1944, and then was deployed in Italy. The camp was used as a stockade for army deserters. The camp housed 2,000 military prisoners of war during the war. [5] After the end of the war, in 1948, it was converted to the private boarding school Monterey Bay Academy. [6]
The Capitola Airport also called the Santa Cruz-Capitola Airport was opened in the 1920s with two unpaved runways. In the 1930s a third runway was added, the airport had two 2,500 foot runways and one 1,600 foot runway with a hangar at the north end of the airport. The US Army took over the landing strip during World War 2. The small aircraft landing strip was used so airplanes could drop targets into the ocean. After the war it returned to private use and was closed in 1954 by its owners Russell & Ester Rice. Most of the planes moved to the Santa Cruz Sky Park (SRU), in Scotts Valley, California, that closed in January 1983. Nothing of the Capitola Airport remains. The land is now housing. [7]
Santa Cruz is the largest city and the county seat of Santa Cruz County, in Northern California. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 62,956. Situated on the northern edge of Monterey Bay, Santa Cruz is a popular tourist destination, owing to its beaches, surf culture, and historic landmarks.
Santa Cruz County, officially the County of Santa Cruz, is a county on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 270,861. The county seat is Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz County comprises the Santa Cruz–Watsonville, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the San Jose–San Francisco–Oakland, CA Combined Statistical Area. The county is on the California Central Coast, south of the San Francisco Bay Area region. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay, with Monterey County forming the southern coast.
Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean located on the coast of the U.S. state of California, south of the San Francisco Bay Area. San Francisco itself is further north along the coast, by about 75 miles, accessible via CA 1 and US 101.
Capitola is a small seaside town in Santa Cruz County, California. Capitola is located on the northern shores of Monterey Bay, on the Central Coast of California. The city had a population of 9,456 at the 2024 census, the same year it became known as The New Midtown. Capitola is a popular tourist destination, owing to its beaches and restaurants.
Watsonville is a city in Santa Cruz County, California, in the Monterey Bay Area of the Central Coast of California. The population was 52,590 at the 2020 census. Predominantly Latino and Democratic, Watsonville is a self-designated sanctuary city.
The Central Coast is an area of California, roughly spanning the coastal region between Point Mugu and Monterey Bay. It lies northwest of Los Angeles and south of the San Francisco Bay Area, and includes the rugged, rural, and sparsely populated stretch of coastline known as Big Sur.
Naval Air Station Alameda was a United States Navy Naval Air Station in Alameda, California, on San Francisco Bay.
Watsonville Municipal Airport is three miles (5 km) northwest of Watsonville, in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. The airport covers 330 acres (134 ha) and has two runways. The largest aircraft to ever land at Watsonville were 05-5141 and 05-5143, C-17 Globemaster IIIs from March ARB, California.
Monterey Bay Academy Airport is a small daytime only airfield located near the city of Watsonville in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. This private-use airport is owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and is located on the campus of Monterey Bay Academy, previously the military installation Camp McQuaide. The grass airfield is currently managed by AirSpace Integration. Prior permission for use is required from the airport owner.
Santa Maria Public Airport is three miles (5 km) south of Santa Maria, in northern Santa Barbara County, California, United States.
Monterey Bay Academy (MBA) is a private school in Santa Cruz County, California. It is a part of the Seventh-day Adventist education system, the world's second largest Christian school system.
California's 19th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California, currently represented by Democrat Jimmy Panetta.
The California Army National Guard is one of three components of the California National Guard, a reserve of the United States Army, and part of the National Guard of the United States. The California Army National Guard is composed of 18,450 soldiers. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization. National coordination of various state National Guard units are maintained through the National Guard Bureau.
The Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG) is a regional governmental organization which consists of representation of a large number of public agencies within Monterey County, Santa Cruz County and San Benito County, California. AMBAG has a broad charter of research and governmental oversight for a variety of functions including elements of land planning, natural resource conservation, energy, transportation, and economic development. The following governmental entities are members of AMBAG:
Watsonville Airport was an airport in Watsonville, California, United States. It was used during World War II for antisubmarine blimps in the defense of California. Opened in 1930 by Watsonville Airport Incorporated, it was the city's first airport. Watsonville Airport Incorporated sold five thousand shares of stock to purchase 85 acres of land southwest of the city. The airport was built at California State Route 1 and Salinas road in Monterey County. The airport has three 2,300 feet dirt runways in a triangle shape. In 1930, Watsonville Airport Incorporated's first president was Harlow Ford, and Claude Wilson was the first airport manager and flight instructor.
The 251st Coast Artillery was a coast artillery regiment in the California National Guard, constituted in 1924 as a harbor defense regiment for the 9th Artillery District and re-designated in 1930 as an antiaircraft regiment. It served in World War II in that capacity.
The 149th Armored Regiment was an armored regiment that was part of the California Army National Guard. Its lineage dates back to a cavalry unit organized in 1895 in Salinas. As Troop C, the unit's first major action occurred when it deployed to help in the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. In 1916, still as Troop C, the unit served along the Mexico–United States border near Nogales, Arizona to deter further border incursions, due to events surrounding the Pancho Villa Expedition. The following year, Troop C was activated then reorganized and redesignated as Company B, 145th Machine Gun Battalion upon the United States' entry into World War I; as part of the 40th Division, the battalion deployed to France in 1918, and returned to the United States in 1919.
The 250th Coast Artillery Regiment was a Coast Artillery Corps regiment in the California National Guard. It served in Alaska in World War II.
The Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay Railroad (SCMB), or Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line (SCBRL), is a historic railway running through Santa Cruz County, California. It once ran operationally from Davenport to the Watsonville Junction where it connected to the Union Pacific Coast Line. Over the years it has had many splays and connections to other local railroads over, through, and around the Santa Cruz Mountains. The active line includes a connection with the Roaring Camp Railroads line that makes regular trips between Felton and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
California during World War II was a major contributor to the World War II effort. California's long Pacific Ocean coastline provided the support needed for the Pacific War. California also supported the war in Europe. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, most of California's manufacturing was shifted to the war effort. California became a major ship builder and aircraft manufacturer. Existing military installations were enlarged and many new ones were built. California trained many of the troops before their oversea deployment. Over 800,000 Californians served in the United States Armed Forces. California agriculture, ranches and farms were used to feed the troops around the world. California's long coastline also put the state in fear, as an attack on California seemed likely. California was used for the temporary and permanent internment camps for Japanese Americans. The population grew significantly, largely due to servicemen who were stationed at the new military bases/training facilities and the mass influx of workers from around the U.S. in the growing defense industries. With all the new economy activity, California was lifted out of the Great Depression. Over 500,000 people moved to California from other states to work in the growing economy. California expanded its oil and mineral production to keep up with the war demand.