MCAS El Toro

Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) El Toro was commissioned in 1942 in Orange County, California, serving as a major United States Marine Corps air base during World War II and throughout the Cold War. The station played a pivotal role in training pilots and supporting Marine aviation units during conflicts such as the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Over the decades, El Toro became one of the largest Marine air stations on the West Coast, hosting a variety of fixed-wing and rotary aircraft. MCAS El Toro was officially closed in 1999 as part of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) program, with its functions transferred to other bases and much of its land repurposed for civilian use.