BrocLuno
Member
So my mom passed away last year, November. She was a Staff Sargent in the Womens Army Corps, 10th Mountain Division during WW-II and was active with veterans, on and off, throughout here life. After WW-II she went to college on the GI Bill and got a teaching degree/credential. One of her first teaching assignments was on post at Fort Ord. Later she thought night school, crafts, and eventually fine arts (painting). She did not own a gun, but both her husbands did and she shot along with the boys at family gatherings and such.
After retirement, and for the last 15 odd years or so, she was a volunteer researcher for California State Parks digging into the history of a somewhat obscure former military facility in the southern California desert run by the 11th Naval District for aerial bomb training, strafing, anti-aircraft gunnery, and force-on-force maneuvers known as the Borrego Maneuver Area (BMA). When we were working in the field out there, she would pick up spent casings (usually stamped M-43) and asked me what I thought had happened in this area or that?
It is west of the Salton Sea and mostly owned by Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area. She found out quite a bit about what went on there like CB training, anti-aircraft gunnery training, some experimental rocketry, etc. Never the full story, just hints or bits and pieces. She always wanted to know more?
The Park is getting the information together for a museum and visitor center. They will be trying to show how the area was used during WW-II and Korea. They'd like to dedicate an exhibit to mom as they honor our veterans. But, they would like more information.
Questions: Anyone on this board train or work there? Anyone know someone who did?
Anyone have any ideas about how I might be able to help finish her project to hear from, and tell part of the story of, the old vets who may have been stationed there or trained recruits there?
She was very keen on finding out what went on out there. Spent countless hours in the national archives. Did one or two informal interviews with a couple of pilots who trained there, but they did not remember much about the ground activities?
Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated
Broc
After retirement, and for the last 15 odd years or so, she was a volunteer researcher for California State Parks digging into the history of a somewhat obscure former military facility in the southern California desert run by the 11th Naval District for aerial bomb training, strafing, anti-aircraft gunnery, and force-on-force maneuvers known as the Borrego Maneuver Area (BMA). When we were working in the field out there, she would pick up spent casings (usually stamped M-43) and asked me what I thought had happened in this area or that?
It is west of the Salton Sea and mostly owned by Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area. She found out quite a bit about what went on there like CB training, anti-aircraft gunnery training, some experimental rocketry, etc. Never the full story, just hints or bits and pieces. She always wanted to know more?
The Park is getting the information together for a museum and visitor center. They will be trying to show how the area was used during WW-II and Korea. They'd like to dedicate an exhibit to mom as they honor our veterans. But, they would like more information.
Questions: Anyone on this board train or work there? Anyone know someone who did?
Anyone have any ideas about how I might be able to help finish her project to hear from, and tell part of the story of, the old vets who may have been stationed there or trained recruits there?
She was very keen on finding out what went on out there. Spent countless hours in the national archives. Did one or two informal interviews with a couple of pilots who trained there, but they did not remember much about the ground activities?
Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated
Broc
