These were the prettiest barracks I saw out in Pendleton and I worked or saw every single part of that base in 2019 cause of my job. These got demolished in 2020 before i EASd. They were long abandoned by march 2019 when these pics are from. They looked like an incredible place to call home. Any stories ??
Fr bro I saw the pics and thought about the mystical lands of Narnia or some shit. Mfers had the Windows wallpaper experience. Misty islands of a land before time type shi. Lord of the Rings The Shire ass views.
My step dad did too. It was where I learned it. That and "As useless as tits on a boar hog". He used that when I was too young to understand, but I got it eventually.
My time predates cell phones- at least in the hands of regular people. Our issue was getting a phone line installed, especially one that could handle dialup.
I lived on Pendleton ~ 1990-1994. As a boot, this salty Sgt said, enjoy your time here. Millions of people come to visit and spend millions of dollars to be here. You guys live here for free. Enjoy it. Do everything you can, because you will get older and won’t be able to afford it.
Took his words to heart. Got out in 1994 and haven’t looked back. Got my foot in the door and I live in San Diego. My backyard is a canyon that I share with coyotes, raccoons, rabbits, foxes and turtles. Turtles??? Yes.
I live 15 minutes from the beach and I go there frequently to swim, snorkel, dive and bodysurf.
I didn’t slide into this. It was hard work and many sacrifices. But I’m here and happy.
You young devils, take advantage of the opportunity of being here. You have 4 years of living in paradise where people want to go on vacation. Don’t be that guy playing video games in the barracks. Take this opportunity. It probably won’t happen again. Enjoy your liberty.
I miss going hiking in the hills right across the street when I was bored or having endless routes for runs. There’s jack shit and fuck all in all directions with almost no other people to bother me. If there’s someone else, it’s another bored Marine who you will get a philosophical with and never see again.
We might be neighbors. I left California in 91 after my 4th tour there (I'm counting boot) and said to myself I'm never going to come back here, it's to freaky. In 2008 I moved back (bottom of the housing dip) and been here ever since. Happy with that decision but y'all Californians are weird (I'm ok with it now).
I dunno...my Marine son's (recently EOS) two duty stations were Hawaii and Pendleton. As a proud dad, I just thought all Marines served at vacation destinations so parents could enjoy their visits even more. No? /s
Man I miss SoCal so deeply. I still don’t miss the Corps. But man, those mornings and afternoons paddling out past the surf, the suns hitting your face, and everything is right in the world.
The trails, the beaches, and unlimited things to do. Southern California is a gem, and it always made me sad seeing dudes who just pissed away their 4 years living in a place people spend so much money on just to see for a few days.
I was there shortly after you were, got there in early 96. We went to Tijuana every weekend we could LOL it was much safer then, and unless it has changed the drinking age was 18, had a lot of fun weekends there for a while.... I bet I went there at least 40-50 times
I was with India 3/5 from 99-03, at 62 Area San Mateo. When I got out, I told people that I left a part of me out in California. The coast, the laid back attitude of the locals, sunsets, the smell of salt in the air, and the sense of a freeing reset in life (abused growing up) was what I got from So Cal. I’m now in Dayton, Ohio and I think about those times 20+ years ago daily.
Small world. I’m out that way Uber driving on the weekends a lot. If you see a Red Subaru Outback with a neon green Uber sign in the center windshield, wave hi.
Similar story, a few years behind, all around. I left in '03, after not getting to re-enlist, while in Iraq. 20 years later, and my wife gets a promotion and transfer to La Jolla.
I spent most of my 8 years in SoCal from 84-92 and my biggest regret was not staying when I got out, loved it their but to expensive for me to move back now. Good for you living the dream, bro.
We did have the best e clubs back then. I was in 21 area and we could walk there and back. Lived off base for a bit but that area was crazy as ms 13 was just getting there legs around base. However did see my first drive by with a 10speed mountain bike and a shotgun that was way to big. If it wasn't so dangerous at the moment would've laughed my ass off
I totally remember that!!! It was wild! Like we were shut down and isolated at Las Flores because there were literally rivers that surrounded us. Was that ‘92?
What was crazier was we were on a “high ground”, so all the mice got flooded out of their holes and ran to the barracks. I shared a ground floor room with my buddy Cooter. In one night we killed 17 mice IN OUR ROOM!!! Never saw a mouse before that. But when that crazy rain and flooding happened, it was a zoo.
The two helos on static display on MCAS Pendleton were washed off the flight line and pushed all the way back to the southwest corner of the 22 Area, back by the CNATT.
We used to do night orienteering courses across large areas of the base mostly on towards the ocean. My last duty station at Pendleton we went to the beach frequently for exercising on the beach, swims, etc. It was great, like being on vacation.
Being there for three years in the 22 area, I’m pretty sure it only looked like that in March, the rest of the time it was brown. However, still one of the most beautiful places I’ve been. Indigenous Buffalo and wild horse herds, only undeveloped coast line in SoCal and the only intact original ecosystem in all SoCal.
The reason we were there is because horno was absolutely full (yes even the crack barracks were fully booked) so we stayed in this area until the next unit rotated out of horno.
I had duty there once, and I was roving the third floor(parking level) when I came around a corner and saw a tube hanging down. I walked up to it and saw a Marine holding the bottom of it, I looked up and saw the other Marine holding a funnel. They went out and bought 50 ft of tubing to make a four-story beer bong. I told them it was a bad idea, but they begged to just do it once and I wanted to see it so gave them the go ahead. Beer traveling that fast just ended up blowing out his cheeks.
Fennel smells like licorice. I sometimes use fennel when I cook. But the seeds are super expensive at the grocery store.
I remember at Pendleton it used to grow like crazy .
Its almost certainly black mustard, which as invasive species. It is beautiful though. I always remembered the smell of the landscape though. Definitely a base with views!
Fennel definitely grows wild in Fallbrook, have a side of the family that moved there from LBC in the 60s
Fallbrook is just outside the Navy gate so not too far, I’m sure it grows wild on somewhere base. But it doesn’t have a very big and bright flower as I remember it
My grandma would use in one of her dishes, her kids and us grandkids still make it the way she did
In 2019 we had like actual record breaking rainfall during rainy season in Socal. Had a day it rained so much they sent everyone home at like 8 am cause it rained non stop the whole last day, night, and that morning, some of the roads leading out of Pendleton were about to be shut down. The flower boom afterwards was incredible, i remember pendleton looked particularly majestic afterwards
I lived in 22 area for a bit (HMMT-164 days so you know I am old as fuck) and we used to regularly sit out in from of our barracks (4010 baby!) and watch 33 area on fire. I swear that happened weekly.
My old bricks!!! One time for my homies birthday we went to Lowe’s and purchased 47’ of plastic tubing, a two way valve with a stopcock and motor oil funnel. We made a 5 story beer bong we ran from the roof to the fire pit. You could fit almost a 6 pack. Everyone who did it puked violently. Miss those days
Ive had these for a few years and been meaning to post them. I hoped that when I posted i would make someone nostalgic or remember something so glad i could help. I lived in the 21 area so we had a view of the hills around margarita, always on fire june-october lol
Oh the fires of Camp P, 07 fires were wild. I was at a different part of Pendleton for those and it was crazy. I was in charge of some crypto, MPs told me to evacuate, I told them to arrest me because I wasn't getting charged with abandoning my gear. They called my SSgt, told me I was nuts and drove away as the fire came closer.
Luckily we all made it out alive from the fire on our base that we watched come closer and closer all morning/afternoon before we were told to leave. Ah the Marine Corps.
thats so cool, I was there w a buddy and we were both in love w view of that hill and valley and how much deck space was there to look at that view. They were nicer than the barracks I was at lol
H&S squadbay was wild, you had Comm getting shithoused every night and Motor T telling them to shut up because we had to be at the motor pool before 0500 to get on the road early. Miss those days.
For sure. Deployed with the guard and big army comes in and treats you like you are on student status the entire workup. No libbo, no alcohol. Even for officers
If that’s the one I’m thinking of, I was in that barracks very briefly when I first hit the fleet in 2018 and was with HQBN. There was a group of coyotes that would howl loud af right around 2200ish every night like clockwork lol.
Spent a year in Cuba in the 90s before the Army came and ruined it. Diving, fishing, boating, absolutely mind blowing levels of drinking, it had it all. Except women. Gitmo didn’t have women.
I was there for about a year and a half with 3/9 in like 90-91. The barracks were better than the flat ones we left at San Mateo, but San Clemente was sooooo much better of a town than Oceanside. Pulling weekend duty at those 33 barracks you could watch coyotes line up like police call and work across the hills for rabbits and squirrels.
I lived there from sep-dec 2017. Camp horno was full so half of 1/4 lived there until the barracks in horno opened up. From what I've heard we were the last occupants. Also it wasnt this nice back then
Damn I was out there in 2014-2015! Good times.
When I was there it was all brown though, it didn’t look as nice until we had some heavy rain. I remember tarantulas could be seen walking around in the parking lot at times.
3/9 was housed in that barracks after their move from San Mateo. I had a room on the backside bottom deck facing the hills. We had friendly coyotes that we would feed. Deployed to Honduras and the Gulf War from there. It was a nice place to live. Close but away from the flag pole.
What unit was there? And how come there are like 6 Marines who live in the building, somehow. That was always a thing during my enlistment. At least a whole barracks floor or building would be empty for all of 6 Marines that no one knew who they were.
That would have been an awesome view walking out for PT or formation every morning. A lot of training opportunities when the command tells you to teach “hip pocket classes” during white space. You have all the terrain right in your back yard.
When I was stationed on Pendleton (2013-2017), they would house visiting Japanese and Korean Marines in these barracks. I see this photo, and I see glassy eyed 🇯🇵Marines walking back to their barracks with a Coors light 30 rack.
I think lived in those barracks in 2010-2012ish. That’s camp margarita isn’t it. Building 33906 or some shit. They built really nice new barracks like up the hill from there when I went back in 2016. I got hazed like a motherfucker on that catwalk.
After SOI graduation, the 5 of us that passed the Indoc were told we had to run in alphas to 33 area… we carried our fucking sea bags and fucked up our uniforms running about a mile down the road before an unmarked white van passed us heading to SOI, slammed on the brakes, pulled a u-turn, and a long haired guy in digital Gortex cammies, asked us if we were heading to Margarita. We said, “no, we’re heading to 33 area”. He told us to get in the van, that he was our PreBRC cadre. That we were retarded and didn’t actually have to run to 1R1.
When we got to the barracks, a couch came sailing off the third floor and we were introduced to Rudy and Manimal. It was a long first week in that hood rat open squad bay. I got 4 years of stories in that beauty.
I think that was the old advanced course barracks. I'm pretty sure I stayed there during the course. I remember running those damned hills. That was in the late 90s.
The only grass I ever saw at Pendleton was in front of the HQ building across the street from my barracks; and I guess the grass that I saw another Marine get caught with and subsequently NJP'd for. . .
I believe I went out there once or twice on a working party to get more furniture for our barracks at Horno almost like 10 years ago, and they were empty then. Just vacant buildings full of free furniture
I think the second or third time I went to the Marines birthday ball, I was a designated driver and took some Marines back there afterwards. Early 90s.
First weekend liberty after I arrived there, there was a brawl in the courtyard between H&S, Truck Company and MP company.
I was posted in these barracks from 2008-2012, minus time in Afghanistan with 1st MARDIV. I remember police calling other people’s cigarettes in that open field area. We had multiple guys squatting in their rooms or others after they had EAS’d, took months for the leadership to figure it out.
Since the airfield is in the next area over you would have recon marines doing rappelling ops or some helicopter hovering over us at midnight. Each workday you woke up to the sound of the rifle range staff telling target 32 to “stop shooting the deck, it doesn’t like that” followed by rifle fire.
At one point right before they opened the new barracks up on the hill they forced all of us to get rid of all of our current furniture, sleep on the floor for about a month and then bring in brand new furniture. We then moved to the new barracks and abandoned the barracks and leaving the brand new furniture I soon after left to my next duty station.
I lived there about a month in 2004 before I moved to camp blue diamond. was the nicest barracks. Our company office was on the ground deck on the front side.
I got pictures of it somewhere if my ex didn't take them.
I was briefly with 33 area camp tax in early 2020 when they were clearing out that barracks before demo. I have slo motion videos of marines throwing dressers off the roof of this barracks.
The hills are unusually green in these photos, almost didn’t recognize the place. Many memories of bodies flying off the top decks, the mysterious panty thief, beer fishing, baby oiling the doors so the ashy paint would shine, 4 Marines in 3 rack rooms, many types of infestations, but mostly good times.
How old is this picture? I used to run dragons back all the time and never once seen those barracks. Hell even the grass was never that green, it’s always either on fire or dust and shrubs.
Ah I see I arrived a year and a half later so that makes sense because it was dry as hell up until the atmospheric river dumped years worth of rain in a week in I believe 2023 after Hillary made landfall in San D.
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u/SINBREAKER24 Oct 09 '25
They destroyed them cause morale was too high.