San Clemente Island Chronological Military History (1934-2000) Forward     1930's    1940's    1950's    1960's    1970's    1980's    1990's                      References    About the Author    Bibliography    Click on the image for the full history Forward San Clemente Island (SCI) is the southernmost of the eight California Channel Islands. It lies 55 nautical miles (nm) south of Long Beach and 68 nm west of San Diego. The island is approximately 21 nm long and is 4-1/2 nm across at its widest point. Since 1934, the island has been owned and operated by various naval commands. More than a dozen range and operational areas are clustered within a 60 mile radius of the island. The Commander-in-Chief, Naval Forces, Pacific (CINCPACFLT) is the major claimant for the island, and Naval Air Station, North Island (NASNI) is responsible for its administration. The San Clemente Island Range Complex (SCIRC) is the cornerstone of the tactical training ranges supporting the Southern California Operations Area (SOCAL). SOCAL supports the largest concentration of naval forces in the world. The SCI land, air, and sea ranges provide the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and other military services space and facilities which they use to conduct readiness training and test and evaluation activities. SCI's distance from the mainland and its complete Navy ownership make the island and its surrounding area ideal for fleet training, weapon and electronics system testing, and research and development activities. 12 There have been a number of documents prepared that describe the early human history of San Clemente Island, dating back as far as 8000 years. Maritime-adapted Indian cultures occupied the island for most of that time, until their removal by California's Spanish colonists. The 19th and early 20th centuries brought periods of sea otter and seal hunting, whaling, sheep ranching, smuggling, and the Chinese abalone industry. This document however, assembles chronologically, the military, and research and development history of the island since the Navy assumed control in 1934. Forward    1930's    1940's    1950's    1960's    1970's    1980's    1990's    References    About the Author    Bibliography