30 Aug. 2007: Construction crews have been preparing the demolition of the base commissary and exchange in the past months. First the weed and overgrown shrubbery in the surrounding parking lot were mowed. Next, the main entrance of the commissary was knocked open and large appliances were taken out. Although the commissary is being razed as I type this, I thought I'd share the last photographs taken of the building when it was standing.
The base commissary and the exchange were the first sights of MCAS El Toro that greeted incoming Marines, their families, and visitors approaching the El Toro main gate. After the base closed in 1999, there was a brief initiative by local veterans to re-open the commissary to help provide discounted goods and services to nearby veterans. The plan failed to gain support from county and state politicians and now the commissary makes its last stand before succumbing to its inevitable fate.
