El Toro Base Commissary: Checkin' Out (Part 3)

25 Sept. 2007: Demolition continues at the former El Toro Base Commissary. I've included zoomed in photographs to get a glimpse of the building's interior and a short video clip of the area.

El Toro Base Commissary: Checkin' Out (Part 2)

24 Sept. 2007: I couldn't fathom the sight of the Commissary with a gaping hole. Deep down inside of me I still like to imagine that the Commissary & Marine Exchange will never go away.

MCAS El Toro General Housing - Grande Finale

11 Sept. 2007: I was taken by surprise on an overcast morning at the former El Toro Marine base as I drove by the old general housing community. I was shocked to see that nearly all the homes and the asphalt + concrete which it stood beneath had all been razed. Note I say "nearly" here because one lone home still stood bravely all along amidst a sea of dirt and rubble (see above).



What really took me off guard was just how fast everything was uprooted and demolished. It may have been just a little over two weeks ago when I last passed through and noticed the homes and streets looking only somewhat untouched. As I gazed at the surreal sight on that somber morning, I reminded myself of the 9-11 attacks (which had passed exactly six years ago) and the countless number of Marines and their families that are enduring the two wars that are currently being fought overseas.










Note: These photos were taken on 09-11-2007 of the El Toro base general housing project, located directly behind the base's commanding officer's office, just to the right of the base's Main Gate entrance. I will try to post some older pictures of the same area to get a better idea of how it looked while it was still there.