Well, we have made it to summer…at least the unofficial start to the season with the Memorial Day weekend!  I’m looking forward to a few days off with my wife enjoying cottage life on the lakes in Michigan.  But obviously Memorial Day has a greater meaning as we honor those who lost their lives defending our great country.

Each year at this time, I’m reminded about an important role Coldwell Banker once played in helping wartime America .  This chapter began on December 7, 1941 with the attack on Pearl Harbor.  California soon became a critical staging ground in the war as the government utilized the Golden State for troop training sites.  Obviously land was needed to set up base operations. 

The enormous Santa Margarita Ranch near Oceanside seemed to fit the bill.  Five families owned that property estimated to be between 250,000-to-300,000 acres.

Coldwell Banker agent Louis Pfau worked with the families who agreed to sell about 120,000 critical acres in early 1942.  This land became Camp Pendleton which remains today as the West Coast’s major Marine Corps base. 

And just a few weeks ago while in California for Coldwell Banker meetings, I again had the honor of driving right past Camp Pendleton on the ride from San Diego to LA.

While I take pride in the role Coldwell Banker played in one of the nation’s most critical real estate transactions, I think about the U.S. military based there and at installations all around the world.  So while we remember those who lost their lives in combat, we also need to think about the men and women who continue to serve.  They are modern-day heroes and obviously deserve our respect and admiration. 

 Have a happy and safe Memorial Day.

Photo: Flickr user MichiganMoves