We were sitting at my new favorite place around here, the rooftop bar and pool on the roof of our hotel, and I was looking south towards Marble Mountain. These are a few large outcroppings of very high quality marble that are a few kilometers south of our hotel. Suddenly I began to realize that about 500 meters south of our hotel and partially obscured by trees and tall buildings was something that looked like the remains of a runway. After looking at Google Earth views and some old photographs I came to the realization that the Marine Corps Air facility at Marble Mountain was very close to our hotel.
View from our hotel looking south
As we drove by there the other day I thought I saw some of the concrete revetments they used during the war over there but I wasn’t sure. They look like open-ended cement Quonset huts. Now, after looking at Google Earth views I know they were revetments and I know why they were there. Here’s a view of the place looking towards our hotel site taken in 1968.
Ariel view of Marble mountain looking North in 1968
Our hotel is where the trees are at the far end of the runway.
I was stationed here at Marble Mountain in 1969-70
Me too; 245th SAC.
I was with the 245 january 69 till june 1969 worked on avionics
I am searching for my husband’s unit-batallion. He was stationed here at marble MTN 1st Marine Engineer support… 1968 to 1970…sent to 29 Palms after equipment he was driving hit IED on left side…I don’t know much, as he has had stroke and affects his speech. Piecing the puzzle together from what papers I may find and what few stories he told. There is a 155mm written on his papers…he talked of Marble MTN, Dah Nang , airfield, helicopters… Can anyone help me help him? LCpl Larry Lyon
I was a Seabee, just across the highway from Mag16 1969. We built a lot of the sea hut housing, and the concrete covered aircraft hangers.
Those concrete hangers are what tipped me off that there had been an airstrip there. I was amazed when I learned it waas the site of the Marble Mountain base.