Photo By Lt. Claire Wilson | SAN DIEGO (Oct 25, 2019) Building 14 in 1919 and again in 2019. The distinct...... read more read more
On 25 Oct., 2019, Fleet Weather Center San Diego (FWC-SD) hosted a Centennial Commemoration of Building 14 with guest speaker Capt. (ret.) Robert Clark, regaling the audience with sea stories and wise anecdotes on historical and environmental stewardship.
Capt. (ret.) Clark was the first Meteorology and Oceanography (METOC) commanding officer to take up tenancy in Building 14, when Naval Pacific Meteorology and Oceanography Facility (NAVPACMETOCFAC) moved into the old hospital wings, or “Dispensary,” in 1993.
He reflected on the base’s origins and spoke of their adventures with building refurbishment efforts.
Collin Campbell and Angie Thomas, members of Capt. (ret.) Clark’s renovation team and front office, helped to paint the picture of the building’s conversion and each reminisced on the passage of time since the 75th Building Commemoration.
FWC-SD Commanding Officer Capt. Rachael Dempsey, and Command Master Chief AGCM Manuel Santos unveiled a plaque to recognize Building 14’s centennial and commemorate its historical significance.
Once the ceremony concluded, guests and Sailors transcended 100 years of history on a walking tour through the building, which included two museum displays of relics from 1919 to 2019, old floor plans, photos, documents and equipment that all tell the deeper story of Building 14.
At the Quarterdeck of FWC-SD, a museum quality display commemorates the 1991 registration of the building into the Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island Historic District. NAS North Island began as a civilian air field in 1911. Jointly run by the Army and Navy, it was known then as “Rockwell Field.”
In 1917, North Island became the first commissioned NAS on the west coast. Building 14 became the air station’s first hospital in 1919, when construction was completed. Infectious health concerns guided the decision to isolate the hospital at the termination of Saufley Road. Building 14 had a waterfront view of San Diego Bay until 1945 when the island’s “Spanish Bight” was filled in to accommodate WWII buildup on the island and connect the once divided north and south islands of Coronado. In 1935, Rockwell Field was renamed NAS North Island as the Navy assumed exclusive command.
Prior to 1944, each fleet activity maintained its own weather unit. The early Navy weather “aerologists” on NAS North Island operated out of the Building 8 Signal Tower which today is unstaffed. In 1944, Naval Weather Center San Diego was established and located with Air Operations (AIROPS). Most of the first fifty years of weather service was provided from the Building 516 Radio Control Tower, built in the depression year of 1937.
NAS North Island historic district comprises of five structures and 34 buildings, including Building 14. The rich history of operations here led to the decree of NAS North Island as the “Birthplace of Naval Aviation” by a resolution of the House Armed Services Committee in 1963.
In 1990, the Building 14 Dispensary relocated to Building 601, the new Branch Medical Clinic. Industrial Hygiene and Laboratory Facilities remained in the northern wings of the old Hospital. In 1993, NAVPACMETOCFAC moved into the vacated wings to establish the first METOC command on NAS North Island.
During renovations of Building 14, NAVPACMETOCFAC work was completed using mostly Self-Help services and Public Works support. Capt. (ret.) Clark’s small team received the Bronze Hammer Award for pride in ownership, reutilization of materials and being good stewards of resources.
Over the years, Building 14 has received additional internal renovations to adapt to contemporary warfighting, while retaining a rich charm. In 2010, FWC-SD assumed local METOC residency in Building 14. As FWC-SD reaches forward for mission operations across the globe, the halls and grounds of Building 14 reach back in time to preserve a fascinating heritage of 100 years of operations.
| Date Taken: | 10.25.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 01.16.2020 15:00 |
| Story ID: | 359465 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 305 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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