Cal State Fullerton oral histories documenting Orange County’s military history at the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro will soon be accessible to visitors of the future Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum, set to open at the Great Park in Irvine as early as spring 2027. The Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum’s mission is to preserve Marine aviation history. Its new building will showcase military artifacts and aircraft.
CSUF’s Lawrence de Graaf Center for Oral and Public History will celebrate donating a copy of the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station Project — containing more than 500 interviews — from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 10, at the Great Park in Irvine to support the museum’s research work and exhibitions. The event will include a walking tour of the museum’s artifacts, aircraft, and restoration facility.
When
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 10.
Where
The event will take place near the future site of the Flying Leathernecks Aviation Museum at the Great Park in Irvine, 8065 Marine Way, Irvine, CA 92618.
Directions From CSUF
- I-5 south to Sand Canyon Ave. exit.
- Turn left (east) on Sand Canyon Ave. and continue past the I-5 bridge.
- Turn right (south) on Marine Way. Proceed south on Marine Way for about one mile. Pass the soccer and athletic fields, and the Great Park Balloon on the left.
- Continue straight (south) on Marine Way past Skyhawk Road. Look ahead and slightly left, to see the very large old aircraft hangars.
- Continue straight (south) on Marine Way until reaching the large intersection. This intersection will have a very large white sign with “TVI”, which stands for Tierra Verde Industries, in big black letters on it.
- Turn left (east) at that intersection and proceed up a slight incline. The Great Park Water Park is directly ahead, and on your left, you will see the two very large old hangars.
- At the east end of the southernmost hangar, turn left (north) and proceed past both hangars.
- Immediately past the second hangar (the north hangar) turn left (west) and proceed to the middle of the hangar (there will be vehicles parked there).
- Park and enter the hangar through a small blue door.
More Info
The event will include a walking tour and remarks from Cal State Fullerton and Flying Leatherneck Historical Foundation leaders:
- Natalie Fousekis, director of The Lawrence de Graaf Center for Oral and Public History
- Jessica Yirush Stern, dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences
- Retired U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Michael Aguilar, President and CEO
- Retired U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Terry Robling, Board of Directors Chair
- Retired U.S. Marine Corps Col. Patrick Gough ’80 (B.A. History), Board of Directors Vice Chair
The oral histories documenting the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro will give as many people as possible the opportunity to learn from them, said Stern, dean of CSUF’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
“We’re grateful for this partnership with the museum, which will help the stories we collected from people stationed at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro come alive,” Stern said. The museum also participates in the college’s Passage to the Future program.
“What distinguishes this collection from other military collections is we spent more time on the human element. We focused on the person’s whole life, so you get a feel for the stories of the men and women who worked at the El Toro base,” Fousekis said.
Lt. Gen. Robling, for example, is featured as one of the oral histories.
The El Toro Marine Corps Air Station project interviews can also be used as reference material for undergraduate and graduate student research.
The museum’s roots began at the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, where the museum was housed until Marine Corps Air Station El Toro officially closed in 1999. The museum was housed at the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar through 2021.
In 2022, the City of Irvine, the Marine Corps and Flying Leatherneck Historical Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum at Great Park. The City of Irvine is helping to permanently house the museum, loaned aircraft and exhibit materials at the Great Park.