Commissioning of Naval Amphibious Base Coronado

In January 1943, at the height of World War II, the United States Navy officially established the Naval Amphibious Training Base Coronado on the narrow sands of the Silver Strand. Tasked with training hundreds of thousands of sailors, soldiers, and Marines in the complex art of amphibious assault landings, the base played an indispensable role in securing victory across the Pacific island-hopping campaign.

Crews practiced dangerous surf landings, beach obstacle clearance, and ship-to-shore logistics using Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP "Higgins boats") and massive Landing Ships Tank (LST). Instructors subjected troops to rigorous, realistic combat conditions along the ocean beaches and bay tidal mudflats, preparing them for the brutal assaults on Tarawa, Kwajalein, Saipan, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.

Following the war, the base was designated as the permanent headquarters for Naval Amphibious Base Coronado. Today, it serves as the premier command and training installation for Special Warfare forces, amphibious construction battalions, and tactical boat units, maintaining Coronado's standing at the forefront of national maritime defense.