Fort Emory (Coronado / Imperial Beach, California)

Coronado / Imperial Beach · California · World War II

Quick BriefDesignated in December 1942 as a sub-post of Fort Rosecrans to strengthen San Diego's harbor defenses, Fort Emory housed the 19th Coast Artillery Regiment and featured multiple gun batteries, though its planned 16-inch installation was never completed. The Army inactivated it in January 1947, and the Navy took permanent control in 1950, converting it into a radio intelligence facility and eventually the Silver Strand Training Complex.

Coastal defenseActive base today

History & Significance

In October 1942, the Army acquired 412.14 acres at Coronado Heights through a Declaration of Taking, and on December 14, 1942, the site was officially designated Fort Emory in honor of Brigadier General William Helmsley Emory. Emory had arrived in San Diego in 1846 with the Kearny command to survey the new international boundary.

Fort Emory served as a sub-post of Fort Rosecrans, with the 19th Coast Artillery Regiment manning new Anti-Motor Torpedo Boat armament and anti-aircraft machine guns. Armament consisted initially of four 155 mm guns of Battery Imperial, later superseded by two 6-inch M1905 guns of Battery Grant.

Coastal radars were authorized in 1943, and construction of a two-gun 16-inch battery (#134) was completed in 1944; however, the guns were never mounted. The fort was inactivated on January 31, 1947, and declared surplus on March 1, 1948.

The land was turned over to the Navy in 1947 with a single Army family as caretaker, and in 1950 it was finally transferred to the Navy, integrating with the Imperial Beach Radio Station. Today it is known as Silver Strand Training Complex (SSTC), a component of Naval Base Coronado.