Crown City History

I N C O L L A B O RAT I O N WI T H H OT E L D E L C O RO N A D O & C O RO N A D O H I STO R I CA L A S S O C I AT I O N

Witnessing World War I

Guests watch as sailors maneuver boats at the beach.

B y G I N A P E T RO N E , H E R I TAG E M A N AG E R H OT E L D E L C O RO N A D O

Hotel del Coronado held a unique position during World War I—not only were The Del’s guests affluent and socially well-connected, they had everything in common with the military officers who populated the nearby aviation school, men who also descended from America’s most prosperous and prominent families.

John D. Spreckels, the hotel’s second owner, had predicted a future in ocean takeoffs and landings and provided waterfront land to pioneer aviators as early as 1911. Flying conditions were so ideal, the Army’s Signal Corps established a flight school on North Island, setting the precedent for continued military residency.

After the United States entered WWI in April 1917, Coronado’s airfield saw increased military activity, and The Del provided elite officers with a socially familiar home-away-from-home, along with a packed calendar of events. Civilian guests – wealthy families settling in for a “season” of sunshine and carefree socializing – also had a ringside seat from which to witness America’s military preparedness.

The Del hosted the Earl of Dunmore, who was on an American speaking tour about the Great War, a steady stream of military-themed dinners, afternoon tea dances, costumed balls and twice-daily band concerts featuring patriotic selections at Tent City. A daily guest program dated March 11, 1918, reflected the resort’s war awareness: “For the Information of Our Guests: In response to President Wilson’s recommendations for national food conservation, the following rules

will govern dining room service: Monday and Wednesday will be wheatless days; Tuesday will be a meatless day; Sunday will be a porkless day; and Luncheon has been designated as the daily wheatless meal.”

Thrift stamps, which helped finance the war effort, were on sale in the hotel lobby, and in 1918, Del employees held a war stamp drive, raising $17,725. Donations of “money, new or used clothing of every description, fancy and household articles, laces, ribbons and books” were solicited for the Coronado branch Red Cross Shop. Knitting bags were brought to all 1918 Del social events, so guests could continue their efforts making sweaters and socks for the troops. One knitter was Coronado socialite, Wallis Warfield Spencer, whose first husband Earl Winfield Spencer was the first commanding officer of North Island.

According to Wallis, when the war ended on Nov. 11, 1918, “There were celebrations all day and far into the night when most of the population of Coronado – men and women, officers, enlisted men and civilians – danced in the streets.”

Life at The Del continued on as before. The 10th annual Charity Ball, the social event of the season, was held on Feb. 28, 1919. The newspaper editors declared the affair as “The smart set regaining its own with the coming of peace after the depression and strain of war times.”

During 1919, many officers made their headquarters at The Del during their long details here and countless social affairs were held. From the Great War, a new world order had emerged. Europe was left battered and war-torn, long-standing monarchies were replaced, and America had been forced into the international arena.

Hotel del Coronado was perfectly poised for the Roaring ’20s.

Nov. 9, 1928

CORONADO HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

Coronado High School’s football team, under coach A.E. Schaeffer, won the 1928 county football championship 25-0 against Point Loma High School. The game was played on Navy Field at the foot of Broadway in San Diego to the biggest crowd of the year.

CORONADO PUBLIC LIBRARY

The Coronado Beach Company held a public auction, selling selected lots on Coronado Beach. The ferry made trips across the bay every 30 minutes to accommodate the crowds. More than 6,000 people came over from San Diego. A San Diego Union story stated that visitors were “whirled by steam-cars from bay shore to seashore along an avenue lined with oranges trees and spraying fountains.” A large tent by the beach was erected for the auction and a free lunch of coffee and sandwiches was served. Bidding began at 11 a.m., and by the end of the day 350 lots had sold for a total of $110,000. Maj. Levi Chase, the lawyer who negotiated the purchase of the peninsula for Elisha Babcock and Hampton Story, bought the first oceanfront lot. Nov. 13, 1886

A Search for Answers

B y V I C K I E S T O N E , C U RATO R O F C O L L E CT I O N S C O RO N A D O H I STO R I CA L A S S O C I AT I O N

Coronado resident Mary Ann Mearns, better known as Pat, was the wife of an Air Force fighter pilot who was listed as missing in action in Vietnam after he ejected from his damaged plane over Hanoi in 1966.

It would be years before Pat learned whether he was alive or dead, a time of unimaginable uncertainty and dread. During that time, she became part of a group of women who took on the U.S. government to advocate for their husbands who were prisoners of war, demanding better treatment and fighting to get them home.

Serving a tour in Vietnam, Maj. Arthur Mearns was closing in on a hundred combat missions, which meant an automatic return from deployment and back to his family. On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 1966, while flying his Republic F-105 Thunderchief fighter bomber on a mission over Hanoi, Mearns’ plane was hit heavily by enemy fire. He headed toward the South China Sea where Navy and Air Force assets might rescue him, but his plane began breaking apart, so he ejected. That was the last anyone saw of Mearns.

With two children, Frances and Missy, Pat Mearns was in limbo during those years of not knowing. She dedicated herself to trying to help the Red Cross identify those missing in action. Pat traveled often to Washington, D.C., to urge congressmen into action. She traveled to England, the Vatican, Romania, Russia, Laos,

Lt. Col. Arthur and Mary Ann "Pat" Mearns

Vietnam and India, and she was part of a large contingent of other wives who attended the Paris Peace Talks to advocate for the POWs.

Pat worked tirelessly to find her husband, working alongside other POW wives in the National League of POW/MIA Families. Arthur Mearns (later promoted to colonel in absentia) was assumed to be a POW. After years of advocacy and searching for answers, Pat learned that her husband was killed on impact. It took 11 years to receive an official notice of his death and his remains were returned to the United States.

On Oct. 28, 1977, his status was changed from MIA to Killed in Action. Two weeks later, on Veterans Day, exactly 11 years after his last mission, Mearns was buried with honors at Arlington National Cemetery. Mearns earned the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters and the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters.

In her new book, The League of Wives,

Nov. 17, 1929 Mr. Frederick W. Koeppen, one of Coronado’s pioneers died. Koeppen, who was more than 90 years old, came to Coronado in 1886 and was the first landscape gardener at the Hotel del Coronado. After 18 years of service with the hotel, he retired and lived at 716 Eighth St. Koeppen was also a charter member of the local Presbyterian Church.

Nov. 27, 1918

LESLIE CRAWFORD COLLECTION

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS On Thanksgiving Day, daredevil aviator Lincoln Beachey completed the first airplane loopthe-loop in America. Taking off from the grounds of the aviation school on North Island, he flew over the Coronado Polo Field where 10,000 people came to see him fly. He performed the feat three times, earning $2,000 for each loop. After his performance, Beachy landed at the polo field to thunderous applause before flying back to North Island. Oct. 12, 1961

After the Armistice had been signed, an aerial pageant of 200 airplanes from Rockwell Field and other nearby military airfields flew in mass formation over San Diego in celebration. Five aerobatic planes flew first, performing stunts over Broadway only a couple of hundred feet off the ground. Different waves of airplanes in “V” formations followed, filling the sky with aircraft in all directions. One of the pilots was a young Jimmy Doolittle who had enlisted in the Army on Rockwell Field only a year before. The aerial pageant represented many months of pilot training, $2.4 million in aircraft, and the latest in airplane construction.

author Heath Lee interviewed a number of wives including Pat, who is one of the women featured on the cover. The book tells an inspiring story of how the POW and MIA wives took on the U.S. government, becoming bold and empowered to demand action in Washington, D.C.

The League of Wives: Vietnam’s POW/MIA Allies & Advocates is now on exhibit at the Coronado Historical Association. In partnership with the Dole Institute of Politics, the special exhibition tells the story of the military wives who founded the organization that would later become the National League of POW/MIA Families. The free exhibit is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Lt. Col. Arthur Mearns

MARY ANN MEARNS