) 80s Life In Orange County, CaliforniaBy Marc "Devil Dog Of The Web" Iseli / Updated Dec. 2025 Orange County in the 80s was a beast of a community. You had Anaheim, Santa Ana, and Irvine fighting over who could cram the most malls into one area and create the worst traffic jams. Thanks to two million people and three interstates that all seemed to be under construction at the same time. The coastline was stacked with beaches, Huntington, Newport, Laguna, San Clemente, each one crawling with sunburned tourists and locals pretending they surfed. By the time I got there, the place was packed tighter than a barracks full of Jarheads on field day nights. Orange County, California, prime real estate for a young Marine trying to get laid, good luck! With a haircut that looked like you belong on an indian reservation, Shorts up to your testicles, and a shirt so tight it looked like spandex on a jelly roll. Step off base, and you’re tripping over burger joints, bars, and enough entertainment to keep you out of trouble, or at least make you late for morning muster. The beaches? Yeah, they were all right, especially Laguna Beach, where the girls' volleyball was almost as good as gawking at their tight bikinis. Back in my El Toro days, 1980 to 1983, I hit up Marineland, Disneyland, cruised down El Toro Road, and tried to see how much trouble I could get into before heading back to base. After I departed for the last time in 1983, the developers showed up, paved over the farmland, and started erasing everything fun. Marineland? Gone. Most of it’s gone, actually. All I’ve got left are the memories of the smell of the ocean, and a few stories that probably shouldn’t be repeated in polite company. Here are a few of those old haunts, with a little history for the Airwingers who came after 1983. 
) Disneyland
Disneyland first threw open its gates on July 17, 1955, back when Walt Disney himself was still calling the shots and probably yelling at someone to make the mouse cuter. At the time, it was just one lonely outpost in the Orange County wilderness, with Main Street, Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland all lined up like fresh recruits at morning muster. Fast-forward to today, and Disneyland Park is less 'local hangout' and more 'high-tech sardine can,' where the only thing that moves faster than the crowds is the price of admission. If you’re looking for the old-school charm, you’ll need a time machine, or at least a second mortgage. Visit My Photo Album Photos of Disneyland, 1983. ) Marineland of the Pacific
Marineland of the Pacific was the place where killer whales had more name recognition than most squadron commanders. Perched on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, it was the 80s hotspot for watching Corky the orca do backflips while you tried not to spill your overpriced soda. The place had a four-ring sea circus, which is basically the aquatic version of an F-4 Phantom morning launch, chaotic, loud, and someone always ends up wet. In the early 80s, Hanna-Barbera slapped its name on it, so you could watch dolphins jump through hoops while imagining Yogi Bear running the show. Then, in 1987, SeaWorld’s parent company swooped in, shut the place down faster than a barracks party at 2200, and shipped the animals to San Diego, sparking enough controversy to make a JAG officer sweat. Visit My Photo Album Photos of Marineland of the Pacific, 1983. ) Universal Studios
Universal Studios Hollywood in the 80s was the kind of place where you could get fake-eaten by a mechanical shark and call it a good day. The Studio Tour was the main event, think of it as a field op, but with more screaming tourists and fewer MREs. You’d roll past the Flash Flood, Battle of Galactica, and Jaws, all while wondering if the tram driver was sober. Live shows? They had Conan the Barbarian flexing harder than a boot at inspection, and animal actors who probably had better union contracts than most Marines. The entrance wasn’t the neon fever dream of CityWalk yet, just the A-Team van parked out front, daring you to pity the fool who skipped the Psycho House. Visit My Photo Album Photos of Universal Studios, 1983. Alright, you glorious Rat Phixers and Phlyers, if we ever survived a TAD, a Det, or a BOHICA, who haven't, and you didn’t think I was the biggest gaff off in the squadron. Got a sea story, or some grainy photos your ex didn’t set on fire, and they’re only slightly illegal? Send ‘em by email, snail mail, or safety wire it to a carrier pigeon. I collect ‘em all, just nothing that would incriminate me. 80svmfp3@gmail.com Return To The Home Page  |
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