Thereafter, the axe, the laurel and the cypress were incorporated into the MacLean coat-of-arms where they have remained to this day.Īlthough it was the encroaching and expansionist Campbells who the MacLeans were traditionally wary of, they also clashed with the neighbouring MacDonalds and had a long and bitter dispute over lands on Islay. Eventually he became so exhausted that he lay down to die but hung his axe on the branch of a laurel to mark his last resting place under a cypress bush. One story states that Gillian was hunting deer on Mull when he lost his way in a thick mist. They claimed descent from Gilleathain na Tuaighe (Gillian of the Battleaxe) who fought ferociously at the battle of Largs when the Scots trounced the invading fleet of the Vikings in 1263. Read more here.The MacLeans lived in some of the most spectacularly scenic areas of the rugged West Highlands and were spread along the mainland coastline and over the neighbouring islands.Īs a result, they were expert seamen and their war galleys slicing up sea lochs brought terror to their enemies. Now, some 10 years later, approximately 13,500 employees and visitors are at the 240 businesses located at the former base on an average day, more than worked at the base when closure was announced. When the BRAC Commission announced in 1995 that McClellan AFB would close, the surrounding community feared it was a death knell for the region. Since closing in 2001, the former McClellan Air Force Base has become a model, both nationally and internationally, for successful environmental cleanup and simultaneous transformative redevelopment. Remedies to achieve that goal are tailored to the specific site, contaminants, and intended use. The Air Force is committed to ensuring that the former base is safe for the environment and the people who live, work, and play there. The cleanup program at McClellan is the largest such effort in the Air Force with some $500 million spent so far and another $400 million anticipated to be spent before the cleanup is complete. For its employees and the people in the surrounding communities, the event marked the end of one era and the beginning of another as the former base began its conversion from an active military base to a vital business park. On July 13, 2001, the Air Force officially closed McClellan AFB after 65 years of operation. Read more history here.Īfter the Cold War ended, McClellan's closure was announced in 1995 by the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission as part of the Department of Defense's efforts to downsize, consolidate, and streamline operations. charged with overhauling and repairing military aircraft. Throughout most of its history, McClellan was one of only four air depots in the U.S. Hezekiah McClellan, a pioneer in arctic aeronautical tests. In 1939, the installation's name changed to McClellan Field in honor of Maj. The new depot would support air operations on the West Coast, as well as provide a staging area for aircraft and material bound for the Pacific. ![]() ![]() Congress authorized construction of the Sacramento Air Depot in 1936. With war clouds gathering over the Pacific, the U.S.
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