On the fog-swept coastal bluffs overlooking California’s Golden Gate Bridge near the Marin Headlands, rises an imposing concrete bunker with the rusted remains of a 15-inch naval gun. Battery Spencer, a vestige of a bygone era, and many others in the area have kept watch over the coastal approach to San Francisco Bay since 1895. The West Coast of the United States from the Mexican to the Canadian borders is dotted by similar sites. Constructed during the Spanish American War, these coastal defensive positions gradually fell into disrepair, but still remained in various levels of service during WWII and the Cold War. This course will take a closer look at the history of these sites and in so doing provide an overview of how California and the West Coast experienced WWII and the Cold War. From the shelling of the Ellwood oil piers by a Japanese submarine near Gaviota to coastal radar and missile defenses, we will examine the role played by sites such as the Marin Headlands throughout this era. We will also explore what people living on the West Coast and California in particular feared as a result of WWII and how these responses shaped their daily lives. Today, you can still explore these unique sites, many of which are open to the public and this course will offer tips and suggestions for planning a visit.

This course takes place both in-person at the Thousand Oaks campus and online via Zoom.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people ages 50 and older, seeking intellectual stimulation through university-level courses — without the pressure of grades — for the sake of learning and social engagement.