Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Franklin.
Hi Eric, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
The Pendleton Surf Club is made up of surfers on Active duty and their families who are stationed aboard Pendleton. The club is also open to reservists, retirees, DOD personnel and all branches of service stationed aboard Pendleton and surrounding community. The club has been established to spread the positive force of surfing and to the military members here on the base that make the sacrifices on a daily basis for our country’s freedoms.
Our club is fortunate that our base is located with 25 miles of coastline and some of the best breaks in Southern California, which we are privileged to have right in our own back yard. No matter what your level or degree of surfing is, you are invited to come and share your stories, make new ones, and become a member of our special club.
My name is Eric Franklin. I am a retired Marine Master Sergeant, as I served for 23 years. I was stationed on Camp Pendleton for 18 years, 3 1/2 in Hawaii, the other time was spent in 29 Palms and various training areas.
I joined the Marines to come to California and live the dream of surfing and living. The goal was to get stationed at the coast in California, surf, work and live the best life. That goal has come true and I am living that dream everyday.
As a young Marine in the early 2000’s, we would meet at “Church” surf spot aboard Camp Pendleton, and DMJ’s at the south end of the base. As we all did tours overseas and combat deployments we would meet when we could.
We hosted in 2005-2006 all military surf contests at church surf break and DMJ’s. The purpose was to bring all active duty together to compete, network and support each other in the water. Out of the water we supported each other through war time deployments, support our families and each other.
Now in present time we have grown to create a website, social media, monthly meetings, quarterly meetings, supporting groups that support disabled veterans to surf, encouraging active duty service members to surf, volunteer to assist disabled children to surf, local parades, local volunteer needs, and host our own all military surf contests.
We have young men and women from all over the United States that join our military, get stationed here in Southern California. They would like to learn to surf and enjoy the SoCal vibe that is abundant here. We as a club provide the resources to surf together with fellow warriors, get involved in the local community, network with other active duty service members, veterans, and create volunteer opportunities giving back to the community.
Currently we host a three day surf contest that is all military at the Church surf break aboard Camp Pendleton. We coordinate and work with three other military surf organizations to make this event happen. We camp, compete, break bread together and share stories from abroad of our deployments and combat experiences. The other military surf organizations are Veteran Surf Alliance, SWEL, and One More Wave.
We will meet monthly at one of our beaches aboard base. We will meet quarterly at our local club restaurant at Pacific Coast Spirits in Oceanside California.
We assist the Surfing Madonna Oceans Project teaching kids with Disabilities to surf every summer. That is 10 clinics per summer, potentially reaching 200 children.
Annual Camping trip with the other surf clubs in April
4th of July parade in Oceanside.
volunteer at the Super Girl Pro.
Assist disabled veteran surf camps/events
all military surf contest in October
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been an enjoyable journey. Just when you think that we will not be successful, another opportunity arises and we march forward. Every year we get better and have more fun.
Our struggle is finding financial support to host and throw the contest every year. We would like to find some financial support to lower the cost to our participants and their family’s.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I work as a Field Service Representative aboard Camp Pendleton working alongside Marines. I advise and assist the Marines in Communications training, applications and mentorship.
It is a very rewarding and fulfilling job. After serving for 23 years on Active Duty, this job has allowed me to share my knowledge, leadership, and wisdom with younger Marines and other service men and women.
Not to mention I work 200 yards from the beach.
The surf Club brings it full circle to share what I love doing in my personal time and also at work.
The good lord has blessed me with a very good life.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Hmm. this is a very great question. As a young man we lived in a few places. I remember being in Minnesota and having some snow days with my family, fishing as a young boy in Mississippi, we lived in Baton Rouge and we would hunt and fish. When we moved to Florida in High School, I fell in love with the ocean and I began surfing. That is when I fell in love with surfing. From that point I figured I would join the Marines. The goal was to get stationed at the coast in California, and surf, work and live the best life. That goal has come true and I am living that dream everyday.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://pendletonsurfclub.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thependletonsurfclub/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CPSurfclub
Image Credits
Veteran Surf Alliance One more Wave SWEL
