My dad was stationed there in the mid 70's. It was wonderful to see the Space shuttle being tested landing while piggybacked on a 747. The sonic booms were awesome too. As a kid I couldn't ask for a better place to live. When I got out of the Army in '95 I stayed with my parents a few months. I was amazed how depressing the area had become.
My future wife and I ended up moving to AZ and it was like night and day as far as the desert is concerned. I love Desert life but give me the Sonoran Desert over the Mojave any day. They built
this there and that I believe is why the area has gone downhill.
Gang bangers and Liberalism killed the Antelope Valley and now the illegals are killing the Valley of the Sun. Glad I moved back to my adopted home of Texas in 2002.