That’s my memory as well. I thought all of the buoys were mines. The 50s were great in SoCal! Another memory is of all of the war-surlplus search lights that car dealers would use when the new models came in.
In the 1950's, Southern California was a fast-growing economy, and search lights were often seen in the sky. They were used not only by car dealers but also to announce the opening of new supermarkets and other businesses.
As the 1960's wore on, they were seen less often. However, several years ago, I saw a search light in the sky and drove to the place where it originated--a new video rental service. The search light was solidly built and was obviously several decades old--probably WWII surplus.