Recognition for a Navy disaster
December 29th, 2009 | Historical Mishaps Morale ordnance Shore duty | Posted by Phil Ewing
The 1944 explosion at Port Chicago, Calif., destroyed two cargo ships and much of the surrounding port and naval base // NavHistHerCom
From our colleagues up in The Show comes an interesting story about a piece of naval history finally recognized: This fall, the Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial became a full-fledged member of the National Park System, meaning park rangers, more funding, and the whole treatment for the site of the Navy’s worst home-front disaster.
Port Chicago, Calif., was the site of a naval depot in World War II, where, because of the military’s segregationist policies, many of the cargo handlers and workers were black, supervised by white officers. On July 17, 1944, the port, two cargo ships, and much of the town were devastated by a massive explosion — felt as far away as Nevada — when something touched off the ordnance. Three hundred twenty people were killed, most of them black sailors, and when black survivors were ordered to start work again loading more ships, they refused, saying it was too unsafe. The incident showed the U.S. the ugliness of segregation in the military, which ended, by order of President Truman, in 1948.
This account of the disaster is pretty comprehensive, as is this Web site dedicated specifically to the victims and survivors. Be advised, though: If you’re on the West Coast and you’d like to see the site, you need to make an appointment.