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Welcome to the audio-described version of Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial official print brochure. Through text and audio descriptions of photos, illustrations, and maps, this version interprets the two-sided color brochure that Port Chicago visitors receive. The brochure explores the history of the park, some of its highlights, and information for planning your visit. This audio version lasts about thirty three minutes which we have divided into 30 sections, as a way to improve the listening experience. Sections 1 to 12 cover the front of the brochure and include information regarding the history of the park. Sections 13 to 20 cover the back of the brochure which consists of the names of those men who gave their lives in this WWII explosion, as well as information on how to see the park.
Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial, located in California, is part of the National Park Service, within the Department of the Interior. The one acre park is situated 10 miles east of Martinez at the edge of the Suisun Bay. This park, officially established in 2008 , is the fourth addition of national park sites in Contra Costa County. Each year, a thousand visitors are lucky enough to come experience the understanding that only can be had at Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial. We invite you to explore the park's memorial with a ranger at a now peaceful bend in Suisun Bay. For those seeking to learn more about the park during their visit, please ask the park ranger or visit us online at www.nps.gov/poch. Information and our parks film can also can be found at the John Muir National Historic Site visitor's center. To find out more about what resources might be available or to contact the park directly, visit the "Accessibility" and "More Information" sections at the end of this audio-described brochure.
The front of the brochure includes quotes, text,historic photographs, and a map. Most photos are black and white unless indicated as color. At the top and bottom third of the page are two photographs of men loading munitions (top), and the destruction of Pier 1 (bottom), after the explosion. In the middle is the story, told in text, along with two smaller photos and a map illistration. Descriptions and text are presented under their own sections.
CAPTION:
Loader teams at each of the ship’s holds used muscle and steam winches (above) to wrestle bombs, shells, and mines from the cars into the holds.
Credit:
United States Navy
IMAGE DESCRIPTION:
This dramatic black and white photo is a close-up of two men on a ship loading cargo, with various sections of ship pipes and beams visible in the frame. At the left side of the photo
, a very large load of ordnance boxes is suspended mid-air in a rope net, apparently attached to a steam winch that is not visible in the frame. A sailor in uniform is standing on a middle level of the ship deck, bending over and securing a load of cargo with rope while looking upwards into the camera. His hat is tilted to the left and he appears to be grimacing slightly from exertion. On the right side next to him on the deck are additional piles of rope and cargo. On an upper deck and to the right, a second man is standing with his hands grasping two waist-high parallel levers and his right foot extended forward. He appears to be operating the winch carrying the ordnance boxes. His head is uncovered and he is wearing light pants with a dark coat extending to his knees that has a generous tall collar standing up around his neck.
CAPTION:
Driven by wartime demands, loaders worked around the clock. Yard engines pushed rail cars full of munitions onto the 1,200-foot pier (right).
Credit:
United States Navy
IMAGE DESCRIPTION:
Description text here
A black and white historic photo shows, on the left side of the frame, a large World War II-era cargo ship sitting at a long wooden pier extending diagonally inwards, with the back end of a light-colored rail car sitting nearby on the right side and partially out of view. Four steam winches extend outwards from the ship in the foreground, ready to be deployed. There appear to be numerous boxes and packages stacked up and down the pier, with one load being hoisted midair by a fifth winch in the distance. Dark railroad tracks are clearly visible, extending from the bottom of the frame straight along the length of the pier parallel to the waiting ship, and another set curving inward from the bottom right of the frame over to the rail car.
Cyril Sheppard was reliving the first explosion. Then the next one came right behind that. Phoom! . . . Men were screaming, the lights went out and glass was flying all over the place. For Sheppard and other seamen a mile away from the munitions loading pier, the monstrous blast was traumatic enough. Loaders and others at the pier that night—320 men—lost their lives. The 1944 Port Chicago explosion was the result of unsafe loading practices. When some loaders refused to return to work under the same conditions, the U.S. Navy put them on trial for mutiny. All the munitions loaders at the base were African American, making the explosion and trial a little-known but important chapter in the history of U.S. civil rights.
CAPTION:
Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial
Credit:
United States Navy
MAP DESCRIPTION:
This is a basic drawing of a map of the San Francisco Bay area with north being at the top of the map. On the lower left side of the map is the Pacific Ocean. The tip of the San Francisco peninsula and city is located and labeled in the lower left corner too. To the right of San Francisco, at the bottom of the map and across the San Francisco Bay, is labeled the city of Oakland. North of Oakland in the east bay, the city of Berkeley is labeled, north of it is the city of Richmond. North of Richmond, and across the top of the San Francisco Bay to the west is the city of San Rafael. The larger San Pablo Bay is connected to the top of the San Francisco Bay. At the far east of San Pablo Bay, and the center top of the map is labeled the city of Vallejo. Just below Vallejo is boldly marked as "Site of Mare Island Shipyard". As the bay disappears into a narrow channel to the east, the city of Benicia is labeled in the north. The narrow Carquinez Straits begins to open into the wider but smaller bay to the east, Suisun Bay. In the top right corner, the bottom of Suisun Bay, in what would be the northern most part of the east bay, is even more boldly marked "Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial". Just below this is labeled the city of Concord, and to the south of it is labeled the city of Walnut Creek.
With war threatening in the Pacific, the U.S. Navy needed to boost its West Coast capacity for storing and loading munitions. Port Chicago on Suisun Bay offered a deepwater terminal, rail connections, and isolation from highly populated areas. The December 1941 Pearl Harbor attack spurred on construction, and the facility was ready to load ships a year later.
The seamen assigned as loaders were all African American, a reflection of naval policies at the time. The Navy had recently allowed African Americans to train in duties outside their traditional roles as stewards, stevedores, or cooks, but even in time of war most were assigned to these menial jobs in segregated units. At Port Chicago the black munitions loaders were supervised by white officers and black petty officers.
Already chafing under segregation, the seamen grew increasingly apprehensive about the nature of the work. Neither they nor the officers had special training in handling munitions. Worse, officers placed bets on whose team could load the most tonnage. The facility also ignored advice from a local longshoremen’s union and the U.S. Coast Guard regarding safer loading practices.
By July 1944 Port Chicago had widened its pier so two ships could be loaded. On the night of the 17th the E.A. Bryan was almost full. The Quinault Victory had arrived that day; loading would start at midnight. Sixteen rail cars lined the pier, filled with 1,000-pound bombs, depth charges, and sensitive incendiary bombs. Also at the pier were a marine guard; ships’ crews; a few civilians, including the rail crew; and a Coast Guard fire boat crew.
No one is sure what happened next—only that at 10:18 pm there was a tremendous explosion, followed seconds later by a much larger one that obliterated ships, pier, cars, and humans. The blast’s debris-filled cloud rose 12,000 feet into the air. Its shock wave was felt for 40 miles, and falling debris damaged most of the homes and businesses of the town of Port Chicago, over a mile away. The base’s injured were taken to nearby hospitals, while other survivors were left with the grim work of recovering their crewmates’ remains.Survivors anticipated 30 days leave—as their officers had received—and transfer to other duty, but the Navy granted neither. Instead they were sent to Mare Island Naval Shipyard and on August 9 were marched to the shipyard’s munitions pier to resume loading. Initially 258 refused, saying they were afraid to load. Threatened with death by firing squad for mutiny during war, 208 yielded. They were given bad conduct discharges after serving out their terms. The 50 who persisted faced the largest mass mutiny trial in naval history.
The prosecutor’s case turned on what he called “collective” acts to subvert established authority. The defense argued that while the 50 had refused to load, this was the result of each man’s fear and not a conspiracy to overthrow a superior. NAACP attorney Thurgood Marshall publicly asked hard questions about the base’s safety practices, but the 50 were convicted and given sentences of 8 to 15 years. After the war the Navy granted clemency to the 50 and put them on ships to finish out their enlistments. Though their convictions were not overturned, their acts of civil disobedience brought to light the injustice of racial segregation in the military.CAPTION:
After the accident these black sailors had been transferred across the bay to the Mare Island Naval Shipyard. On August 9th they were marched toward the USS San Gay to again load munitions.
Credit:
United States Navy
IMAGE DESCRIPTION:
This historic black and white photograph shows a long, very wide wooden pier. In the center of the photo there are many black sailors walking in formation to the end of the pier in the direction of the photographer. They are all dressed similarly with long dark pants and lighter colored shirt. They are all wearing the white sailors cap. Their heads are up, and most of them are looking at the photographer.
To the left of the photo, and the men, is a tall streetlight on the pier. To the left of the light, water can be seen below the pier with large wooden buildings on pilings to the rear of the marching men. Behind the sailors are more small wooden buildings at the head of the pier. Behind these, a treeless hill rises with three low flat buildings and two antennas, one very tall, on it. In the lower right of the photo there are four long pipes laying on the side of the pier, out of the way of the marching sailors.CAPTION:
The blast reduced part of the pier to rubble; the rest disappeared. The stern section of Quinault Victory (upper right) was thrown 500 feet.
Credit:
U.S. NAVY
IMAGE DESCRIPTION:
In this historic black and white photo, the photographer was standing at the head of the destroyed wooden pier looking out at the water. In the upper left of the photo is the bold hand stamped message, "OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPH NOT TO BE RELEASED FOR PUBLICATION. NAVY YARD MARE ISLAND, CALIF."
The bottom of the photograph shows the thick heavy planking used in the pier construction. Planks on the left appear undamaged with two rail tracks leading out to the end of the ruined pier. Planks on the right are pushed up and jumbled, with large nails protruding out from them. There were also two rails leading from the right and crossing the other tracks out to the end of the ruined pier, but only half of one track is left. The others are torn away and missing. There are bent and broken pilings in the water to the right of the pier.
The top half of this photo is the remnants of the pier itself, bending out into the water and to the right. It does not resemble a pier anymore, but broken, jumbled and oddly shaped matchsticks sitting in the water. Beyond the curved end of the pier, further out in the water, is something else. In the upper right hand corner is a large uneven dark triangle jutting from the water. A little to the left of this is another smaller uneven dark triangle, with a longer thin piece on top, pointing at the other triangle. Just under this thin piece is an even smaller rounded part sticking out of the water. These are pieces of the hull of the over 400 foot S.S. Quinault Victory resting on the bottom of the bay. The smaller rounded part is the Quinault's propeller.Side two of the brochure is comprised of text, and two photographs. The first photo is in the upper left of a ships bell being rung. The second photo is a color, and takes up the bottom of the page. The background behind the text is sky blue. The text and photo descriptions are presented under their own sections. In addition to the photo descriptions, the text sections provide many descriptive details about what the areas look like and information about getting there and what trails and amenities are available.
The 320 men who died in the Port Chicago explosion represented a cross-section of the base’s workforce: 202 African American enlisted personnel working as loaders that night
(15 percent of all African American deaths in World War II); nine of their officers; 64 members of the U.S. Maritime Service (crewmen on E.A. Bryan and Quinault Victory); 33 members of the U.S. Navy Armed Guard (military personnel assigned to cargo ships in wartime); three civilian Navy workers and three civilian contractors; five U.S. Coast Guard fire boat crewmen; and the Marine on guard duty that night.
Their deaths called attention to safety problems at munitions facilities. The Navy began addressing the issues of both safety and segregation in the months following the tragedy.CAPTION:
A sailor is ringing a ship’s bell to remembering the fallen.
Credit:
National Park Service
IMAGE DESCRIPTION:
To the left of the introductory text at the top of this page is a close up photo of a man ringing a ships bell. The bell is in the foreground and is shined so that a reflection of the sun is seen in it. Under the bell a gloved hand is caught in mid ring, the man's face is hidden by the bell. He is wearing a dark jacket, white shirt, and dark tie. At the top left of the bell, part of the man's dark hat is seen. This photo is modern, but washed in a blue tint, as is the rest of the three quarters of background on this page.
Seaman Second Class James C. Akins
Carpenters Mate Third Class Petty Officer Clarence Allen, Junior
Lieutenant, Junior Grade Maxie L. Anderson
Seaman Second Class Leslie K. Asahe
Seaman Second Class Isaiah Ash, Junior
Seaman First Class David Bacon, Senior
Seaman Second Class Henry W. Bailey
Carpenters Mate Third Class Petty Officer Leonard Baker
Seaman Second Class David Barnes, Junior
Seaman Second Class Joseph Battle Seaman
Second Class Raphel O. Beasom
Seaman Second Class Silas Bell
Lieutenant Thomas L. Blackman
Seaman Second Class David E. Blackwell
Seaman Second Class Thimon Blaylock
Seaman First Class Johnnie C. Borders
Carpenters Mate First Class Petty Officer James H. Born
Seaman Second Class L.T. Bowden
Seaman Second Class Charles L. Boyce
Seaman Second Class Alvin Brewer, Junior
Seaman Second Class James Bridges
Seaman First Class Walter L. Brooks, Junior
Fireman First Class Petty Officer Johnnie L. Broome
Seaman First Class Ernest L. Burnett
Seaman First Class Wilbert Calvin
Seaman Second Class Lawrence L. Carlin
Seaman Second Class Robert A. Carter
Lieutenant, Junior Grade John B. Christenbury
Seaman Second Class Eddie L. Clark
Seaman First Class Eugene Coffee, Junior
Fireman First Class Petty Officer Bill Coleman
Seaman Second Class Enos Coley
Seaman Second Class Arthur A. Connor
Seaman Second Class Frank Cooley
Seaman Second Class Norman H. Craig
Seaman Second Class Eddie L. Cross
Seaman Second Class Jessie V. Crimp
Seaman Second Class Horace Daniel, Senior
Seaman Second Class Huby Dansby
Seaman Second Class Floyd M. Davis
Seaman Second Class Henry J. Davis
Seaman Second Class Willie Davis
Seaman Second Class James L. Devaughn
Seaman Second Class Nathaniel Dixson
Seaman Second Class Rayfield D. Doyle
Seaman Second Class Herman Dunbar
Seaman Second Class Arthur L. Ebenezer
Fireman Second Class Petty Officer Dunton I. Edwards
Seaman First Class Herbert L. Edwards
Seaman Second Class Junice C. Ervin
Seaman Second Class Luther Eusery
Seaman Second Class Ananias Evans, Senior
Seaman Second Class Horace Evans
Seaman Second Class John H. Evans
Seaman Second Class William L. Evans
Seaman Second Class John B. Feliseret
Seaman Second Class Robert L. Ferguson
Carpenters Mate Third Class Petty Officer Clarence S. Fields
Seaman Second Class Jessie Finney
Seaman Second Class Matthew Forkner, Junior
Seaman First Class Joseph R. Francis
Seaman Second Class Ford S. Franklin, Junior
Seaman Second Class Artie J. Frazier
Carpenters Mate First Class Petty Officer Elmer B. Froid
Seaman First Class Gerard Gabriel
Seaman Second Class Bennie L. Gaines
Seaman Second Class Elgar Gant
Seaman First Class Coal Heaver John S. Gibson
Seaman Second Class Jethero Gilbert
Seaman First Class Samuel Glenn, Junior
Seaman First Class Lewis D. Goudblock
Seaman Second Class Harry L. Graham
Seaman First Class William H. Green
Seaman Second Class Ross B. Grinage
Seaman Second Class A.D. Hamilton
Seaman Second Class Ernest E. Hamilton
Seaman Second Class Emaral Hamm
Seaman Second Class George R. Hammond
Seaman Second Class John W. Hannan, Junior
Seaman Second Class Joe H. Hardaway
Seaman Second Class John L. Harding
Seaman Second Class B.C. Harris
Seaman Second Class Roscoe A. Harris
Seaman Second Class Phillip H. Harrison
Seaman Second Class Clifford Harvey, Junior
Seaman First Class George W. Hayes
Seaman Second Class D.C. Haywood
Seaman First Class Douglas L. Hector
Seaman First Class David L. Higginbotham
Seaman First Class Bobie R. Higgs
Seaman First Class Cluster Hill
Seaman Second Class Joseph Hills
Seaman Second Class Charles W. Hite
Seaman Second Class Sonar Man Rudolph V. Holden
Seaman Second Class Stanford Holley
Motor Machinist’s Mate Third Class Petty Officer, Temporary Edred L. Holmes Seaman Second Class Ernest M. Howard
Seaman Second Class Frank J. Howard
Seaman Second Class Earl H. Hudson
Seaman Second Class Glen Hughes
Seaman Second Class Leroy Hughes
Seaman Second Class Theodore L. Hughes
Seaman Second Class William Humphrey, Junior
Seaman Second Class Ross D. Hunt
Seaman Second Class Wave Hunt
Seaman Second Class Rudolph W. Hunter
Carpenters Mate First Class Petty Officer, Temporary Leroy Ingram
Seaman First Class D.C. Jackson
Seaman Second Class James Jackson
Carpenters Mate Second Class Petty Officer James E.M. Jackson
Seaman First Class Levi R. Jackson
Seaman Second Class Paul E. Jackson
Seaman Second Class Robert A. Jackson, Junior
Carpenters Mate Third Class Petty Officer Samuel Jackson, Junior
Seaman First Class Daniel L. Jamison
Seaman First Class Willie Jennings
Seaman Second Class Clarence Johnson
Seaman Second Class Earl T. Johnson
Seaman First Class Gabe Johnson
Seaman First Class Harold Johnson
Seaman Second Class Henry L. Johnson
Lieutenant, Junior Grade James B. Johnson
Seaman First Class Milton F. Johnson
Seaman First Class Daniel L. Jones
Seaman First Class Ivery L. Jones
Seaman First Class Henry Joseph, Junior
Seaman First Class Samuel Kearney
Seaman First Class Ships Cook Butcher Calvin King
Seaman Second Class Clifton King
Seaman Second Class Verne Land
Seaman First Class Sidney J. LaPorte, Junior
Seaman First Class Willie Law, Junior
Seaman Second Class Cleo Lawson
Seaman Second Class Claudius W. Leslie
Seaman Second Class Sonar Man Aaron A. Lewis
Seaman Second Class T.C. Lewis
Seaman Second Class Lemuel M. Long
Seaman Second Class Robert Lyons
Seaman Second Class Beattie J. Makins
Seaman First Class, Carpenters Mate Rossell E. Martin
Seaman Second Class, Carpenters Mate Alonmo Martin
Seaman First Class Daniel Massie
Seaman First Class Lawrence Mathews, Junior
Seaman Second Class Charles A. Mayfield
Seaman First Class Mitchell McClam
Chief Carpenters Mate, Temporary Clarence K. McFarland
Seaman First Class Calvin Milton
Seaman Second Class Willis Mettles
Seaman First Class Ernest C. Miller
Motor Machinist’s Mate Third Class Petty Officer Ira Miller, Junior
Seaman Second Class Otis K. Miller
Seaman Second Class Marshall Moore, Senior
Carpenters Mate Second Class Petty Officer Thomas Moore
Seaman Second Class William P. Moore
Ensign Gilbert Mordoh
Seaman Second Class Eddie L. Neal
Seaman First Class James H. Nixon
Seaman Second Class William H. Otky, Senior
Seaman Second Class Auguster Packer
Seaman First Class Ships Cook William F. Paschal
Seaman Second Class Robert F. Peete
Seaman Second Class Lester L. Perry
Seaman Second Class Joe H. Person
Seaman Second Class Alfred Phillips
Carpenters Mate Third Class Petty Officer Charles Pickett
Seaman Second Class Houston Porter
Seaman Second Class McCoy Porter
Seaman Second Class David W. Potts
Signalman Third Class Petty Officer, Temporary Samuel H. Powell
Carpenters Mate Second Class Petty Officer Joe C. Preuitt
Seaman Second Class Arthur Reid, Junior
Carpenters Mate Third Class Petty Officer James E. Rhodes
Seaman Second Class Clyde F. Richardson
Seaman Second Class James A. Roberts
Seaman First Class Mango Roberts
Motor Machinist’s Mate Third Class Petty Officer Alphonse Robinson
Seaman Second Class Fred Robinson, Junior
Seaman First Class Eugene J. Rogers
Seaman Second Class Robert Sanders
Seaman Second Class Wesley Saunders
Lieutenant Roland Schindler
Carpenters Mate Third Class Petty Officer Carl C. Scott
Lieutenant Vernon C. Shamer
Seaman First Class Joseph J. Sheckles
Seaman Second Class Willie Sims
Seaman First Class Isaac E. Smith
Seaman First Class James P. Smith
Seaman First Class Ellis Taylor
Seaman Second Class Joseph M. Tolson
Master at Arms Second Class Petty Officer Maxie D. Towles
Seaman First Class, Carpenters Mate Mervin L. Van Dunk
Seaman First Class Issiah Wade
Seaman Second Class Charles Walker, Junior
Seaman Second Class Walter L.Walker, Junior
Seaman Second Class Woodrow L. Walker
Carpenters Mate Second Class Petty Officer, Temporary William C. Warren Seaman Second Class James L. Washington
Seaman Second Class Woodrow Washington, Junior
Carpenters Mate Third Class Petty Officer Daniel West
Lieutenant, Junior Grade Raymond R. White
Seaman First Class Joseph B. White
Seaman Second Class Arthur Whitmore
Seaman Second Class Mitchell A. Williams
Seaman Second Class Maryland E. Wilson
Gunners Mate Third Class Petty Officer Oliver Wilson
Seaman Second Class Samuel D. Wilson
Lieutenant Harold A. Wood
Seaman Second Class James E. Woods
Seaman Second Class Walter E. Wright
Seaman Second Class Charles E. Wyatt
Seaman First Class Wayland E. Causey
Seaman First Class Rudy J. Cebella
Seaman First Class Robert E. Chase
Seaman Second Class Claude L. Chastain
Signalman Third Class Petty Officer John J. Gee
Lieutenant Junior Grade Ralph B. Hartmann
Seaman First Class Clarence R. Hollandsworth
Seaman First Class Kenneth H. Muirhead
Seaman First Class Jesse W. Mulligan
Seaman First Class Lloyd J. Quick
Seaman First Class Martin J. Setzer
Seaman First Class George H. Singer
Seaman First Class Listern L. Small
Elmer A. Andraschko, Cook
Albert A. Arsenian, Seaman
William C. Benhart, Oiler
Martin M. Cacic, Seaman
Ray E. Davis, Wiper
Donald L. Dennon, Wiper
Thomas E. Dorsey, Seaman
George H. Falk, Bosun
Marcus J. Franklin, Engineer
Alfred D. Gilbert, Engineer
James R. Gilstrap, Seaman
Joseph D. Grange, Junior Engineer
Fred Hayes, Seaman
Delbert R. Hutchinson, Fireman
Peter C. Jepsen, Chief Engineer
Charles A. Johnson, Utilityman
Clifford R. Johnson, Utilityman
Ralph A. Lantz, Seaman
John A. Louis, Engineer
Frank C. Malizia, Carpenter
Edward Maniago, Messman
Harry E. Nathan, Seaman
Jesse Porter, Senior, Chief Cook
Richard D. Roberson, Seaman
Aaron C. Sangster, Junior, Seaman
Ellsworth M. Shaw, Oiler
Howard A. Smith, First Mate
Andrew Suchan, Fireman
Robert F. Townsend, Second Mate
Harding E. White, Messman
George H. Witt, Utilityman
Gunners Mate Third Class Jack L. Albin
Gunners Mate Second Class Delbert P. Bergstrom
Seaman First Class Radio Man Jack P. Bowman
Gunners Mate Third Class John G. Hall
Seaman First Class George D. Hovland
Seaman First Class Andy Morrow
Gunners Mate Second Class William H. Mulryan
Seaman First Class Henry J. Myers
Seaman First Class Woodrow A. Riiff
Seaman First Class Jacob D. Risenhoover
Seaman First Class William R. Robinson
Seaman First Class Charles H. Rondell
Seaman First Class Jay Rose, Junior
Seaman First Class Otis K. Ross
Seaman First Class Woodrow W. Saint
Seaman First Class Arnold T. Sanders
Seaman First Class Harold S. Sano
Robert D. Bailey, Utilityman
Robert E. Bartlett, Messman
John D. Bell, Assistant Purser
Frederick E. Bentley, Seaman
Donald H. Cheney, Electrician
Hugh E. Crawford, Maintenance Man
Floyd F. Crist, Seaman
Albert C. Dinde, Messman
Wallace M. Durland, Seaman
Kenneth J. Eulrick, Seaman
Burke E. Falor, Utilityman
Eugene W. Garrett, Fireman
Robert K. Henricksen, Seaman
Elis Henriksen, Engineer
Johannes H. Justesen, Steward
Walter F. Kannberg, Engineer
Robert E. Keim, Second Mate
Joseph B. Koeninger, Seaman
Karl L. Mallery, Engineer
Lloyd K. McDaniel, Seaman
Kenneth M. Moen, Third Mate
Robert S. Morill, Oiler
Isadore E. Narinsky, Seaman
Roy L. Nelson, Carpenter
David R. Parsons, Third Mate
Mike Pearson, Oiler
Ellis B. Pinson, Engineer
Richard V. Potter, Fireman
Virgil R. Sandberg, Engineer
Albert R. Scott, Chief Mate
Lester S. Skance, Seaman
Howard W. Sullivan, Seaman
Robert J. Sullivan, Master
Glen E. Thompson, Engineer
Louis J. Widner, Mess Man
John A. Williams, Chief Engineer
Lawrence C. Bustrack, Macco Company, Office Manager
Gundar Halverson, Macco Company, Timekeeper
Raymond V. Hunnicutt, Brakeman, Navy Employee
Thomas D. Hunt, Macco Company, Project Engineer
Harry A. Middleton, Engineman, Navy Employee
Fred Zanarini, Chauffeur, Navy Employee
Private Elwin A. Blanke, Marine Corps
Boatswains Mate Peter G. Broda, Coast Guard
Machinist Mate William G. Degryce, Coast Guard
McMM3c Edward J. Portz, Coast Guard
Seaman First Class Charles H. Riley, Coast Guard
Seaman Second Class James C. Sullivan, Coast Guard
The memorial is located on an active military base. Tours are by reservation; allow two weeks for your request to be processed. See park website for information on ID required for base access and firearms regulations. Service animals are welcome.
Tours are available Tuesday through Saturday at 10 am and 1:30 pm (allow 1½ hours for the tour). There is no public access on Thanksgiving, December 25, and January 1. The base may also be closed to the public due to military operations.CAPTION:
Sea Scouts learn about the World War II disaster. Pilings from the pier destroyed in the explosion extend into Suisun Bay.
Credit:
National Park Service
IMAGE DESCRIPTION:
Description text here
In this contempary color photo, three young uniformed men are standing with their backs to the camera looking down at a sepia-toned wayside exhibit panel at Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial. At least two of the men appear to be Caucasian, with the other of unknown ethnicity. They are wearing black shoes and are dressed in Sea Scout military dress uniforms, consisting of dark blue or black pants and a dress jacket that includes a separate fabric panel extending down the back. Double white stripes forming a border around the panel and encircle the wrist cuffs. The bottom corners of the panel appear to be decorated with military pins. The men in the middle and on the right appear to have the number "22" emblasoned in white on their left shoulders along with some other insignia that indicates their station and rank. The panel and the men are situated on a concrete tile walkway, standing in front of the rock-covered shoreline of the freshwater Suisun Bay. Extending out into the water on both the left and right sides are the remnants of old wooden pilings - all that remains from the original pier before the explosion - surrounded by the brown muddy water of the Delta with a clear blue sky arching overhead.
We strive to make our facilities, services, and programs accessible to all. For more information about our services, please ask a ranger, call, or check on our website.
Address:
Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial
4202 Alhambra Avenue
Martinez, CA 94553
Phone number:
925-228-8860
Website:
www.nps.gov/poch