Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial

Infobox_protected_area | name = Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial
iucn_category = V

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caption =
locator_x = 5
locator_y = 74
location = Concord, California, USA
nearest_city = Oakland, California
lat_degrees = 38
lat_minutes = 3
lat_seconds = 27
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 122
long_minutes = 1
long_seconds = 47
long_direction = W
area =
established = October 28, 1992
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
governing_body = U.S. Navy & National Park Service Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial at the Concord Naval Weapons Station near Concord, California, recognizes the critical role Port Chicago played in World War II by serving as the main facility for the Pacific Theater. It also commemorates the Port Chicago explosion that occurred at the naval magazine which resulted in the largest domestic loss of life during World War II.

On the night of July 17, 1944, residents in the San Francisco area were jolted awake by a massive explosion. At Port Chicago, 320 men were instantly killed when the munition ships they were loading with ammunition and bombs for the Pacific Rim troops mysteriously blew up. Everyone within convert|1000|ft|m of the loading dock perished; Sailors, Marines, Navy Armed Guard, Coast Guardsmen, Merchant Marines, and working civilians. Over 200 of the deaths were young African-American enlisted sailors working for a segregated military. The explosion and its aftermath led to the largest Naval mutiny trial and was one of the catalysts to persuade the U.S. Armed Services to desegregate following the war.

Administrative history

The national memorial, administered by the National Park Service on the grounds of the Naval Station, was authorized by Public Law 102-562 on October 28, 1992. The memorial was dedicated in 1994. The memorial is only open to the public through reserved guided tours. The memorial is administered under Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site.

The Concord Naval Weapons Station is due for closure. The Port Chicago Committee is working toward expanding the current memorial to encompass convert|250|acre|km2 of the former Port Chicago waterfront. The memorial site could include some of the railroad revetments and old boxcars from the 1940s period, as well as the existing memorial chapel, with stained glass windows depicting the World War II operations.

References

* "The National Parks: Index 2001–2003". Washington: U.S. Department of the Interior.

External links

* Official NPS website: [http://www.nps.gov/poch/ Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial]
* [http://www.portchicagomemorial.org/ Port Chicago Committee]