WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 17, 2024) – Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro signed into executive order the exoneration of World War II sailors affected by the Port Chicago Incident July 17, 2024.
This year marked the 80 year anniversary of the Port Chicago incident. On July 17, 1944, 320 personnel were killed and approximately 400 more were injured because of unsafe ammunitions handling. Over two-thirds of these sailors were African-American.
Several weeks later the Navy ordered the remaining sailors of color to load ammunition at nearby Naval Ammunition Depot at Mare Island, California, without assurance that there would be new safety practices. When they refused, 50 of them were court martialed.
“Then, as now, every Sailor serving at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine had chosen to serve—and the U.S. Navy had an obligation to keep them safe,” said Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro.
When America was brought into World War II on 7 December 1941, the Naval Ammunition Depot at Mare Island, California, was unable to keep up with the demand for ammunition. Port Chicago, located 35 miles north of San Francisco, proved an ideal place for the Navy to expand its munitions facilities.
The demand for speed and mass production of this ammunition out weighed safe practices, proper handling, and training. Officers were given incentives to speed up the production of these materials.
During World War II, the Navy was still highly segregated. Sailors of color were not allowed to have more than a few subsets of jobs and comate roles within the Navy. As a result, African- American Navy personnel made up the majority of units assigned to the dangerous work at Port Chicago.
Reflecting the racial segregation of the day, the officers of these units were white. The officers and men had received some training in cargo handling, but not in loading munitions. Due to tight schedules at the new facility, deviations from safety standards occurred.
Then, on July 17 at 10:18p.m., an munitions being loaded onto S.S. E.A. Bryan exploded, shaking Port Chicago. Instantly, 320 men that were on duty that night were killed. 400 more were injured in the surrounding area. The blast caused damage 48 miles across the bay in San Francisco.
“That horrific explosion was etched in the hearts of a nation already grappling with the horrors of war,” said Secretary Del Toro in remarks given at the 80th Anniversary Commemoration.
Of the 320 men killed in the explosion, 202 were the African American enlisted men who were assigned the dangerous duty of loading the ships. The explosion at Port Chicago accounted for fifteen percent of all African American casualties of World War II.
After the explosion, the Navy would institute several changes in munitions handling procedure. Formalized training would be an important element, and certification would eventually be required before a loader was allowed on the docks. The munitions themselves would be redesigned for safety while loading. But these changes did not come soon enough to prevent this devastating event.
Just weeks following the event, while white officers were given administrative leave, enlisted Black and African American sailors were denied time off, were instructed to clean up debris and human remains, and eventually were ordered to continue the dangerous process of ammunition onloading. Protests ensued.
Of the 328 men of the ordnance battalion, 258 African American sailors refused to load ammunition. In the end, 208 faced summary court-martial and were sentenced to bad conduct discharges and the forfeit of three month's pay for disobeying orders. The remaining 50 were identified as the ringleaders of the protests and faced a general court- martial on the grounds of mutiny. Today, this is where the title “Port Chicago 50” was coined.
Racial discrimination across the United States continued to be a growing topic. The story of the Port Chicago 50 merely fueled public criticism of segregation in the military. By 1945, as the Navy worked toward desegregation, leadership created some mixed units. When President Harry Truman ordered the desegregation of the Armed Forces in 1948, the Navy could honestly say that Port Chicago had been a very important step in that process.
Soon after the war, in January 1946, nearly all of the men were given clemency. On 23 December 1999, President William Clinton pardoned Freddie Meeks, one of the few still living members of the original 50.
Two weeks ago, on the 80-year anniversary, Secretary Del Toro signed the order exonerating all remaining Sailors court-martialed for mutiny and disobeying orders at Port Chicago, bringing this 80-year battle to an end.
“Let the Port Chicago story serve as a permanent reminder of the power of collective action, the importance of historical truth, and the enduring promise of a more just America,” said Secretary Del Toro.
The men of Port Chicago were vital to the success of the war. And yet they are too often forgotten. May we recognize those who served and who gave their lives serving at Port Chicago – and remember the bravery they showed in standing up for their fellow Sailors and a safe workplace, even in the face of injustice.
| Date Taken: | 07.17.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.30.2024 12:24 |
| Story ID: | 477346 |
| Location: | WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US |
| Web Views: | 100 |
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