The Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial is a memorial dedicated in 1994 recognizing the dead of the Port Chicago disaster, and the critical role played by Port Chicago, California during World War II, in serving as the main facility for the Pacific Theater of Operations. The

national memorial National memorial or National Memorial may refer to: * National Memorial (Thailand) * National memorial (United States) *National Martyrs' Memorial, in Bangladesh * National Memorial of the Republic of Belarus See also *Memorial (disambiguation) ...

is located at the Concord Naval Weapons Station near Concord, California, in the United States. The 1944 Port Chicago disaster occurred at the naval

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

and resulted in the largest domestic loss of life during World War II. 320 sailors and civilians were instantly killed on July 17, 1944, when the ships they were loading with ammunition and bombs exploded. The majority of the deaths were African American sailors working for the racially segregated military. The explosion and its aftermath led to the largest Naval

mutiny Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military, of a crew or of a crew of pirates) to oppose, change, or overthrow an organization to which they were previously loyal. The term is commonly used for a rebellion among member ...

in US history, and it and the subsequent trial became major catalysts for the United States Navy to desegregate following the war.

History

The

, administered by the National Park Service, was authorized by on October 28, 1992. The memorial was dedicated in 1994 and is located on the grounds of the Military Ocean Terminal Concord (MOTCO), formerly the Tidal Area of the Concord Naval Weapons Station. The memorial is only open to the public through reserved guided tours. On October 28, 2009, the Memorial became an official unit of the National Park System.

Plans

The Port Chicago Committee is working toward expanding the current memorial to encompass 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. * ''Press Release''
Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial Becomes 392nd Unit of National Park System

External links

* Official NPS website
Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial

Port Chicago Committee
{{authority control African-American history in the San Francisco Bay Area Buildings and structures in Concord, California National Memorials of the United States United States Navy World War II memorials in the United States Protected areas established in 1992 National Park Service areas in California Labor monuments and memorials Monuments and memorials in California Protected areas of Contra Costa County, California Military in the San Francisco Bay Area Tourist attractions in Contra Costa County, California Monuments and memorials on the National Register of Historic Places in California 1992 establishments in California