The Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial is a memorial dedicated in 1994 honoring the dead of the Port Chicago tragedy, and the vital role Port Chicago, California played during the Second World War in serving as the key facility for the Pacific Theater of Operations. The memorial is located in the United States, at Concord Naval Weapons Station in Concord, California.
The Port Chicago tragedy of 1944 occurred at the naval magazine and resulted in the largest loss of life in the home during World War II. On 17 July 1944, 320 sailors and civilians were immediately killed when ships loaded with ammunition and bombs exploded. Most of the deaths have been African American sailors serving for the racially segregated army. The explosion and its aftermath contributed to U.S. history's greatest Naval mutiny, and it and the resulting trial were significant catalysts for the U.S. Navy to break up after the war.
History
On 28 October 1992, Public Law 102-562 approved the National Memorial, operated by the National Park Service. The memorial was dedicated in 1994 and is located on the grounds of Concord Military Ocean Terminal (MOTCO), formerly the Concord Naval Weapons Station's Tidal Zone. The memorial is open to the public through reserved guided tours only. On 28 October 2009 the Memorial became the National Park System's official entity.
Plans
The Committee of Port Chicago is planning to extend the new memorial to include 250 acres (1.0 km2) of the former waterfront of Port Chicago. The memorial site may include some of the 1940s railroad revetments and old boxcars, as well as the current memorial chapel, with stained-glass windows depicting the operations of World War II.
The National Memorial in Port Chicago Naval Magazine is a strong place with essential stories to tell — stories evocative of the past and resonant to the future. Around the same time, it was built in 2009 and is a young park which still defies classification in some ways. The full story of the tragedy and aftermath in Port Chicago includes a variety of other locations beyond the definition of the park. Those include locations at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, California, where sailors participated in post-disaster work stoppage and were incarcerated shortly afterwards, the now-closed inland location where explosives were stored after the blast, as well as the site on Treasure Island where 50 of the sailors were court-martialed for mutiny.
This amazing attraction is located near the following must-see sights in Concord, California:
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Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Concord
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Mount Diablo State Park
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Briones Regional Park
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Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve
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The Ruth Bancroft Garden & Nursery
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Heather Farm Park
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Pixieland Amusement Park
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Iron Horse Regional Trail
All of these wonderful attractions are located just a short distance from our location at 1261 Locust Street in Walnut Creek, California!
