Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial Photo courtesy of National Trust for Historic Preservation

Port Chicago Naval Magazine was dedicated as a National Memorial in 1992 to honor the courage and commitment of the Sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, Merchant Mariners, and working civilians killed and injured in the largest homeland disaster during World War II. With roots reaching back to the mid-1800s, Port Chicago is one of the oldest Naval ordnance support bases on the West Coast. In 1942, the 13,000-acre port, located along the Sacramento River Delta in Concord, was annexed by Mare Island Naval Shipyard as an ammunition transshipment facility. Tragically, Port Chicago is best remembered as the site of a catastrophic explosion on July 17, 1944, that took the lives of 320 servicemen, including 202 African Americans. Five thousand tons of munitions being loaded for transport to the Pacific detonated, launching a tower of fire and smoke two miles into the sky.

Revetment and munitions boxcar at Port Chicago Photo courtesy of National Trust for Historic Preservation

Disparate treatment of the survivors only deepened the wounds. Black sailors were ordered to return to work almost immediately while white officers were granted a leave of absence. In protest, 50 African Americans refused to serve under these harsh conditions. They were subsequently court-marshaled and found guilty of mutiny, prompting future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall to declare the proceedings "one of the worst frame-ups we have come across." On December 23, 1999, one of the few surviving convicted mutineers, Freddie Meeks, was granted a full pardon by President William J. Clinton.

Aftermath of explosion at Port Chicago, c. 1944 Histoirc Naval photograph

Visitors to the site can still see the ruins of piers destroyed in the blast, as well as bunkers and revetment and munitions boxcars. The Port Chicago National Memorial edges the Concord shoreline, featuring interpretive panels and a granite monument engraved with the names of those who perished in the explosion.

Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial, administered by the National Park Service, is located on Port Chicago Hwy., off of Hwy. 242 in Concord. Port Chicago remains an active military installation (now the Concord Naval Weapons Station). Tours are available, but visitors are required to contact the National Park Service in advance to gain entry. Due to location of the memorial on the grounds of an active weapons station, even with an appointment, access cannot be guaranteed. Call 925-838-0249 to make an appointment, or visit the memorial's website for further information.