The Port Chicago Disaster: 75 Years Later
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- Опубликовано: 16 июл 2019
- The massive explosion on July 17, 1944, at the little-known Bay Area Navy base named Port Chicago, might not even register on the history radar for most people. But for William Ross, 92, the disaster is still as close as a cup of coffee.
As the 75th anniversary rolls around this July, Ross is one of the few survivors left to tell the tale of that tragic day - a story that illuminated the mass racial disparity in the military of the time - a colossal tragedy compounded by its aftermath.
Full story here: bit.ly/2YWhgcX
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Mr. William Ross, the Navy sailor who shared his recollections about the Port Chicago Disaster in this short video, sadly passed away on November 17, 2021, at the age of 95. Thank you, Mr. Ross for your service to this country and for your contributions to this historical retelling of a long-forgotten piece of American history. Peace be with you.
Amen. Thanks for sharing this Important Information
Well put and thank you, sir.
Grew up in the Bay and never knew about it until now. Should have been taught in schools
I grew up in San Rafael, graduated HS in 76'. We were taught about this in grade school
It was taught. You just didn’t pay attention
I don’t know which is more outrageous: the incident itself, or that even to this day, there has been no kind of pardon except for Mr. Meeks or any kind of absolution for those sailors. As a former Navy sailor myself and a proud black man, I have to wonder if I still would have enlisted had I known this. I didn’t even learn about this until I had been out for 15 years.
Been out of the Navy for 8 years myself and just found out about this yesterday. I too wonder if I'd change my mind about joing if I'd known earlier...
You both have probably hit on the point as to why the Navy has gone to great lengths to quiet this story over the years. It should be a well-known event.
I just worked there and saw the memorial. I was surprised to hear of this disaster. I thought I knew of all great disasters, but this one has been shamefully suppressed.
Thank you for sharing, I read about this years ago, very messed up how the black soldiers were treated since they didn't have any training at all
How has it been "shamefully suppressed"? If you watched the video you saw that it was in the newspapers, etc.
And I will add that I don't understand how anyone can say it "wasn't a mutiny". It certainly was.
@Laika24102007 Are you on drugs? When you come down trying writing something that is remotely close to making sense
and consists in something more than falsehoods pulled from your butt.
And, no, nothing was "shamefully suppressed", and these soldiers were no more slaves than other troops, e.g. the (white) sailors killed in the explosion of the USS Mount Hood.
@Laika24102007 I bet you've heard even less about the uss MT Hood. But you don't hear their families crying...... Yes things were segregated and my grandfather on my mother's side who was black was VERY grateful they were especially when talking to my dad's dad at Christmas etc who was shot down in the Pacific and became a pow.Because he knew the hell that he had to go through and was damn glad he wasn't on the front lines. So stop looking for victims and get on with life.
@@gandydancer9710 ok 75 years later we are now talking about it ? Come on you can’t comprehend that sentence ? I’ve lived here all my life and I didn’t even know about it until my husband started working there so don’t say it wasn’t suppressed . Also what’s not mentioned was The white officers were forcing the African-American officers to race each other to see who can get the most loaded two companies were going against each other to see who can load the fastest how dangerous is that ? That’s called suppressing information!
My husband was stationed at CNWS in 1988. I myself didn’t know about the disaster till he told me and I’ve lived here all my life !! My husband was from Massachusetts for god sakes !! I asked my Grandmother about her experience at that time and all she said was the windows in her house located 15 miles from the blast blew in and then went back while some did shatter.
I feel shame that somehow this seemed to be kept under wraps. For years Nothing marking the incident till 75 years later. While the memorial was being erected my husband would watch when he could . He asked to be at the memorial and be apart of it the day the many notable politicians that I can’t remember were there . I was proud to see my husband stand at attention honoring those young men that died that day and didn’t need to.
It was brutal, what is not explained in this story is that,that day 2 different companies were in a race to see who can load the most munitions . I can’t remember what the reward was but the white officers gave the call to move faster to these black young men my god they just did as they were ordered to do. They felt duty to their country and did as told. We see the outcome because of this. It was dangerous but those officers gave no care to mind over just how dangerous this was . My husband worked that base for over 30 years as a Naval officer 1st class and then later as a Federal Officer for what’s now called MOTCO military Ocean terminal Concord now run by the Army thru Seal beach in Southern California. He knew that base like the back of his own hand.Every time as he would come up for enlistment he would choose the memorial for that to take place. He passed on April of 2021 . I will always remember the pride he had standing there at attention for those young men that day .
After studying this story in-depth, I have not been able to determine 1) why the court martial was authorized on Friday, July 14th, three days before the blast, and 2) why there has been so little discussion of the documented link to the Manhattan Project and the fact that data from the Port Chicago explosion was used to help create the atomic bomb.
many Thank You’s for sharing your story.
reading this gave me hope. thank you.
I served in the Navy and didn't know anything about this.
you know nothing yet.. they were split into teams and forced to race and load for bets, that is why the explosion happened, when the survivors refused to continue they were sent to jail.. I have sooo much to tell you about this wicked Satanist system.... just find me on FB, I have a bald head and suit on, I understand if you bail out
Ps I have the full CBS report, I can find almost anything
@@BluesHiroshima OMG they deserve at least 500,000 or more.. This system is soooooo evil.
Many thanks Bruce, further confirmation of what this world is about. yes... this part right here...… The Navy asked Congress to give each victim's family $5,000. Representative John E. Rankin (D-MS) insisted the amount be reduced to $2,000 when he learned most of the dead were black men.[45] Congress settled on $3,000 in compensation.[43] Years later, on March 4, 1949, the heirs of eighteen merchant seamen killed in the explosion were granted a total of $390,000 after gaining approval of their consent decrees in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.[46]The Government announced on August 23, 1951, that it had settled the last in a series of lawsuits relating to the disaster, when it awarded Mrs. Sirvat Arsenian of Fresno, California, $9,700 for the death of her 26-year-old son, a merchant marine crewman killed in the blast. She had sought $50,000.[47]
@@BluesHiroshima Truth, in an ideal world. This case was mentioned on the unsolved mysteries show.. it is more descriptive than most other reports.. it kicks in around 9:00 on the time bar ruclips.net/video/yA-iIzTe4PU/видео.html
Thanks for posted this video. I do remember hearing something about this but not enough to know what happened.
Wow! Thank you for sharing 😢
I was stationed there, our home port 1984-87. There was still road signs in the middle of the fields there. Kind of desolate area then and probably still is.
I was there also in 1984. I was in the Quebec Area, guarding you know what if you were there too. You didn't by chance work with me, did you?
Thank you for this documentary.
My dad served at this port. He ever spoke of it although I asked him about it when I learned he was stationed there. He is now deceased but I learned of his time in the Navy through his service record. He was sent to Fort Seel in southern CA after the explosion. What horror to have witnessed and the injustice of being forced to work under these conditions. However
because of their sacrifice and the subsequent investigation, the Navy was the first of the Armed Services to de-segregate.
Correction... He never spoke of it...
My father was an employee at the Alameda navel Base at that same time. He said the the ground dropped and came back up. He stated that most of them were black and the navy did not support them.
2K C - Your dad got it right, but DON'T tell the wonderful U.S. Navy . . . . .
The ground dropped? Can you say more about that?
3 of the 50 charged weren't even fit for the duty in the first place. One was a permanent cook due to being too small (100 pounds), another was a permanent cook due to having psychotic breakdowns, and another had a broken arm. They were all charged together for not just mutiny but conspiracy to mutiny despite not having conspired ahead of time. Civil rights leaders at the time tried to get them better representation in appeals, but even then the judges were plainly not impartial and already made up.
Presidents can pardon their criminal friends. But these men and their families can not be treated with some dignity and respect after all these years? Disgusting.
Come on People in the Bay Area need to wake up. When I was little passing that Exit approaching 4, I always wonder what about "Port Chicago". My Intuitive told me something. I knew in my Heart. God Bless these men, Ancestors. Ase.
I worked next to a fellow that was in the navy stationed at Port Chicago when the A.E. Bryant exploded - he lost hearing in one ear, sight in one eye and was covered in scars on his right side that was near a window.
My maternal grandfather was one of the 50
Great documentary! But where are the subtitles?
My grand father❤
I served on USS Kiska (AE-35) from 1991-1995 and my home port was in Concord, California and that's where Port Chicago is located. Even though we were hardly there, but i remember when seeing some road sign and stop sign in the middle of the field. The enlisted club had an anchor in the front (most Navy enlisted clubs everywhere do have an anchor in the front ) and i was told that that's where the anchor landed after the explosion.
I was on the Kiska from 79-81, and I remember going up-river from Vallejo to take-on or off-load ammo. I remember seeing the markers for the disaster, and, being on an ammo-ship, it makes one pause.
I was on the Flint AE-32 84-88. Concord sucked. Especially if you did not have a car.
My dad was hauling a full truck load of Nitroglycerin and was waiting at the front gate when this blew!
The guard house flew away along with the guard and my dad's windshield cracked and fell in.
Actually pretty crazy on the handling back in those days, and this particular incident happened only two months after another poor handling of ordnance caused massive explosion(s). I’m talking about the one in west loch, Pearl Harbor. Death toll was much less in comparison; 163. The incident itself was classified until the 1960s. One of the sunken hulls is still there; LST 480. The other five that were sunk got raised, towed and dumped out to sea.
There is more than one Port Chicago disaster. This is the one I remember because I was stationed at this base when it was in operation, back in the 80's (Navel Weapons Station Concord). I use to drive by this dock frequently and heard a very tiny amount about what actually happened there. The totally left out the racial element. I didn't hear about that part until 30-years later. When I chose this base over Alameda (in Oakland, CA), the only thing that I knew about California was the CHiP's TV show. I thought that I was going to see bikini clad women on every corner and parties out the wazoo. I should have chosen Alameda because just as the video says, this place was brown grass and cow fields. Hell, I saw plenty of that in Kentucky while growing up.
Ironically, I was watching the OTHER Port Chicago disaster documentary and was wondering why they kept claiming that the incident happened somewhere else. That's when I found out that I was watch THE OTHER Port Chicago disaster documentary. I guess they don't name ports after Chicago anymore. Nothing good seems to come from that title.
Wow. This is so deep I wonder if this man is still alive I would love to talk to him and tell him how much things have changed. I’m currently working at Port Chicago rebuilding one of the Piers right next to the accident. I feel so privileged to be a young black crane operator working in this project knowing how it was back then.
He passed away in 2021
It has always broke my heart to hear about what happened at Port Chicago. I actually have a bit of history with the location. I was stationed aboard the second USS Mt Hood AE26, (named after the USS Mt Hood AE11 ammo ship that blew up during WWII)
We were homeported at Port Chicago, but only went there to actively load ammunition. Most of the time we were moored at other Bay area bases, Mare Island, Alameda, and NSC Oakland (All gone now, I believe?). Lore of the Port Chicago incident was told, but it was years later that I learned of the true magnitude of what happened there.
The only positive thing that possibly came out of the incident, was that weapons handling procedures were greatly improved afterward.
Mark Roberts , quit high school and joined the Navy at 17 out of Chicago, 7/71. Plank owner USS Shasta AE-33, GMG3 and the Port of Chicago was my State side Homeport. Fought the Vietnam War out of their place and also SUBIC Bay, PI. I’m white, 66 and lived to tell the tale.
Well, another outcome some report is that the incident helped lead to the integration of the military. One far-reaching but little recognized outcome is that the ordnance division of the Manhattan Project -- the team that was working to develop the atomic bomb -- was finally able to get the data they needed to estimate the damages they could expect from the unprecedented weapon.
Wow. Port Chicago is now called Pittsburg And, Or Baypoint now. I’m born and raised in what I know as Pittsburg, Ca. The theater shown still stands till this day! I’m disappointed that we were not taught about in school.
Pittsburg and Baypoint are near Port Chicago it was my hometown until the 1969 when the government claimed eminent domain in 1965. As far as I know Port Chicago is still known as the Port Chicago Naval Weapons Station
@@gwenbennett783 it's actually called Concord naval weapon station. It's abandoned now but the road is called Port Chicago Hwy.
Wow
I grew up in San Rafael, graduated HS in 76'. We were taught about this in grade school
My father told me we lived there..that he worked a different shift than the one that exploded...that I was 2 years old and nearly killed...many years later, after my father had passed, his brother my uncle told me that we were not there...no one left to say if it was true or not
My father was a blocker bracers there for 25 years during and after Vietnam
What a touching and tragic piece of American History. Even after all these years have gone by the Navy still clings to their off color version of history. Obviously the dangers were real and the handling practices grossly unsafe. No one in their right mind would want to load the ammunition in that manner, especially after a massive explosion witnessed first hand. The 50 chosen randomly to be court marshalled must be exonerated, it is the only right thing to do. Thank you for sharing this story.
We love you Ray!😘💔💔
I was on the USS America in the 1980's. When we bombed Libya the entire hanger bay was loaded with munitions at dark. In the morning...all gone. It's an interesting feeling walking through all that ordnance.
When in the eighties were you on it?
When Libya was bombed...
In this video , At Time stamp 1:41 The White Captain in front, was his last name Sturgell..?
I can recall my father telling me about this when his ship came in and they had to load munitions themselves after the sailors there had refused to do it. He had escaped death a few times and was not at all sympathetic since they also had no training. This was a month after 5,000 soldiers died at Normandy when stepping off those first boats was basically a death sentence. A little more perspective in this documentary would have been better.
That train goes right through the refinery
The worlds first nuclear test
why do you say that?
Stories about black people are always forgotten & pushed to the side....Not Anymore. U.S. government needs to properly honor this group of strong black Navy Men for thier bravery.
Moral of the story, don't put too many incompetent low scoring people in one spot to do an important job. Gotta mix them in with the higher educated individuals to keep them inline.
& history will always show you who the devils are
There’s another amazing book called The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights
by Steve Sheinkin and due to the Coronavirus, I’m reading it aloud online with his permission. Thanks for the video. Well done and I’d like to link to it if that’s okay. Yes?
I would like the link! :)
Shannon Chin-You want the link to my reading?
@@BikeGoddessBikes Yes please.
Thanks!
@@BikeGoddessBikes Yes please
Sorry this took so long. I was hoping to read another chapter this weekend and post it but I got busy doing the school new segment. Here’s Chp 1-2, ruclips.net/video/HsyBcu22_Wk/видео.html
In navalese/navy speak isn't killing a fellow serviceperson mutiny?
Why would they put these men through this??? They have already been through so much & probably had PTSD from the event. Why would they put them back in that situation again? That's right they don't care about black soldiers... Glad they tried to fight. Very sad they got prison time for trying to defend themselves
Wow this Happened in My Home Town Chicago in 1944 I wasn't even Born yet This was Way Before My Time
This was not Chicago, it was in California a town called Port Chicago.
This took place in Port Chicago, California, not Chicago, Illinois.
The commanding officer of the Port Chicago was the commanding Admiral of the Naval Cruiser force that was riddled with torpedoes and gunfire at the Battle of Tassafaranga. It was second-most lopsided surface ship defeat in the 2nd World War Naval History, his force of 5Cruisers and 7Destroyers were savaged by 8 IJN Destroyers. He was immediately reassigned to Washington and eventually to Port Chicago, Calif. to ever greater fame. His racist disrespect of Japanese military prowess preceded his disrespect for safety and for the naval Stevedores at Port Chicago. He used them as scapegoats. He belongs on the list of 2nd World War worst commanding officers. Admiral Carleton Wright.
The first atomic bomb was tested on Americans. It was in a boxcar on the dock. Declassified files from the manhattan project reviewed it. There was a pbs documentary. When they described the trinity blast they described the fireball as the same as port chicago.
Nah.....
It always astonishes me how far some people took racism back in the day, they literally picked only black sailors to do the most dangerous possible job on US soil. Not to mention that the charge of mutiny is ONLY possible on a ship since it's defined as overthrowing the captain and taking charge of a ship, they were only guilty of insubordination.
this has nothing to do with racism, umm white people loaded ammo at other ports around america, these people just werent trained properly what it comes down to.
@@billybobbob3003 No blacks were even allowed to have houses nor establishment of business in port Chicago. The blacks were working under immense pressure to load those ships. So yeah, it was all about racial profiling. And that's Murica till to date. What a shame!
@@stillmiketheone no its just they're fucking stupid sorry.
UCMJ Article 94, Mutiny or Sedition has no restrictions with regard to being on a ship or not.
It looks like an Atomic bomb went off... no, wait... Atomic bomb acctually did went off, or it was intentionaly detonated as an experiment with 320 BALCK sailors.
Yeah and the uss Mt Hood was another a bomb test too 😆
Dammm man
Why do you say so? What is your source of information?
@@daisybrownherndon7570 My source of information were direct evidences of an explosion, statements of witnesses and opinions of experts on explosives.
And also indirect evidences that come from official cover up and their excuses.
THIS EVENT WAS A FIRST TEST OF MINIATURE ATOMIC BOMB THE SIZE OF A SUITCASE.
They intentionally explode it near other standard bombs and explosives cause they knew that the nuclear bomb will evaporize most of things in radious of 3 miles including those bombs and explosives.
And than those bombs and explosives would be used as an excuse.
Also they wanted to see how many people will die around the ship and in that army base and in near Town and THAT IS WHY THIS NUCLEAR BOMB WAS EXPLODED IN ARMY BASE WHERE ONLY BLACK AFRICAN AMERICAN SOLDIERS WERE STATIONED!
@@ninobelov4153 Yes, maybe, but when I say sources, I am asking about what specific books or documents or testimony you can point me to. I have done extensive research into the Port Chicago nuclear explosion theory. There has never been an official investigation. Peter Vogel, an independent scholar, conducted his own 35-year investigation and published his findings in an eBook titled The Last Wave from Port Chicago, but he shut down his website and withdrew that book in December 2018 (for personal reasons, not because he was backing off of the theory.) I believe the allegation is too important to be dismissed as a "mere conspiracy theory" for lack of reliable evidence. That is why I ask about sources, and why I have conducted my own in-depth research into the subject. I have published a couple of articles on MEDIUM, and I am working on some books that go into further detail. Anything you care to share will be greatly appreciated!
It's a good thing they weren't sent into combat if they thought loading ammunition was dangerous. There wouldn't have been any CMH's out of that bunch.
The video literally talks about a deadly explosion claiming lives of hundreds…does that not prove the job to be dangerous?
@@vancethompson3858 Humans have been killed doing every job we've ever done. People have even died from hitting their head on the headboard when going bed at night.
When was the last time you said "I took a dangerous shower and then risked my life by getting in bed"? If you haven't, you should probably start because thousands have died getting in and out of the shower.
@@ALRIGHTYTHEN. taking a shower and being tasked with loading literal missiles and high explosives are two very different things.
@@vancethompson3858 You are absolutely correct. People die getting into and out of the shower much more frequently than people die loading ammunition onto ships.
@@ALRIGHTYTHEN. well I mean there’s a reason for that. There are more ppl that shower vs the amount of ppl that load explosive ammunition. Anyways my response wasn’t negating tht showering or regular tasks aren’t dangerous. I’m just saying that just bcuz these men deemed that their job was dangerous doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be in combat, which seemed to be your initial implication.
The Halifax explosion…
Do some research