NPT 12 : Port Chicago Naval Magazine as Park

National Parks Traveler Podcast

Eugene Sayles survived the terrible explosion at Port Chicago on the night of July 17, 1944, but many of his colleagues did not. Located near San Francisco California, the Port Chicago Naval Magazine was a place where ordinance was transferred from rail cars to ships during World War II for operations in the Pacific. A small fire led first to a small explosion then 6 seconds later, a massive explosion that was felt up to 500 miles away. The explosion was the largest U.S. home front disaster during World War II, killing 320 men, 202 of whom were African American. The explosion, work stoppage, and subsequent mutiny trial provide insights into the injustice of racial discrimination, the African American experience in the US military, and home front life during the Second World War. These events ultimately led to the desegregation of the armed services in the United States. It is for these reasons that the site is now being considered before Congress as a site to be preserved unimpaired, managed by the National Park Service In this program, we hear from Eugene Sayles, a survivor of the accident; US Congressmen Grijalva and George Miller; Dr Robert Allen, noted book author; and Neal Desai of the National Parks Conservation Association.