[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 813 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 813

 Recognizing the 60th anniversary of the explosion at the Port Chicago 
(California) Naval Magazine on July 17, 1944, and those who served and 
                   lost their lives in that tragedy.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 30, 2004

 Mr. George Miller of California (for himself, Mr. Payne, Mr. Rangel, 
Mr. Bishop of New York, Mr. Watt, Mr. Wynn, Mr. Lantos, Mr. Filner, Ms. 
    Kilpatrick, Mrs. McCarthy of New York, Mr. Evans, Mrs. Davis of 
California, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Meeks of New York, Ms. Lofgren, Mr. Clay, 
 Ms. Norton, Mr. Clyburn, Mr. Faleomavaega, and Ms. Kaptur) submitted 
the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed 
                                Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing the 60th anniversary of the explosion at the Port Chicago 
(California) Naval Magazine on July 17, 1944, and those who served and 
                   lost their lives in that tragedy.

Whereas the Port Chicago Naval Magazine, located in Port Chicago, California, 
        served as a major munitions shipping facility for the Pacific theatre 
        during World War II;
Whereas on the night of July 17, 1944, enormous explosions of an unknown origin 
        destroyed the entire facility, resulting in the loss of 320 sailors, 
        marines, Coast Guardsmen, Merchant Mariners and others, and the 
        destruction of the town of Port Chicago;
Whereas the Port Chicago disaster caused the largest loss of life within the 
        continental United States during World War II, including 202 black 
        sailors, representing 10 percent of all black sailors who perished 
        during that conflict;
Whereas the Congress created the Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial 
        as an affiliated facility of the National Park Service in 1992;
Whereas public awareness of the Port Chicago tragedy has grown substantially as 
        a result of the attention the Congress has focused on these events, 
        including documentaries, films, musical tributes, and National History 
        Day projects by students across the Nation;
Whereas the Port Chicago disaster and its aftermath played a critical role in 
        raising awareness of discriminatory treatment of racial minorities in 
        the Armed Forces and helped persuade President Harry Truman to issue an 
        order desegregating the Armed Forces in 1948; and
Whereas memorial services for survivors of the explosions and the families of 
        those lost during the disaster are conducted annually at the site by the 
        National Park Service and the United States Navy: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) commemorates the 60th anniversary of the Port Chicago 
        (California) Naval Magazine tragedy; and
            (2) calls upon all Americans to honor the memory of those 
        who served and those who gave their lives at Port Chicago in 
        defense of the United States.
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