[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 107 (Thursday, July 16, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S7651]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. BOXER:
  S. 1469. A bill to provide for the administration of Port Chicago 
Naval Magazine National Memorial as a unit of the National Park System, 
and for other purposes; to the Committee on Armed Services.
  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, the Port Chicago Naval Magazine National 
Memorial Enhancement Act of 2009 would help increase visitor access to 
the Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial on the former Concord 
Naval Weapons Station and ensure the long-term preservation of this 
important World War II site. The legislation is strongly supported by 
the National Park Service, a coalition of more than 37 civil rights 
organizations in California, the National Parks Conservation 
Association, and the Friends of Port Chicago.
  The Port Chicago Memorial marks the location of an explosion 65 years 
ago this week that killed and wounded numerous African American sailors 
and eventually paved the way for racial desegregation of the Armed 
Forces.
  On the night of July 17, 1944, as sailors were loading ammunition at 
the Port Chicago Naval Magazine, a terrible explosion occurred. More 
than 5,000 tons of ammunition ignited, sending a blast more than 12,000 
feet into the sky. The explosion killed 320 sailors, wounded hundreds 
more, and destroyed the surrounding town of Port Chicago. Less than a 
month after the explosion, survivors were ordered to resume work at a 
new site. Most survivors refused, citing the need for improved 
supervision, training, and working conditions to prevent another 
disaster. In response, the Navy charged 50 men with conspiring to 
mutiny, and all were convicted. The majority of men killed in the 
explosion and all those convicted of mutiny were African-American.
  Following the conviction, future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood 
Marshall, who at the time was a lawyer with the National Association 
for the Advancement of Colored People, took up the case. Roughly a year 
later, the Navy began moving towards racial desegregation, and in 1948, 
President Truman issued an Executive Order desegregating all of the 
Armed Forces and guaranteeing ``equality of treatment and opportunity 
for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, 
religion, or national origin.''
  In 1992, Congress authorized the creation of a National Memorial at 
Port Chicago. However, under its current authorities, the National Park 
Service still has limited ability to provide visitor access to the 
Memorial or to assist with the site's preservation. My bill authorizes 
the Interior Department to work with the City of Concord and the East 
Bay Regional Park District to operate a visitor's center for the 
Memorial, allowing veterans, students, and other visitors to learn more 
about the events that transpired at Port Chicago. The bill also 
designates the Memorial as a unit of the National Park System, allowing 
the Park Service to become more actively involved in its preservation.
  The bill specifically states that as much public access as possible 
will be provided ``without interfering with military needs,'' meaning 
that the timing and extent of public visitation will be adapted to 
accommodate military activities when they occur near the Memorial.
  Eventually, when the Secretary of Defense determines that the land is 
excess to military needs, the bill authorizes the Secretaries of 
Defense and Interior to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding 
leading to the transfer of the Memorial to the National Park Service.
  The Port Chicago National Memorial ensures that the stories of those 
who served and died at Port Chicago will not be forgotten. By enabling 
visitors to come to this site, future generations can continue to honor 
and learn from these brave sailors who selflessly served our Nation and 
who fought to overcome the barriers of racial segregation.

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