Navy acquits 256 black sailors punished after WWII disaster
While the white officers were given special leave after the deadly explosion in 1944, the black sailors were tasked with cleaning up the destroyed base – including removing the human remains of their comrades.
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Civil rights leaders and families of World War II veterans celebrated the long-awaited rehabilitation of 256 black sailors wrongfully convicted after the 1944 Chicago Harbor explosion, a disaster that shone a light on deep-rooted racial disparities in the military.
On July 17, 1944, during World War II, more than 4,600 tons of munitions on a cargo ship detonated at a munitions pier in Port Chicago, California. The explosion killed 320 people, most of them black, and injured about 400. The tremors from the explosion caused extensive damage to buildings in surrounding communities and were felt as far away as Nevada, according to the Naval History and Heritage Command.
While the white officers were given special leave after the devastating explosion, the black sailors were ordered back to work. They were to clean up the destroyed base – including the human remains of their comrades – and resume reloading ammunition.
With no additional safety precautions in place or investigation into the explosion, 258 black sailors refused to handle munitions, the U.S. Navy said. After being threatened with disciplinary action, 208 of them returned to work but were still convicted of insubordination. The remaining sailors, now known as the “Port Chicago 50,” refused to return to work in what the Navy called a mutiny. It sentenced the men to dishonorable discharge, 15 years in prison, a demotion to E-1 and forfeiture of pay.
The sentences were later reduced, but their names were not cleared until Wednesday, the 80th anniversary of the explosion.
“The Port Chicago 50 and the hundreds who stood with them may no longer be with us today, but their story lives on, a testament to the enduring power of courage and the unwavering pursuit of justice,” said Carlos Del Toro, U.S. Secretary of the Navy. “They are a beacon of hope, always reminding us that the fight for what is right can and will prevail, even in the face of overwhelming odds.”
In a statement Wednesday, President Joe Biden praised the acquittals and said the Navy was “righting a historic wrong.”
“Today’s announcement marks the end of a long and arduous journey for these Black sailors and their families who fought for a nation that denied them equal justice under the law,” Biden said. “May we all remember their courage, sacrifice and service to our nation.”
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Community leaders cheered after a years-long effort to clear the sailors’ names and honor their legacies concluded successfully Wednesday. Yulie Padmore, executive director of the Port Chicago Alliance, told USA TODAY the news sent her through a rollercoaster of emotions.
“It’s bittersweet because the sailors are no longer with us,” she said. “But I’m so grateful that their children will have the chance to experience this in their lives.”
Padmore said it was also a day of celebration for the country as it was a place where past wrongs could be righted.
“I think no matter what year it is, there is always a lot to do and a lot to improve. But I think today is a day to celebrate the improvements we have made,” Padmore said.
Jonathan Lee, a practicing attorney who leads the Contra Costa County Bar Association’s Port Chicago Task Force, said the acquittals erased a stain from the men’s legacies after they “cried out for justice for 80 years.” The task force was created in 2022 to advocate for the sailors’ acquittals.
“The Navy’s action today cements the legacy of the Port Chicago 50 as catalysts for the modern civil rights movement,” Lee said. “They served with honor during a time of great danger to our country while facing racial discrimination in every aspect of life, including while serving.”
In conversations with the sailors’ families, Lee told USA TODAY he was still shocked by the deep scars the convictions left decades later.
“The men are all dead, but their families are painfully aware of what the convictions meant to these men and how they affected their lives – and how they, in turn, affected the lives of their families.”
On the evening of July 17, 1944, sailors loaded a cargo ship – the SS EA Bryan – with 4,600 tons of munitions. At 10:18 p.m., a bright flash and the sound of splintering wood filled the air as the munitions detonated, the Naval History and Heritage Command reported. The ship, most of the pier, and all buildings within 1,000 feet disintegrated; another cargo ship docked there broke into pieces and sank in Suisun Bay.
Everyone near the blast site died instantly. Smoke rose two miles into the sky, command said, and the tremors from the detonations caused building damage and shattered windows in surrounding communities. Several private vessels and small boats in Suisun Bay were damaged by falling debris.
In the weeks that followed, the Navy’s Court of Inquiry conducted an investigation. The Naval History and Heritage Command said the court’s report criticized the work of black sailors and used racial stereotypes while raising no concerns about the performance of white officers.
The punishment of black sailors who refused to handle munitions after the explosion sparked an outcry among civil rights activists. Appeals of the verdict led by future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, then chief counsel of the NAACP, and widespread protests led to the release of the Port Chicago 50 from custody in 1946.
But the fight to delete their files did not become a reality until decades later.
Family members of the discharged men can contact the Navy for more information and possible Department of Veterans Affairs benefits. by email to [email protected] or by phone at 703-697-5342.
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