This weekend is the 82nd anniversary of the tragic explosion in Port Chicago. On July 17, 1944, 4600 tons on the Liberty Ship E.A. Bryan, and another 400 tons of explosives on the pier all went up in two separate blasts, which were 7 seconds apart. The explosion is recorded as one of the largest man-made, non-nuclear explosions in history. This explosion accounts for 15% of all African-American casualties in World War II. 320 men were killed, and another 390 were injured. Please watch the video below for more information on the blast.
July 17th ?
So this is a day late… well, not as bad as if it were the Juneteenth news I suppose.
Yes, yesterday was a busy day with the fire, so we wanted to give it the attention it deserves.
I lived in an old house on Chestnut Avenue and the owner told me that all the windows on the north side of the house were shattered by the Port Chicago explosion.
As a second generation Contra Costan it has always been interesting to compare experiences of our parents with other long time Contra Costa families, with the question:”Where were Your parents and Grand Parents when Port Chicago exploded?”