Concord in Contra Costa County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Dangerous Work

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 17, 2019

1. Dangerous Work Marker

Inscription. July 17, 1944 was a typical day at Port Chicago Naval Magazine. Men of the Merchant Marine and the U.S. Navy Armed Guard prepared the empty, brand new SS Quinault Victory for loading on one side of the pier and prepared the nearly full SS E.A. Bryan , across the pier, for the next day's voyage. Meanwhile hundreds of US Navy stevedores worked around the clock to fill the Bryan's five cargo holds with 175 kinds of ammunition - everything from bullets to 2,000 pound artillery shells.
These enlisted men received little training and no classes in handling of explosives.
While professional longshoremen at Mare Island loaded 8.7 tons per cargo hold per hour, the enlisted men here averaged 8.3 tons, But the admiral of the 12th Naval District insisted on 10 tons per hour: his officers raced their crews against each other, and bet on them, in an effort to boost their rate.
At 10:00 p.m. the loading of the Bryan was nearly done. More than 4,600 tons of shells and bombs filled the Bryan's five holds and her last 400 tons of explosives sat on the dock. Then something went terribly wrong.

Erected 2019 by National Park Service,

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U.S. Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Disasters • War, World II. A significant historical date for this entry is July 17, 1944.

Location. 38° 3.45′ N, 122° 1.795′ W. Marker is in Concord, California, in Contra Costa County. It is on Port Chicago Highway. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5110, Concord CA 94520, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in California’s San Francisco Bay Area

and on the Coast Ranges.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial (a few steps from this marker); Port Chicago Naval Magazine (within shouting distance of this marker); (Port Chicago) Disaster (within shouting

Dangerous Work</i> Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 17, 2019

2. Dangerous Work Marker

distance of this marker); The Only Train Stop in Clyde (approx. 2.4 miles away); De Anza Expedition 1775-1776 (approx. 4.3 miles away); Don Fernando Pacheco Adobe (approx. 4.3 miles away); A Window into the Past (approx. 4.3 miles away); From an Accident to a Preserve (approx. 4.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Concord.

Other markers no longer nearby. Port Chicago (was a few steps from this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Disaster (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

Regarding Dangerous Work. Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial is on the grounds of Military Ocean Terminal Concord. Access is restricted.

Also see . . . One of the last Port Chicago Survivors tells harrowing story of blast -- NBC Bay Area. A television video story of the Port Chicago Disaster, (Submitted on July 18, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

Additional keywords. Dangerous Work

What is left of Pier One image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 17, 2019

3. What is left of Pier One

Credits. This page was last revised on July 20, 2019. It was originally submitted on July 18, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 401 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 18, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.