Port Chicago Naval Magazine

The Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial is dedicated to the servicemen who died in the Port Chicago disaster of 1944, as well as to the critical role played by Port Chicago, California during World War II. The national memorial is located at the Concord Naval Weapons Station near Concord, California. The Port Chicago disaster was a devastating explosion that occurred at the naval base on July 17, 1944, killing 320 men and injuring 400 more. The disaster was caused by the improper handling of ammunition and explosives, and the resulting blaze was the largest peacetime naval disaster in U.S. history. In the wake of the disaster, the U.S. Navy implemented a series of reforms to improve safety standards, and Port Chicago became a key facility in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II.