PORT CHICAGO, Calif. (KGO) — The community commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Port Chicago explosion.
The event is especially notable this year because it comes days after the exoneration of the Port Chicago 50.
The Port Chicago incident was one of the largest World War two military disasters. 320 men died when munitions exploded.
Video in the media player is from a previous story
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It started a wave of servicemen refusing to load munitions. 50 men were convicted of mutiny, and served time in prison.
“and a learning what did these heroes, what did these courageous war heroes, what did they do to bring us to where we are today?,” said Yulie Padmore, Executive Director of Port Chicago Alliance.
MORE: Anniversary marks 75 years since Port Chicago disaster
Seventy-five years ago next week, a quiet naval weapons loading post in the East Bay all but disappeared in a huge fireball, taking hundreds of sailors with it.
The commemoration began at 10:30 a.m. ABC7’s Cornell Barnard will have more on this story on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
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