The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINS) was the first United States Navy shipyard established on the Pacific Coast. Solano County is a County located in Bay-Delta region of the U California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships These can be Yachts military It is located at 38. 10 N, 122. 27 W, in Solano County, California, and approximately 25 miles northeast of San Francisco. Solano County is a County located in Bay-Delta region of the U California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city The Napa River (Mare Island Strait) separates the peninsula shipyard (Mare Island, California) from the city of Vallejo, California. The Napa River, approximately 55 miles (89 km long is a River in the U The Mare Island Strait is a channel at in the San Francisco Bay separating Mare Island and the mainland in Vallejo California in Solano County Mare Island is a Peninsula alongside the city of Vallejo California, about northeast of San Francisco. Vallejo (vəˈleɪoʊ or /vəˈleɪhoʊ/ in English /baˈjeho/ in the original Spanish) is the largest city in Solano County MINS made a name for itself as the premier US West Coast submarine port as well as serving as the controlling force in San Francisco Bay Area shipbuilding efforts during World War II. The " West Coast " " Western Seaboard " or " Pacific Seaboard " are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the Western United States The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, or the Bay, is a geographically and ethnically diverse metropolitan region that surrounds the ^[1]

The Mare Island Naval Shipyard, under study for groundwater and topsoil contamination

Beginnings

The Navy purchased the original 956 acres (3. 9 km²) of MINS in 1853 and commenced shipbuilding operations on September 16, 1854 under the command of then-Commander David Farragut, who would later gain fame during the US Civil War Battle of Mobile Bay, when he gave the order, "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" MINS served as a major Pacific Ocean repair station during the late 1800s, handling American as well as Japanese and Russian vessels in the course of duty. Year 1853 ( MDCCCLIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common See also Shipbuilding (song. Shipbuilding is the construction of Ships It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a Events 1400 - Owain Glyndŵr is declared Prince of Wales by his followers Year 1854 ( MDCCCLIV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year Commander is a Military rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service David Glasgow Farragut ( July 5 1801 &ndash August 14 1870) was the first senior or "flag" officer of the United States Navy The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions Mare Island Naval Shipyard also took a commanding role in civil defense and emergency response on the West Coast, dispatching warships to the Pacific Northwest to subdue Native American uprisings. The Pacific Northwest is a region in the northwest of North America (the term refers to the land not the ocean For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. MINS sent ships such as USS Wyoming south to Central America and the Panama Canal to protect US political and commercial interests. Wyoming Panamanian Independence After fitting out at Mare Island Wyoming ran her trials and exercises in San Pablo Bay and San Francisco Bay The Panama Canal is a man-made Canal in Panama which joins the Some of the support, logistics and munition requirements for the Spanish-American War were filled by Mare Island. MINS sent men, materiel and ships to San Francisco in response to the fires following the 1906 earthquake. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city Arctic rescue missions were mounted as necessary. Ordnance manufacturing and storage were two further key missions at MINS for nearly all of its active service, including ordnance used prior to the American Civil War. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South ^[2]

World War I

World War I Yeomanettes at Mare Island Naval Shipyard

MINS made big waves with a major shipbuilding effort during World War I. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Yeoman (F was a rank in the US Naval Reserve in World War I. The first Yeoman (F was Loretta Perfectus Walsh. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All MINS holds a shipbuilding speed record for a destroyer that still stands, launching the USS Ward in just 17½ days in May-June 1918. History Ward was named in honor of Commander James H Ward, USN (1806&ndash1861 the first U ^[3] Mare Island was selected by the Navy for construction of the only US West Coast-built battleship, the USS California, launched in 1919. A battleship is a large heavily armored Warship with a main battery consisting of the largest Calibre of Guns Battleships were History Her keel was laid down on 25 October 1916 by the Mare Island Navy Yard. Noting the power of underwater warfare shown by German U-boats in WWI, the Navy doubled their Pacific-based submarine construction program at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard by founding a submarine program at MINS in the early 1920s. Underwater warfare refers to Combat conducted Underwater such as Actions by Submarines actions and Anti-submarine warfare, i U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word, itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot ( undersea boat) and refers A submarine is a Watercraft that can operate independently below water as distinct from a Submersible that has only limited underwater capability Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF is a United States Navy Shipyard covering 179 acres (0 The 1920s is sometimes referred to as the " Jazz Age " or the " Roaring Twenties " when speaking about the United States and Canada ^[4]

On January 1, 1918, the Marine Detachment of Mare Island won the Rose Bowl, defeating the US Army team fielded by Camp Lewis by a score of 19-7. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Rose Bowl Game is an annual American College football Bowl game, usually played on January 1 ( New Year's Day) at the Rose The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. Fort Lewis is a Census-designated place and United States Army post located in Pierce County Washington, United States. One year later they appeared in the Rose Bowl again, this time losing by a 17-0 score to a Great Lakes Naval Station team that included future football legends George Halas, Paddy Driscoll and Jimmy Conzelman. Naval Station Great Lakes is the United States Navy 's Headquarters Command for training located in North Chicago Illinois. George Stanley Halas Sr ( February 2 1895 &ndash October 31 1983) nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr John Leo "Paddy" Driscoll ( January 11 1895 - June 28 1968) was a Pro Football Hall of Fame Quarterback. James Gleason Dunn, ( Jimmy Conzelman) ( March 6, 1898 - August 5, 1970) was a former professional football player and coach

The AJC Band, from Hamilton Field, plays at a war bond rally held at Mare Island on June 26, 1945. Hamilton Air Force Base was a former United States Air Force base located along the northern shore of San Francisco Bay south of Novato, California War bonds are a type of Savings bond used by combatant nations to help fund a war effort and as a Monetary policy for controlling Inflation from an Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Behind the band, caricatures of Mussolini and Hitler have been crossed out and a fanged Japanese figure is labeled "Tough One To Go"

World War II

During World War II, MINS reached peak capacity for shipbuilding, repair, overhaul, and maintenance of many different kinds of sea-going vessels including both surface combatants and submarines. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Mare Island even received Royal Navy cruisers and destroyers and four Soviet Navy subs for service. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) A cruiser is a large type of Warship, which had its prime period from the late 19th century to the end of the Cold War. In naval terminology a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance Warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, Convoy The Soviet Navy ( Russian: Военно-морской флот СССР Voyenno-morskoy flot SSSR, literally "Naval military forces of the USSR" was ^[5] Following the War, MINS was considered to be one of the primary stations for construction and maintenance of the Navy’s Pacific fleet of submarines, having built seventeen submarines and four submarine tenders by the end of hostilities. The United States Pacific Fleet ( USPACFLT) is a Pacific Ocean Navy theater-level component command of the United States Navy, under the operational control

War bonds

Patriotism and esprit de corps among the workers ran very high. Morale, also known as esprit de corps when discussing the morale of a group is an intangible term used for the capacity of people to maintain Belief in Mare Island's military and civilian workforce raised almost $76M in war bonds; enough to pay for every one of the submarines built at MINS prior to VJ Day. Victory over Japan Day ( V-J Day, also known as Victory in the Pacific Day, or V-P Day) is a name chosen for the day on which the Surrender of More than 300 landing craft were built at Mare Island. ^[6][7]

1950s to 1990s

Aerial photo of southern Mare Island and the shipyard facility

Nuclear submarines

In 1955, Mare Island was awarded the contract to build USS Sargo, the first nuclear submarine laid down at a Pacific base. Operational history Prior to completion Sargo was designated for an Arctic cruise The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions The Sargo was commissioned in 1958. After the Sargo, MINS built seven more nuclear submarines: USS Scamp, USS Halibut, USS Permit, USS Plunger, USS Guitarro, USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS Drum. Operational history 1960s Scamp ’s first four months in the fleet were taken up by advanced trials and training exercises in the Bremerton Washington Operational History Halibut was launched on 9 January 1959 sponsored by Mrs During this time, MINS was also building non-nuclear subs such as two of the three Barracuda-class submarines and the USS Grayback, an early guided missile launcher. USS Grayback (SS/SSG/APSS/LPSS-574, the lead ship of her class of Submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the MINS was often assigned the task of overhaul and/or redesign of submarines built at other shipyards.

Riverine training

In 1969, during the Vietnam War, the US Navy transferred their Brown Water Navy Riverine Training Operations from Coronado, California to Mare Island. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia Brown-water navy is a term that originated in the United States Navy, referring to the small Gunboats and Patrol boats used in rivers Coronado is a city in San Diego County, California, United States. Mare Island is a Peninsula alongside the city of Vallejo California, about northeast of San Francisco. Motorists travelling along Highway 37 from the Vallejo/Fairfield areas to the Bay Area, which passes through Mare Island, could often view US Navy Swift Boats (PCF-Patrol Craft Fast) and PBRs (Patrol Boat River), among other riverine type boats, maneuvering through the sloughs of the currently named Napa-Sonoma State Wildlife Area; which borders the north and west portions of Mare Island. State Route 37 (SR 37 is a State highway in the northern part of the U Fairfield is a city located in the northeastern portion of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California, USA (See East Bay and The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, or the Bay, is a geographically and ethnically diverse metropolitan region that surrounds the Patrol Craft Fast (PCF, also known as Swift Boats, were all aluminum long shallow-draft vessels operated by the Patrol Boat River (also referred to as Riverine and Pibber) or PBR, is the US Navy designation for a type of rigid- hulled Patrol The word slough (in British English ˈslaʊ to rhyme with "cow" in American and Canadian English pronounced /ˈsluː/ "slew" has US Navy Reserve Units may still operate the slough portions of the State Wildlife Area for training purposes, as the navigable waters are considered public property. Public property is Property which is owned by a Government or community as opposed to private property which is owned by non-government parties such as individuals The US Navy Brown Water Riverine Forces deactivated after the Vietnam War, maintaining only the US Naval Reserve PBRs and auxiliary craft at Mare Island, until the 1996 base closure; at which time the Reserve units moved to new facilities in Sacramento, California.

Final nuclear service

1970 saw the launching of USS Drum, the last nuclear submarine built in California. In 1972, the Navy officially ceased building new nuclear submarines at Mare Island, though overhaul of existing vessels continued. The USS Nautilus was decommissioned at Mare Island in 1980, then rigged for towing back to Groton, Connecticut to serve as a museum of naval history. "Underway on nuclear power" Following her commissioning Nautilus remained dockside for further construction and testing Groton is a town located on the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, United States. ^[8]

Base closure

Mare Island Naval Shipyard expanded to over 5,200 acres (21 km²) in its service life and was responsible for construction of over 500 naval vessels and overhauling thousands of other vessels. Though it remained a strong contender for continued operations, MINS was identified for closure during the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process of 1993. Base Realignment and Closure (or BRAC) is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Naval operations ceased and the facility was decommissioned on April 1, 1996. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) The California Conservation Corps, Touro University, and numerous commercial and industrial businesses are currently leasing property aboard the former naval shipyard. The California Conservation Corps, or the CCC, is a department of the Government of California, falling under the state Cabinet -level California Resources Many of these businesses are still served via the California Northern Railroad (CFNR) which maintains rights to operate what was once over 100 miles of track used for transporting ship building supplies on the island. The California Northern Railroad is one of several Class III Short-line railroad companies owned by RailAmerica Inc In May 2000, the Navy completed the transfer of a former housing area called Roosevelt Terrace using an "economic development conveyance"; a method to accelerate the transfer of BRAC facilities back to civilian communities for their economic benefit. The Navy is also transferring property at the shipyard to other government agencies such as Fish and Wildlife Service refuge, a Forest Service office building, an Army Reserve Center, a Coast Guard communications facility, and a Department of Education school. The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. The United States Department of Education (also referred to as ED, for Education Department is a Cabinet -level department of the United States

Notes

References

• Lott, Arnold S. , Lt. Comdr. , U. S. N. A Long Line of Ships: Mare Island's Century of Naval Activity in California. Annapolis: United States Naval Institute, 1954.
• Steffes, James, ENC Retired. Swift Boat Down- The Real Story of the Sinking of PCF-19. (2006); ISBN 1-59926-612-1

See also

• Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park

External links

• Brief history written in 1939
• Recently written history with photos
• Mare Island Navy Yard - 1928. Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park is located in Richmond California, near San Francisco. Elbridge Ayer Burbank pencil sketch. Elbridge Ayer (E A Burbank (born August 10, 1858 in Harvard Illinois, died April 21, 1949 in San Francisco
• National Park Service World War II in the San Francisco Bay Area: Mare Island Naval Shipyard
• Mare Island Historic Park Foundation
• Mare Island Naval Shipyard is at coordinates 38°06′N 122°16′W / 38.10, -122.27 (Mare Island Naval Shipyard)Coordinates: 38°06′N 122°16′W / 38.10, -122.27 (Mare Island Naval Shipyard)