Farragut’s Press NEWSLETTER OF THE MARE ISLAND MUSEUM, 1100 Railroad Ave, Vallejo CA 94592
A 501(c) (3) Charitable Organization
Mare Island and the Bombs
June 2013
join him and many of the other men got leave and went home to see their families. While at Mare Island there was a major turnover in personnel, many of them new sailors and some “90 Day Wonders” (officers) were also assigned to the ship. McVay was more than a little concerned about the inexperience of this crew. Would they be ready when the ship was ready to sail? Work on the ship commenced and while here she received a new port quarter, new radio and radar equipment and new fire control mechanisms. When the repairs were completed she was to be sent out for a week of sea trials to make sure she was ready to return to duty. Meanwhile in another corner of Mare Island Naval Shipyard in an inconspicuous building labeled 627A, another mission was taking place. Mare Island had been chosen by the scientists at Alamogordo to pack the parts for the A-bombs for shipment to Tinian Island. MINSY was selected because of its success in packing cargo for the South Pacific without it being damaged in shipment, but more importantly, without damage from humidity. The A-bomb components 1 2 Field had been flown from New Mexico to Hamilton in Novato, CA, just across San Pablo Bay from MINSY. For that voyage, an irreplaceable part of the shipment was packed in a 15 foot crate and kept under the watchful eyes of two Army officers, Major Robert Furman, an engineer, and Capt. James Nolan, a radiologist, both of whom were identified as “artillery officers.” After off-loading the components were brought to Bldg. 627A. Project Alberta was the code name for the
On 14 February 1945 The USS Indianapolis had just rejoined Adm. Marc A. Mitscher’s fast carrier task force which was planning an attack on Tokyo to cover the invasion of Iwo Jima. After participating in that raid and another on Kyushu, Indianapolis was sent to Okinawa where she spent seven days pouring 8 inch shells onto the beach defenses. American ships were constantly being bombarded and the Indianapolis shot down six planes and damaged two others. But on 31 March her luck ran out and the ship’s lookouts spotted a Japanese fighter headed toward the bridge. The ship immediately began firing, but it was too late. The enemy pilot, before crashing into the water on the port side of the ship, was able to launch his 500 lb. bomb from a height of 25 feet and it went through the deck, into the mess hall, down into the berthing compartment and through the fuel tanks before crashing through the keel and exploding in the water underneath the ship. Two huge holes were torn in the keel and flooded nearby compartments. Nine crewmen lost their lives and 29 were injured. Listing to port she headed to a salvage ship for emergency repairs, but it was discovered that her propeller shafts were damaged, her fuel tanks were leaking and her water distilling equipment was inoperative. She was sent across the Pacific under her own power to Mare Island for more extensive repairs than could be accomplished in the Pacific. She arrived at Mare Island on 1 May 1945. Expecting to be here about four months, Capt, Charles B. McVay, a third-generation Navy man, had his new wife
Photo#19-N-86911, off of Mare Isalnd, 1945 (Navysource.org); Insert: Capt. Charles B. McVay III (c 1945)
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Farragut’s Press Bldg. 627A, MINSY
transporting of the materiel to Tinian Island and it is believed that Mare Island was involved in two parts of this project. One was the Bronx Shipments which were the irreplaceable parts of the bombs and were sent on the Indianapolis. These included a uranium projectile which would be shot from the “gun” at a “target” piece of uranium (flown to Tinian from Wendover Field in Utah) which would create the critical mass and cause the explosion, as well as the fifteen foot crate previously alluded to. The other part of the project was the Bowery Shipments and these were the replaceable parts of the bombs such as special lenses and the “pumpkins.” Pumpkins were high explosive bombs in the exact shape of the Fat Man bombs which were to be used to train the crews and get them used to the ballistics of dropping these bombs. The pumpkins had been designed by the Manhattan Project as non-nuclear replications of Fat Man bombs. (Only one uranium bomb was built because of the difficulty and time required to manufacture enough of the fissile uranium for Little Boy type bombs.) A total of 486 pumpkins were built, some live and some inert. They were used by the crews and bombardiers training at Wendover, as well as the crews flying from Tinian Island who were using live, high explosives versions. 49 were dropped on Japanese cities, one went into the ocean and two were on aborted missions. The Tinian crews had the restriction that they could not drop the high explosive pumpkins on Hiroshima, Nagasaki or any of the other cities which were determined to be possible targets for the actual A-bomb. There is speculation that they were called pumpkins because they were painted a pumpkin orange. However, all existing photos show them painted with the same primer as all other bombs. Items packed as part of the Bowery Shipment were likely shipped out of Port Chicago, a support unit of Mare Island, after they had 2
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been lightered there from MINSY. Eventually Mare Island packed five shipments which went to Tinian by water. The first two batches were critiqued upon arrival at Tinian. A lieutenant was flown 5500 miles from Tinian to San Francisco in order to directly inform the supervisors at Mare Island of the condition of the shipments upon arrival on Tinian. Batches three, four and five were most important, in fact so important, that those first two had been for practice only. Meanwhile the work on the Indianapolis was accelerated by around –the-clock work by shipyard workers. Four months of work were completed in two and half. Capt McVay was told he had one day to complete his shakedown cruise, not a week. For some unknown reason 2500 life jackets were put aboard during re-supply, more than twice the number required. It would later turn out to be a blessing. She sailed out on 14 July and returned on 15 July. On her return McVay was told to report to San Francisco and meet with two officers – Admiral William Purnell and Captain William (Deak) Parsons, the associate director of the Manhattan Project and the man who supervised the shipments from Project Alberta at Mare Island. Parsons briefed McVay that he was carrying a secret cargo and it would have a major impact on the war effort. He said to McVay, “ You will sail at high speed to Tinian where your cargo will be taken off by others. You will not be told what the cargo is, but it is to be guarded even after the life of your vessel. If the ship goes down, save the cargo at all costs, in a lifeboat if necessary. And every day you save on your voyage will cut the length of the war by just that much.” McVay was then sent back to Mare Island to bring his ship to Hunter’s Point Shipyard in San Francisco where the cargo would be loaded. Once again Maj. Furman and Capt. Nolan accompanied the cargo. They thought the ship looked
Pumpkin
Farragut’s Press magnificent, but had not been told that it had long been speculated that her center of gravity was too high and she would capsize almost immediately if she took a clean torpedo hit. Their accommodations were like being on a luxury cruise as they were berthed in the flag lieutenant’s cabin where the bucket, with half the fissile uranium in the US worth $300 million, had been bolted to the floor. The 15 foot long crate, with all the screws countersunk and sealed carefully with red wax so no one could attempt to open it, was lashed to the deck and guarded by a Marine guard at each corner 24 hours a day. The Marines were told it was “live ammunition duty” which meant each of their guns had a live round in it to shoot anyone who tried to tamper with the crate. Speculation among the crew was rampant - some thought it was a secret rocket, others that it was Rita Hayworth’s underwear and still others were betting it was gold bullion to bribe the Japanese to end the war. It actually carried the integral components of Little Boy. Eventually McVay sent for Nolan, who explained to the captain that he was not an artillery officer but a medical officer, and he could assure the captain that cargo did not contain anything that would be dangerous to the crew or the ship. (The “target” uranium was being flown to Tinian and without it there could be no “explosion”) The Indianapolis set sail the morning of 16 July at 0830 with an intermediate stop at Pearl Harbor for refueling. Averaging over 29 knots for the first stage (a record) she got to Hawaii on 19 July. Five hours after arriving she set sail for Tinian 3300 miles away and arrived there on 26 July where her cargo was offloaded. Indianapolis was then ordered to Guam. She arrived on 27 July and received orders to head to Leyte in the Philippines for two weeks of training prior to joining Task Force 95 which would be a major element in the invasion of Japan scheduled for 1 November. Before leaving Guam on 28 July, McVay requested an escort. The request was denied. On 30 July the Indianapolis was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine and would capsize and go under in twelve minutes. Many of those extra lifejackets ended up floating and were used by men in the water. Many men were horribly burned or had broken bones and died within hours of sinking. But the worst was yet to come – within hours sharks appeared and their numbers would increase over the next five days. It is
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believed that sharks killed at least 200 sailors. At Leyte on 1 August, no one noticed that the Indianapolis had not arrived. Had someone noticed - searches would have occurred within a day of the sinking, but no one went looking. On the fourth day, 2 August, just by chance, a Navy pilot on a routine anti-submarine patrol noticed the men in the water. He radioed their position and soon planes arrived. The crews threw out their own life-saving gear to the men in the water and then watched in horror as more sharks arrived and attacked the men. Eventually a PBY Catalina flying boat made an unauthorized landing in the open sea and while receiving information from planes flying overhead was able to pluck 56 sailors, some near death, from the water. They had to wait for surface ships to arrive for medical care and the PBY was eventually sunk as she was unable to fly again. By 3 August, 321 men had been plucked from an area of several hundred miles. Capt. McVay and his group were among the last to be rescued. Four of the men died; there were 317 survivors from a crew of 1196. To add insult to injury, Capt McVay was court-martialed and found guilty for hazarding his ship by failing to zig-zag, though the Japanese submarine commander testified it would have made no difference if he had. His punishment was to lose 100 places in grade, making promotion impossible. He remained in the Navy until 1949, but never again served aboard a ship. Burdened by the death of his wife, the death of his favorite grandson and hate letters from families of crew members who had died, he committed suicide in November 1968 by shooting himself on the front steps of his home in Connecticut. At the first crew reunion his former crewmen told him they wanted to clear his name. His response was “I got what the regulations called for – I got what I deserved.” However, they continued to fight for years to have his record cleared. Finally, in 2000, Congress passed a joint resolution acknowledging the wrongful conviction of Capt McVay. Though the resolution was signed by President Clinton, only the Navy could exonerate him. On 13 July 2001, the Secretary of the Navy, Gordon R. England, took that action. The Navy also awarded a citation to the Indianapolis and her crew for having successfully delivered the A-bomb components to Tinian. Background photo: Survivors of the USS Indianapolis being attended to in Guam
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matches. And then to the first duty station! Nancy commits her first faux pas when she decides to go the beach just before picking up Bill at the dock at four o’clock with her bathing suit covered by a light jacket. Bill is appalled that she is not properly dressed. He quickly explains that officers and their wives must always be dressed to receive visitors between four and six in the afternoon. All the officers and their wives from his ship will call for 20 minute visits during that time. When they arrive they will leave three calling cards, two with the officer’s name and one with his wife’s name. A lady NEVER calls on a gentleman socially, so her card goes only to the wife. Nancy is expected to have an engagement book where she notes who called and on what date. These visits must be repaid within ten days to two weeks. Proper dress for Nancy when she returns the visit with Bill will be a pretty afternoon dress and a becoming hat as well as gloves. White gloves were originally required, but now it is appropriate to wear light gloves or whatever her costume calls for. If a servant answers the door, they give their calling cards to him; if a member of the family answers the calling cards are placed on a card tray near the front door. If no one is at home the cards should be put in an envelope with the officer’s name on it and placed in the mailbox or under the door. The next hurdle for Nancy is visiting her husband’s battleship when he is in the “duty section” and he has invited her to come aboard. Again Nancy should be dressed in a becoming dress with a matching hat. She has been told to report to the boat launch at 4:30 and cautioned never to be late. She should also remember not to call her husband’s vessel a “boat.” Calling a magnificent battleship a “boat” is most painful to the ears of any Navy man.
A New Navy Wife If you happened to marry a young naval officer during World War II or shortly thereafter, you might have received as a wedding present a book entitled, The Navy Wife. If you did not receive it as a gift, you would certainly have received it soon after you reported to the first duty station with your husband, and it would have been absolutely essential that you follow the rules contained therein. To not do so, could jeopardize your husband’s career and certainly would have made you an outcast in the military community. The authors, one of whom was the wife of Vice-Admiral William Pye of WWII renown, decided that a guidebook should be available for Navy wives similar to the one already used by Army wives. Nancy Lee, the imaginary girl to whom she refers all her comments is first advised of how she should behave if she is invited to Annapolis-including who pays for what- usually the girl since the midshipman was paid $2.00 per month as a plebe and $11.00 per month as a First Classman. And she is reminded that she should wear a miniature of her fiancée’s class ring proudly as an engagement ring and not expect a solitaire. A signed copy of her engagement notice should also be sent to all the military periodicals. She should absolutely have no more than two showers and never have a crystal shower or kitchen shower because she would be leading the life of a gypsy and one did not want to have to pack and unpack unnecessary items. The author then advises the bride how many items of clothing she needs to have as she starts life as a Navy wife and what foodstuffs she should have for her pantry including such minutiae as toothpicks and
Preserving the history of Mare Island
Mare Island Museum Hours 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. Weekdays 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. First and Third Weekends Tel: (707) 557-4646 Shipyard tours by appointment, please call: (707) 664-4746 or (707) 280-5742
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Farragut’s Press The ride is short and quite pleasant and then she sees the “monster” to which he is assigned. Battleships (in those days) were considered the backbone of the fleet and designed to fight any vessel anywhere. There is much tossing back and forth as she tries to transfer from the small boat to the ship, but eventually she is safely on the ladder and at the top of the gangway, Bill impeccable in his whites, as handsome as she has ever seen him, waits to meet Nancy. He greets her in a very cold, businesslike and military manner and offers to show her about the ship. He later tells her that when he is on duty he must always act in a manner that shows respect for the uniform. As the sun sets, it is time for the “colors,” the ceremony where the flag is retired. All Navy men are on deck and salute as two sailors reverently take down the flag. Nancy and the other civilians are expected to stand at attention. The Navy band plays the National Anthem, while on ships without a band, a bugler plays. Now it is time for dinner and the author cautions Nancy never to complain about anything - food, service or appointments. She is not only the guest of her husband, but the entire mess, as the charges for all guests are pro-rated among all the officers. As a new bride she is the guest of honor and seated to the right of the highest ranking officer on board. The table will be covered by white linen damask and the place settings will be old, heavy silver with the Navy seal on them. The meal will be served by quiet, well trained attendants, usually Filipino or African-American enlisted men. The food and service will be excellent for these stewards are an important part of the Navy. The Navy, like the Army, travels on its stomach. For a young woman from a small town, the menu will be new and exciting, perhaps curry with as many as twenty-three condiments- chopped eggs, raisins, coconut, peanuts, bits of bacon, chutney and many other delicacies. The navy got this recipe in Java and calls it rice-tafel. And there always has to be an odd number of condiments. By the way, Nancy should not expect to see the Captain. He eats alone or with an invited guest, in his own mess. After dinner there is a short time for visiting or for the men to play acey-deucey. Then it is time for the movie on deck, and once again, Nancy is told not to be late. The movie will start the moment the Captain is seated. After the movie coffee and cocoa are served in the boardroom and then it is time for the motorboat ride home and the night alone in your apartment - the first
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of many nights alone. In Nancy’s case, it will indeed be the first of many nights alone. The book was written in Hawaii, the November just before December 7, 1941. Soon after the Japanese attacked, all dependents were evacuated to CONUS (continental United States) and there they remained until the end of the war. We have the first and tenth editions of the book, The Navy Wife, and each is more than 300 pages long and covers a myriad of rules and traditions with which a Navy wife must be familiar. It also contains a 16 page glossary which has terms from “Abandon Ship” to “Yardarm.” This “common-sense guidebook” was for wives new to the service, each of whom had a part to play in the Navy and this book was to tell her how and why. Needless to say, times have changed dramatically, and while wives still have a role in their husband’s career, it is much diminished; she is free to follow her own aspirations and careers, and many do either while stationed in CONUS or overseas.
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The 1956 Movie, “Navy Wife”. Probably not approved by The Navy Wife authors
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where officers from the depot lived. This explosion was traced to a German saboteur who was convicted and sent to prison in 1918. Bob Smith, chairman of the construction crew of volunteers, recently made a Plexiglass case for a piece of a ship destroyed in the Port Chicago explosion which is heavily encrusted with remnants of sea life. The small piece was found by a diver who is a colleague of Smith at the California Maritime Academy. The Port Chicago explosion which
What’s New in the Museum? Mare Island Museum now has a pictorial display on the Ammunition Depot which was located on the southern section of the shipyard. Pictures include Bldg A-1 which was built in 1857 and was the first ammunition storage facility. At that time ammunition was only stored at Mare Island while ships were being repaired or overhauled. Once ready to sail, the ammunition was reloaded and returned to the ship. There are also pictures of the original guardhouse and gate as well as photos of huge stacks of cannon balls, loading of ammunition, women working in the depot and even a special license plate used in the depot area. Photos of the reservoir which held 13,217,000 gallons of water for use on the island are also posted. This reservoir was used prior to the construction of the huge tank now high on the hill near the golf course. The arsenal has a spotted history with three separate explosions taking place between 1892 and 1917. The first occurred when ordinary sailors from the USS Boston were reloading shells prior to leaving the yard and 15 men were killed. The second explosion took place in 1901 and is the subject of a famous photo taken as a huge cloud of smoke rose over the site. It was called the “picture of the century”, a bit premature, perhaps. The third explosion took place in 1917 when several barges at the pier in the depot blew up killing six people and wounding 31. It also destroyed half of a duplex on the hill above the wharf
Coming Events Contra Costa Solano County Food Bank Gala June 23, 2013 Qtrs A&B MARS Radio Group July 20, 2013 POC: Ken Zadwick MIHPF Board Meeting July 29, 2013 POC: Ken Zadwick Shop 31 Reunion Sept 21, 2013 POC: John Chamberlin, 707-255-2647 Shop 51 Reunion Sept. 27, 2013 POC: Richard Karr, 707-643-9008 Tom Chulick: 707-642-8712 Navy Yard Association Reunion Oct. 5 2013 POC: Ralph McCorrib, 707-987-3850 Design Code Reunion Nov. 5, 2013 POC: Tony Verducci Christmas Concert Dec 15, 2013 POC: Museum, 707-557-4646 For further information on any of these events contact the museum at mihp46@att.net or call (707) 557-4646
“Picture of the Century” 6
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He was recalled to the Navy during WWI and occurred on 17 July 1944 was the largest explosion in promoted to Sr. Lieut., thus his inclusion in the the United States during WWII and broke windows in officer’s section. And last, but perhaps most Vallejo and was heard as far away as San Francisco. interesting, is Lucy Lawson, who with her brother, Two ships were totally destroyed, literally blown to was convicted of killing her husband. She was smithereens, by the accidental detonation of torpex pardoned after the governor ordered a stay of mines being loaded. The small fragment impresses on execution when the primary witness against her, a the visitor just how destructive the explosion was. former lover, was deemed unreliable. She became the Another new exhibit is on Rosie the Riveter. Based nurse and housekeeper for the family of a naval on an article previously published in Farragut’s officer, Stacy Potts and after traveling with the family Press, we now have posters of the Norman for many years died and was buried at Mare Island. Rockwell“Rosie the Riveter” which was the first Her brother, on his death bed, confessed to his part in depiction rendered after the song became popular. the crime. This first part of Mare Island Cemetery We also have the now universally recognized Rosie can be purchased in the bookstore at the Mare Island the Riveter poster by J. Howard Miller which only was Museum. on view for 13 days in one factory in the Midwest The museum has also been fortunate to have had two during WWII, but became popular with the rise of the th ship models donated by Douglas Rennison, a veteran women’s movement later in the 20 Century. Most who served in the navy, army and air force. One people who view this exhibit have never seen the model is of the USS Arizona which is now at the Rockwell poster which shows Rosie posed like Isaiah bottom of Pearl Harbor, and serves as a memorial to on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. those who died during the Japanese attack on 7 BIG NEWS!! The first part of the series on Mare December 1941. The other model is of the USS Island Cemetery has been completed by Peggy Smith which was a destroyer built at Mare Island in O’Drain with compilation by Joyce Giles, and the 1936. The most amazing thing about these models is digital formatting by Tony Liang. This volume covers that they are not the typical plastic model one buys in Section A which is the portion of the cemetery in a box. These models are made of cardboard and were which naval officers and their families were buried. built by Mr. Rennison who is downsizing and moving Among those are several prominent Mare Island into a smaller house on Mare Island. He thought families including the Turners - Anna Key Turner was donating them to the museum would be most the daughter of Francis Scott Key, who wrote The appropriate, since he could still come to see them. Star Spangled Banner, and her husband, Daniel, was the civil engineer who helped build Mare Island. The daughter of Daniel and Anna Former Union Members Turner was Emily Cutts , who ran the exchange for Tom Watson, a former union official with the IBEW the Marine Corps and is also buried at Mare Island. at Mare Island is attempting to develop a display for The marines at Mare Island insisted that USMC really the museum on all the unions at Mare Island Naval was an acronym for “U serve Mrs. Cutts” which gives Shipyard. By his count, there were close to 15, most one an idea of Mrs. Cutts’ demeanor. Chaplain Adam of which were consolidated under the Metal Trades McAlister, founder of St. Peter’s Chapel, is buried in Council. He is looking for pictures of significant this section as is the McDougal Family – Kate Mc events which included the union(s), documents, Dougal being the female lighthouse keeper on Mare agreements, pamphlets, newsletters, memorabilia and Island until it closed. Also buried there is William any other interesting artifacts related to the unions. If Halford, the chief gunner from the USS Saginaw, the you have any of these materials and are willing to first ship built at Mare Island, who with four others, donate them, or wish to help with the exhibit, you can all of whom perished , sailed over 1500 miles over contact Tom via email at <portlandtx@gmail.com> 31days in a tiny boat called the “captain’s gig” from or call the museum at (707) 557 4646 and give your Ocean (Kure) Island to Hawaii to get help for his USS Langley phone (CV-1)number to Barbara or Joyce and we will get the shipmates who were stranded on the island after their information to Tom. ship had run aground and broken apart. For this action Halford was awarded the Medal of Honor. 7
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and launched in 1915. When she left Mare Island, she had no engines and was towed to the Brooklyn Navy Yard where she was to receive a diesel engine. The officer in charge was a young man from a small Texas town who had never finished high school but had graduated near the top of his class at the US Naval Academy. He had been promoted to lieutenant from ensign, skipping the rank of lieutenant junior grade and had recently spent months in Germany learning all about diesel engines. This young lieutenant was actively involved in the building and installation of the engines on the Maumee, often seen in oily coveralls, working with the yardbirds. After the work was completed this officer was named the executive officer (XO) of the Maumee. The Maumee has the distinction of being the first vessel in the US Navy to have a diesel engine and, in 1917, she was the first oiler to refuel ships while underway, a procedure her XO helped to design while onboard the Maumee. That young officer who built and installed the Maumee’s engines and served as her XO was Chester W. Nimitz, later Admiral Nimitz, commander of all naval forces in the Pacific during WWII. The Maumee served through WWI and was brought out of the reserves to serve through WWII before she was sold to the navy of Taiwan, Republic of China in 1946 and became the ROCS Omei, AO-509. After many more years of service, she was finally decommissioned and scrapped in 1967.
Visitors St. Peter’s has recently had several international visitors! A visitor from Germany brought her 98 year old father who, prior to moving to the US, was a German stained glass artist. Another recent international visitor was from the country of Slovakia! Adding a bit of military flare to the international flavor, we also had a 16 year veteran officer of the British Royal Navy visit us at the museum. Closer to home, we had a visitor who was a survivor of the USS Franklin, CV-13, an aircraft carrier which was bombed by the Japanese on 19 March 1945 while she was in the middle of arming and launching her compliment of planes against the shipping in Kobe Harbour. The chaplain and an officer on board USS Franklin were awarded Medals of Honor for their valiant efforts to save the ship. The attack resulted in a loss of 724 killed and 265 wounded. Since 1 March, using information from only those visitors who signed in, we have had people visit from Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Idaho, North Carolina, Colorado, Illinois, Arkansas, Washington, Iowa, Kentucky, Virginia, Florida, Oregon, Maryland, Arizona, Nevada, Ohio, Georgia, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma and, of course, California. That’s 26 different states!!!
USS Maumee The USS Maumee was an oiler built at Mare Island
The USS Maumee in WWII Camouflage
How to contact the Museum: By telephone: (707) 557 4646 Our Snail Mail Address: 1100 Railroad Avenue, VA 94592 Our email adress: mihp46@att.net By FAX: (707) 557 4644
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Mare Island Museum Membership 1100 Railroad Avenue, Vallejo, CA 94592 (707) 557 4646 mihp46@att.net www.mareislandhpf.org
The Mare Island Historic Park Foundation keeps alive the history of Mare Island Naval Shipyard and chronicles its shipbuilding activities in the museum, as well as preserving the most historic buildings – St. Peter’s Chapel, the Shipyard Commander’s Mansion and Building 46, the oldest building on the island dating from 1855. The shipyard founded in 1854 by Commander David G. Farragut, first admiral in the USN, was the first naval installation on the West Coast and was an important contributor to success in World War II in the Pacific. It also played a prominent role in the Cold War by building 17 nuclear submarines. We invite YOU to become a part of this endeavor by partnering with the Mare Island Historic Park Foundation and supporting its work. Benefits of Membership:
Free Admission to the Mare Island Museum (Bldg 46) for the year of partnership 10% discount on purchases in gift shop Advance notice via email of new exhibits or events sponsored by the foundation Access to Mare Island Museum Library Free newsletter via email Helping to preserve the history of Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Partnership Levels: (All partnerships are for one (1) year and are fully tax deductible) • • • •
Individual $25.00 – Admits partner named on card Out of State $20.00 – Admits partner named on card Family $40.00 – Admits two household members and their children or grandchildren 12-18 (under 12 are free) Student $15.00 – Admits student named on card with a student ID card
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Mare Island Museum Membership Application Name _______________________________________________________________ Date ___________________ Street Address _______________________________________________________________________________ City, State, Zip Code ___________________________________________________________________________ Phone____________________________ Email Address ______________________________________________ Partnership Level: ______ Individual $25 _____ Out of State $20 _____Family $40 _____ Student (with ID) $15 Visa_____Mastercard ____American Express____Card Number _________________________ Exp. Date ______ Make checks payable to MIHPF.
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