OBJECTIVE

To add the historic areas of the former Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINS) to our National Park System (NPS).

Mare Island’s first Commander, David Farragut, aboard his flagship the USS Hartford during the Civil War. Farragut went up the Mississippi to capture New Orleans. For this feat Lincoln promoted him to become the first Admiral of the US Navy. A rank our Navy had considered "Royal.”

History of Mare Island

In 1850, two months after California entered the Union, President Millard Fillmore reserved Mare Island for government use. Secretary of Navy, William Graham, would ensure that government use of Mare Island would be by the Navy. "We now have a Pacific coast extending for many hundred miles," he advised the President, "from the confines of Mexico to the far northwest; an inviting country, rapidly populating, totally unfortified, separated by mountains and deserts from the military power of the government. A new empire has, as by magic, sprung into existence. San Francisco promises, at no distant day, to become another New York... A navy yard is very much needed in California, and no time will be lost in accomplishing the work as soon as the legal

impediments can be removed." In July 1852 approval was granted to purchase Mare Island.

In 1854, Mare Island Navy Yard, under the direction of Commander David G. Farragut, was established and began its long and distinguished role in support of our nation. The following one hundred and forty-two years saw Mare Island demonstrate superb shipbuilding skills, constructing 513 ships and completing untold numbers of repairs and modernizations. During World War II, employment reached 41,053, while 1,227 ships of all types were repaired and returned to the fleet. The measure of a great shipyard is in its ability to keep the fleet in sound fighting shape. The men and women of Mare Island met that challenge successfully.

Of particular interest MINS has been the site of a couple of lessor known events shaping the struggle for racial equality. Mare Island was the site of the Port Chicago “Mutiny” in the 1940’s which ultimately led to the desegregation of the military. Then, in the 1960’s, Mare Island was the site of an event by the Mare Island 21 where African-American workers at Mare Island Naval Shipyard filed a complaint of racial discrimination in 1961 that led to the Defense Secretary acknowledging the presence of military employment discrimination based on race and ultimately led to increased equal opportunity employment throughout the rest of the nation.

The disintegration of the former Soviet Union in 1991 caused massive changes in global affairs, drove vast reductions in the fleet, and many closures of defense facilities including all of the naval facilities in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The National Park Initiative

The effort to add the Historic Areas of the former MINS to the NPS was first proposed over twenty years ago just following the decision to close MINS in 1993. That recommendation was first formally documented in the 1994 MINS Reuse Plan that was developed by a work group appointed by the City of Vallejo (City) to propose an action plan for the reuse of MINS.

Even though the staff of the National Park Service was not receptive to such a designation at the time, they indicated: “Mare Island's historical status therefore is equivalent to that of the Presidio of San Francisco, the Empire State Building, New Orleans· "French Quarter” and other well-known historic properties. Preservation of Mare Island's

March 2015

Foundation Revives National Park Initiative

For more information see our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MareIslandMuseum

historic resources should be among the highest priorities in planning for disposal and reuse of the installation.” Later in 2011, the NPS wrote; “There are no other sites that integrate these themes in the same way that Mare Island has, and no other sites that tell the story of the development of naval facilities on the west coast over the period of history covered by the Mare Island NSY.”

For over nineteen years the Mare Island Historic Park Foundation (MIHPF) has worked to preserve and maintain the historical buildings, and to exhibit artifacts of Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINS). The Foundation’s mission is to tell the story of MINS impact in shaping the naval, political and economic landscape of our Nation at the West Coast location where history happened. This preservation, maintenance and educational effort has been undertaken entirely by the Foundation’s all-volunteer workforce since the Shipyard was closed in 1996; however, despite best efforts, the lack of a continuing revenue stream to off-set expenses has resulted in negative cash flow. Because, without sufficient funding, these important operations are not sustainable, we have refocused on the National Park Initiative to prevent the abandonment of MINS historic structures to the ravages of time and to avoid the scattering of the many priceless Navy artifacts away from the former shipyard where they belong.

The footprint of the proposed additions to the NPS.

The Plan Forward

The question of MINS “suitability” for inclusion has been resolved as documented by the National Park Service. Therefore, the plan forward focuses on addressing the question of incorporation of historic areas into the NPS and obtaining endorsements to gather the political support necessary.

The decision regarding what resources are incorporated into our NPS is now, and always has been, political. Ever since the City first recommended that MINS be added to the NPS federal legislators and agencies have busied themselves preserving more than fifty other cultural and biological resource sites. Since the beginning of the year 2015 the creation of new sites has continued as the Administration has created three National Monuments and one Marine Sanctuary.

The plan forward; therefore, is as follows:

1. Analyze and address the National Park Service Reconnaissance Study finding that incorporation of the historical areas of Mare Island into the NPS may not be feasible. This step was completed and the study finding was shown to be based on incomplete and flawed information. The feasibility analysis has been posted on our Facebook page and may also be viewed here Feasibility Analysis.

2. Obtain endorsements from private individuals, local and national stakeholder entities to demonstrate political support. To add your support and endorsement to our initiative email us at mareislandhistoricpark@gmail.com. Your email simply needs to provide your identification and indicate your support to making the historic areas on MINS a part of the NPS.

3. Formally request action on the part of our federal legislators, Congressman Thompson and Senators Boxer and Feinstein. This request will include endorsements as evidence of support.

4. MIHPF will continue collecting endorsements and actions to publicize the National Park Initiative.

Mare Island launches Vallejo’s namesake, the Ballistic Missile Nuclear Submarine SSBN658. Ships such as these would win the Cold War.

Web Page: http://www.mareislandmuseum.org/

Telephone MIHPF at (707) 557-1538

For more information see our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MareIslandMuseum