Lloyd J. Austin III Secretary of Defence | Official website
Today, the Department of Defense moved to rectify an old injustice and address a painful episode in its history. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III commended the Secretary of the Navy's decision to exonerate 258 Black sailors who were unjustly court-martialed following the explosion at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine in California on July 17, 1944. The blast resulted in the deaths of 320 sailors.
"After the blast, these 258 Sailors refused to keep loading munitions in the same unsafe and inhumane conditions that contributed to the catastrophe," said Austin. "Eighty years later, we recognize that those 258 Sailors were right, and the segregated Navy that unnecessarily risked their lives was wrong."
The NAACP, Thurgood Marshall, Eleanor Roosevelt, and others had recognized at the time that this case was a travesty. According to Austin, today's decision reflects the Department of Defense's commitment to learning from its past and reckoning with its history.
"I am deeply grateful for all the people of conscience in the U.S. Navy who have worked diligently to make this day possible," Austin stated. He also expressed gratitude towards advocates and family members who pushed for decades to remedy this injustice.
Austin emphasized honoring both the memory of the 320 Americans who lost their lives in the Port Chicago explosion and recognizing the service of those who resisted racist treatment afterward. "The Department of Defense must always ensure that our Service members, our military families, and our civilian employees are treated with fairness and dignity, especially within our military justice systems," he concluded.
