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Journal Repost: The West Loch Disaster: 21 May, 1944
16 years ago
The opinions expressed on this page are my own and do not reflect those of Fur Affinity or of any other.
"Si quid per iocum dixi, nolito in serium convertere."
("If I have said anything in jest, do not turn it into a serious thing.") -Plautus
"Si quid per iocum dixi, nolito in serium convertere."
("If I have said anything in jest, do not turn it into a serious thing.") -Plautus
Today marks the 65th anniversary of the the West Loch Disaster, the other "Pearl Harbor" that noone has heard about.
Journal Entry: December 8th, 2007 02:34 AM
Those familiar with me know that every year on this day, know that I usually post something to commemorate the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack. It's hard not to be reminded of that day since I live at "ground zero" so to speak. This year, I'm doing something different, and mention another disaster that happened there that not even I was aware of.
Nearly three years later, on May 21, 1944, weeks before the invasion of Saipan, in an area known as West Loch, the site of the Navy's weapons depot, (A site that was untouched by the Japanese attack), a second tragety occured not by an act of war, but by an act of carelessness.
On that day, due to improper loading porcedures and laxed safety standards, several explosions tore trough a number of navy LST transports (the predecessor to today's Assault ships.), killing 163 people and wounding an additional 396. Due to the impending invasion (which also went underreported due to the Normandy invasion over a week earlier.), and the Army & Navy's usual covering up, this "incident" went unknown for decades.
Two months later, another and much larger (and more publicized) disaster happened at the Port Chicago naval base near San Fransico.
Today, there is no memorial for these dead, only a rusted hull of an LST overgrown with vegetation in an isolated and unused section of the Harbor off limits to the public.
Update: 05/21/09: I should also point out that more than 1/3rd of the casualties came from an African-American army unit, the 29th Chemical Decontamination Co.
Something to think about this Memorial Day.
Journal Entry: December 8th, 2007 02:34 AM
Those familiar with me know that every year on this day, know that I usually post something to commemorate the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack. It's hard not to be reminded of that day since I live at "ground zero" so to speak. This year, I'm doing something different, and mention another disaster that happened there that not even I was aware of.
Nearly three years later, on May 21, 1944, weeks before the invasion of Saipan, in an area known as West Loch, the site of the Navy's weapons depot, (A site that was untouched by the Japanese attack), a second tragety occured not by an act of war, but by an act of carelessness.
On that day, due to improper loading porcedures and laxed safety standards, several explosions tore trough a number of navy LST transports (the predecessor to today's Assault ships.), killing 163 people and wounding an additional 396. Due to the impending invasion (which also went underreported due to the Normandy invasion over a week earlier.), and the Army & Navy's usual covering up, this "incident" went unknown for decades.
Two months later, another and much larger (and more publicized) disaster happened at the Port Chicago naval base near San Fransico.
Today, there is no memorial for these dead, only a rusted hull of an LST overgrown with vegetation in an isolated and unused section of the Harbor off limits to the public.
Update: 05/21/09: I should also point out that more than 1/3rd of the casualties came from an African-American army unit, the 29th Chemical Decontamination Co.
Something to think about this Memorial Day.
Sad but true.. *pauses and salutes* may their souls find peace and rest, and thank you for bringing it to people's attention.
(a moment of silence in memory)