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A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 18 July 2024
Navy exonerates 256 Black sailors unjustly punished in 1944 after a

deadly California port explosion

By TARA COPP “They, of course, are all gone,
Associated Press and that’s a painful aspect
WASHINGTON (AP) — The of it. But so many fought for
U.S. Navy has exonerated so long for that kind of fair-
256 Black sailors who were ness and recognition.”
found to be unjustly punished President Joe Biden said
in 1944 following a horrific the decision to exonerate is
port explosion that killed hun- “righting a historic wrong.”
dreds of service members In the appeal of their courts
and exposed racist double martial convictions, then-
standards among the then- NAACP attorney Marshall
segregated ranks. wrote that “justice can only
On July 17, 1944, munitions be done in this case by a
being loaded onto a cargo complete reversal of find-
ship detonated, causing ings,” Biden said in a state-
secondary blasts that ignit- ment. “With this action, we
ed 5,000 tons (4,535 metric are answering that call.”
tonnes) of explosives at Port The events have stung sur-
Chicago naval weapons sta- viving family members for
tion near San Francisco. decades, but an earlier ef-
The explosion killed 320 sailors fort in the 1990s to pardon
and civilians, nearly 75% of the sailors fell short. Two ad-
whom were Black, and in- Thurgood Marshall, Jr., right, smiles as he receives the first pen from Navy Secretary Carlos Del ditional sailors were previ-
jured another 400 personnel. Toro, Wednesday, July 17, 2024 at the Pentagon in Washington, after it was used to sign documents ously cleared — one was
Surviving Black sailors had to exonerating 256 Black sailors who were unjustly court martialed in 1944 after the horrific Port found mentally incompetent
pick up the human remains Chicago explosion in California. Associated Press to stand trial, and one was
and clear the blast site while cleared on insufficient evi-
white officers were granted The sailors refused, saying The whole episode was un- then a defense attorney for dence. Wednesday’s action
leave to recuperate. they needed training on how just, and none of the sailors the National Association goes beyond a pardon and
The pier was a critical am- to more safely handle the received the legal due pro- for the Advancement of vacates the military judicial
munition supply site for forces bombs before they returned. cess they were owed, Navy Colored People, defended proceedings carried out in
in the Pacific during World What followed affected the Secretary Carlos Del Toro the 50 sailors who were con- 1944 against all of the men.
War II, and the job of loading rest of their lives, including said in an interview with The victed of mutiny. Marshall “This decision clears their
those ships was left primarily punishments that kept them Associated Press. went on to become the first names and restores their hon-
to Black enlisted sailors over- from receiving honorable It was “a horrific situation Black justice on the Supreme or and acknowledges the
seen by white officers. discharges even as the vast for those Black sailors that Court. On Wednesday, the courage that they displayed
Before the explosion, the majority returned to work remained,” Del Toro said. 80th anniversary of the Port in the face of immense dan-
Black sailors working the at the pier under immense The Navy’s office of general Chicago disaster, Del Toro ger,” Del Toro said.The racism
dock had expressed con- pressure and served through- counsel reviewed the military signed paperwork officially that the Black sailors faced
cerns about the loading out the war. Fifty sailors who judicial proceedings used to clearing the sailors, who are reflected the military’s views
operations. Shortly after the held fast to their demands punish the sailors and found now deceased. Del Toro at the time — ranks were
blast, they were ordered to for safety and training were “there were so many incon- handed the first pen to Thur- segregated, and the Navy
return to loading ships even tried as a group on charges sistencies and so many legal good Marshall Jr., the late had only reluctantly opened
though no changes had of conspiracy to commit mu- violations that came to the justice’s son. some positions it considered
been made to improve their tiny and were convicted and forefront,” he said. The exonerations “are deep- less desirable to Black service
safety. sent to prison. Thurgood Marshall, who was ly moving,” Marshall Jr. said. members. q

A meteor streaked over the NYC skyline before disintegrating over

New Jersey

NEW YORK (AP) — A meteor streaked over degrees from vertical, Cooke said.
the New York City skyline before disinte- Its exact trajectory is uncertain, since re-
grating over nearby New Jersey, accord- ports are based only on eyewitness ac-
ing to NASA. counts and no camera or satellite data is
William Cooke, the head of the space currently available, he said.
agency’s Meteoroid Environments Office, As of Wednesday morning, there had
said the fireball was first sighted at an al- been approximately 40 eyewitness reports
titude of 51 miles (82 kilometers) above filed on the American Meteor Society
Manhattan at around 11:17 a.m. Tuesday. website, which the agency used to gener-
The meteor passed over the southern part ate its estimates, Cooke said.
of Newark, New Jersey, before disintegrat- The fireball was not part of the Perseid me-
ing 31 miles (50 kilometers) above the town teor shower, and reports of loud booms
of Mountainside, he said. No meteorites or and shaking could be explained by mili-
other fragments of space debris reached tary aircraft in the vicinity around the time
the planet’s surface. of its appearance, he said.
The space rock moved at a speed of Cooke said the New York City area gets
People look out at the New York City skyline at sunset, Sunday,
June 16, 2024, in Jersey City, N.J. about 41,000 mph (66,000 kph) and de- treated to a daylight fireball every year or
Associated Press scended at a relatively steep angle of 44 two. q