Growing up in the Golden State means a certain familiarity with warm summers and fire risks. We worry about lightning strikes, gender reveal parties that involve any kind of explosives, and lost hikers who, for some unknown reason, light a flare instead of using their working cell phone to summon assistance. The California I grew up in is this way because of an awareness of a challenging climate, drought conditions, and, frankly, hindsight. But for all that awareness, I was surprised to discover the tale of a large, dangerous explosion with civil rights implications that I had never heard of. A case of mass trials, mass incarceration, and segregation. As the dust and ash settled over the remains of Port Chicago and hundreds of dead sailors, the criminal case was just beginning.

I relied on information from ABC News, Navy historians (1)(2)(3)(4), Mercury News, Uniform Reference, the US Naval Institute, the National WWII Museum, the Navy Press Office, and Wikipedia.

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Disclaimer: Conduct Unbecoming is a podcast where I get to talk about interesting crimes and cases that involve US military service members. I research, write, and produce the podcast myself… the opinions expressed are my own and, perhaps it’s obvious, Conduct Unbecoming is not approved, endorsed, or authorized by the Department of Defense. I am not a military JAG and have never been a military JAG. While I'm a practicing attorney, I don't do direct criminal defense. This podcast is a passion project, not legal advice or expert opinion.