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Central subject files, 1961-69. The lack of available space limited the coast. The folks who gathered at the reunion arent the only people in the region with the legacy of the shipyard in their blood. The hundreds of electricians, painters, pipe fitters, carpenters, blacksmiths and other blue-collar workers who earn an average $12.50 per hour can do little but wait. Past and current performance in terms years. Although a spirited fight was waged to keep it open, the 339-acre yard, along with the neighboring Long Beach Naval Station, was eventually shut down as well, marking in some ways the end of an era for Long Beach as a Navy town. Jun 2021 - Mar 20231 year 10 months. The 21th annual picnic-style reunion was the formal Last Call for the waning group, which has gathered in-and-out of state and country members every year since the shipyards dis-establishment ceremony on Sept. 18, 1997. were refurbished at the shipyard. The shipyard was closed in 1950, then reactivated in 1951 Built in 1943, the Long Beach Naval Shipyard on Terminal Island was a World War II and Cold War fixture for decades, helping to earn Long Beach its reputation as a Navy town. Please welcome Eric Nelson as the new remedial project manager at the Regional Water Board on the Long Beach Naval Shipyard/Naval Station team. I'd love to get back in touch with those from "the beach". of Defense activities; Navy housing at Seal Beach, Los Alamitos, Subsequently the city and the oil operators began fully implementing the remedial water injection program. Some ships in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Long Beach were reactivated for the Korean War and Vietnam War. He and a friend found a way to recycle Freon then required for cleaning, saving barrels of it using an on-site distillery system. An example of the yards efficiency hearkened back to a career highlight for Sloan. It also the largest employer in Kitsap County, employing 1,652 (McClary 2003). My mother worked there scraping the sides of ships. In addition, Long Beach officials, the citys Washington lobbyist and the Save Our Shipyard Committee, a citizens group, joined forces to promote the shipyard. Year built: February 1943 Code: LBNSY In use: until 30 September 1997 In 1945 an INTEREL powers the modern hotel through its Hotel of Things ecosystem that connects people, devices, and data . Supervisor, Long Beach Naval Shipyard. All you have to do is type in a couple of keywords and we'll bring you the exact information you wanted! Although the commission toured Long Beach NSY in April 1995, the BRAC Commission elected not to override the recommendation to close Long Beach NSY,[12][13] and closure was completed on 30 September 1997. Over time, the removal of the underlying oil caused the surface of the land to sink as much as ten feet in some areas of the site. [7] Half to two-thirds of the area of the finished NSY was built on new fill, so structures were supported on piles. The Facilities and Maintenance Department Also in that year the name of the base was changed Filed under: Long Beach Naval Shipyard. Peak employment of 16,091 civilian employees was reached in August 1945." included support or scientific projects in conjunction with programs 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Best coffee city in the world? When Aspin released his list, it did not contain three California bases on the medias list--the Long Beach shipyard, the Presidio of Monterey and McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento. Hiring just 300 workers upon its launch, the shipyard would peak in employment two years later in August 1945 with more than 16,000 workers operating on-site. While there may continue to be more informal get-togethers in the future, Duacsek said, but putting on the full-scale, organized picnics has become a big job for what is an aging and shrinking number of former shipyard personnel. And we never know when we might need them again. [11], However, two years later, the naval shipyard was recommended for closure in the 1995 round of BRAC evaluations (BRAC IV) by then-Defense Secretary William Perry. The Long Beach Naval Shipyard (Long Beach NSY or LBNSY), which closed in 1997, was located on Terminal Island between the city of Long Beach and the San Pedro district of Los Angeles, approximately 23 miles south of the Los Angeles International Airport. Join us today to start participating in this group. The legacy began in 1919, when the nations fleet were divided into Atlantic and Pacific fleets and named Long Beach the Home Port of the Battle Fleet. Later, in 1932, the city dubbed itself the Navy Capital of the United States when nearly 50 ships of the Pacific Fleet anchored in its harbor. Welcome to Long Beach Naval Shipyard Forum Thank you for using Forum Jar. [7] The shipyard was renamed Long Beach Naval Shipyard (NSY) in March 1948. The U.S. Navy acquired a total of 368.92 acres for the Naval Air Base on Terminal Island in Los Angeles, California. [3] "Herman the German" was seized as a war prize following the end of World War II. I had a retirement fund which I paid into. Horn and his colleagues wrote letters to Aspin, Sens. Industry Capacity Analysis: On behalf of an association of ship repair interests, MMC directed an analysis of the potential U.S. Navy ship repair market on the West Coast, in light of the impending closure of the Long Beach Naval Shipyard. Standing 374 feet high, it arrived in Long Beach in 1946 and was reconstructed at a cost of $340,000. If neither disapproves, the panels proposal will take effect Sept. 1. Forwebsite questionsemail thewebmaster European graduates He was in search of a morale booster piece on the shop he worked in as an optical instrument repairman, which detailed the work they did. The Long Beach Naval Shipyard, which closed in 1997, was located on Terminal Island between the city of Long Beach and the San Pedro district of Los Angeles, approximately 23 miles south of the Los Angeles International Airport. Due to a growing number of inappropriate messages on our forums, it has gotten to the point where we are unable to moderate our website properly. The blown-up memory of a shared handshake is one of his most prized possessions. Were going ahead fixing ships and just watching the process, said Bob Owens, union representative for the Metal Trades Council at the shipyard. (Photo by Keith Durflinger, Contributing Photographer), Former boilermaker workers, from left, Joe Germanic, Eddie Giordano and Dave Muro share a memory during the Long Beach Naval Shipyard reunion at El Dorado Park in Long Beach on Saturday August 25, 2018. The Long Beach NSY industrial area encompasses Haw, Keith: E-1: May 1993 - Oct 31, 1994: 1st Deck: Castillo, Dave: SN: May 1993 - May 1995: Boat Group: Turner, Rodney: OSSN/ May 15, 1993 - Sep 10, 1994: OI/01 In 1991, the same commission added the shipyard to the closure list before Long Beach supporters won an eleventh-hour reprieve. The 650-acre PSNS, also known as Naval Base Kitsap (NBK)-Bremerton, is 15 miles west of Seattle. Ex-Long Beach . Rim trade and the deep-water and rail infrastructure in the Long Nor was it to become A barbecue and lots of sharing of memories, along with a flag ceremony, are among the staples of the gatherings. with the onset of World War II, a massive and long-term construction Studies have shown that military veterans have been hit especially hard by asbestos exposure in shipyards, and the Navy was the branch of service most affected. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command. The Naval Station was established on 15 November1946, as a homeport for Pacific Fleet ships, providing port facilities, fleet support personnel, and recreational facilities. By 1952, an attack carrier and destroyer escorts During the 1980s two battleships At the reuinion, the yardbirds caught up over summer staples like hot dogs and assorted fruit. It would take billions to put those dry docks back in there, Thomas, then 72, said. areas (Los Alamitos, Palos Verdes, San Pedro, and Whites Point), The analysis projected the required dock-days and man-hours that could be expected from Navy repair work. Los Angeles, Fox News finally reveals its kryptonite: the bottom line, 17 things to do in Santa Cruz, the old-school beach town that makes for a charming getaway, The Week in Photos: California exits pandemic emergency amid a winter landscape, Snowboarder dies at South Lake Tahoe resort, California to alter COVID rules in healthcare settings: Masks and vaccinations not required, Welcome to the world, baby Winter, born amid a snowstorm in Lake Arrowhead, Gripped by grace: Thousands gather for Bishop OConnells funeral Mass. He was one of the last men packing up on the base before transferring to Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach until retirement. dominantly of overhaul and maintenance of non-nuclear surface ; launched on 4 December 1971; sponsored by Mrs. Daniel E. Barbey, widow of Vice Admiral Barbey; and placed in commission at Long Beach Naval Shipyard on 11 November 1972, Comdr. An aggressive lobbying effort was launched immediately. to Naval Operating Base, Long Beach and, for decades to come, Everyone worked there. and military construction program to meet the critical need to In 1994 Long Beach employed approximately From February 1943 to August 1945 the base was located at Terminal Island between the cities of Long Beach In 2015 we completed our first "ground-up" vessel fabrication build, the Bernardine C. Built here at our yard in the Port of Long Beach, CA. Barbey (DE-1088) was laid down on 5 February 1972 by Avondale Shipyards, Inc., Westwego, La. FEDERAL EMPLOYEES METAL TRADES COUNCIL. (Washington, D.C. : U.S. (Gene) Gallman; and Captain F.W. aircraft carriers at the North Island Naval Air Station, San Diego, California; the Long Beach Naval Shipyard, California; or both. In times past, the site has been an Indian These shops support the Fleet Industrial Supply I am now 63 years old. History of Long Beach Naval Shipyard. [2] On 15 November 1946, the adjoining Naval Station Long Beach was established. the shipyard was equipped with facilities and skills capable of provided routine and battle damage repairs to a parade of tankers, Find out everything there's to know about Long Beach Naval Shipyard employees. During Captain Finks four-year term, he apprenticed 41 trades and cut costs beyond the publics and the Navys expectations, he said. [1][2], Long Beach NSY was evaluated under every round of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) for possible closure since the inception of the BRAC process in 1988. He started work in Long Beach in 1959. Rep. Jane Harman (D-Marina del Rey), who sits on the House Armed Services Committee and has 238 shipyard employees in her district, scoffed at the suggestion that the military played politics with the list. Plan view amidships, looking aft, taken while undergoing an inclining experiment at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard, California, 28 September 1963. [2] There were 17 different shop work areas and 2,400,000 square feet (220,000m2) of covered building space. Some who witnesses this history were officers, enlisted men, female personnel, shipyard workers, and civilian employees.Produced by Media 360 for the Port of Long Beach, 1999 The "Navy Mole," a man-made peninsula that juts in front of the former Long Beach Naval Shipyard, is the home port of the 17-acre Sea Launch Home Port Facilities. dock No. In 1939, These family reunions, Im sad to see them go.. the City Of Long Beach in May 97. However, with the outbreak of the Korean War several weeks later, there was a renewed need for ship overhaul and repair facilities. Still remember them steel beach picnics and fishing off the fantail. The shipyard was our lifeline to good jobs, said Andrews. Were all family, said Captain George Fink, 84, of Rancho Palo Verdes, who served as a commander of the 339-acre yard from January 1983 to June 1987. The shipyard possessed complete design, engineering, combat systems, quality assurance, planning and public works capabilities to support its industrial work. Emotionally, it is a tremendous drain on them, hearing they are going to lose their jobs, (then) theyre not going to lose them.. Naval Dry Docks activity (later to be renamed Long Beach Naval Shipyard) was established to encompass the existing Terminal Island facilities, with the mission to perform routine and battle-damage repairs to naval ships. Hes quick to share memories from the days their dads toiled at the shipyard. AFL-CIO (Charging Party/Union) 8-CA-90137. The shipyard would repair, overhaul and modernize the nations Pacific Fleet ships while also adding a mid-century installation to the citys lasting reputation as a Navy town. docked 406 ships, performed 303 major repairs and overhauls including The conflicting reports that began early this month underscore the uncertainty in the Long Beach community over whether its lone surviving Navy facility will be shut down. burial ground, a shark oil center, a rum-runner's paradise, and LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA (Respondent) and. Sloan jumped from jets to ships when he got the job with the yard in 1980, and would see it through closing 17 years later. The result, to all appearances, was that the shipyard was one of three California military installations spared by Defense Secretary Les Aspin in a last-minute concession to the states economic plight and political clout. The shipyards workload was dramatically reduced when the Long Beach Naval Station, once home port to 39 ships, closed in September 1994. For a free case evaluation, please call the numbers above or contact us online. We represent clients in Raleigh, Durham, North Carolina, and throughout the United States. At the beginning of the war the base was LBNSY This year's picnic, dubbed "Last Call," was the final one. base during the war. [7] By 2004, 72% of the land had been turned over to the City of Long Beach by the military. With the largest dry dock facility south of Bremerton, Wash. the Moreell Dry Dock, the holy grail of Southern California dry docking, Duacsek called it the Long Beach Shipyard saw the likes of the USS New Jersey and the USS Missouri through the years. LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Former employees of the Long Beach Naval Shipyard gathered together one last time. Employees at Long Beach Naval Shipyard Gayle Jones Retired at Long Beach Naval Shipyard enrique gonzales Life Insurance Agent at Primerica . Search listings from Brother Automotive Inc in San Bernardino, CA to find the right vehicle for you. The Korean War began less than one month Long Beach NSY . In 1991, the independent Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission put the Long Beach Naval Station, with its 17,000 military and civilian jobs, on the closure list. Former co-workers ogled poster-board-backed collages. The 12 battleships homeported at San Pedro the longest included: USS Nevada (BB-36), USS Oklahoma (BB-37), USS Pennsylvania (BB-38), USS Arizona (BB-39), USS New Mexico (BB-40), USS Mississippi. 1945. 1) permitted shipwork to begin on 7 April 1942. However, on April 21, 1997, the Long Beach In 1919, when the U. S. Navy was divided into Atlantic and Pacific Fleets, Long Beach became the West Coast home port for Pacific Fleet battleships and their support ships. estimated 17,000 jobs lost in 1991 due to the reassignment of The first is a custom-built Assembly and Command Ship (ACS), and the second is the Launch Platform (LP), a semi-submersible vessel which is . plus $8.4M in MWR and Navy Exchange salaries. Naval.#1.AS.9 30 96. Long Beach Naval Shipyard had a modernization soliciting for such programs as: modifications, self-help habitability The Korean War began less than one month later. President Ronald Reagan speaks during re-commissioning ceremony of the USS New Jersey at Long Beach Naval Shipyard, December 28, 1982 in Long Beach,. This large study of employees investigated the health of nearly 88% of the shipyard's total staff members, who had a chest ray to discern whether their asbestos exposure resulted in illness or abnormalities. This website uses cookies for functionality, analytics and advertising purposes as described in our, Services for L C Bishop, Electrician, Shop 51, who passed away on June 12, 2019, Steve Carpenter, Shop 38 and Code 260 Test Design, Passing of Frank McIntosh, former Code 950 Group Superintendent, Passing of Norman Young, former P&E Machinery, January list of deceased shipyard employees, From the X72 rigger Charlie Estrada files, Services for David Combs, Maintenance Supt., Shop 07, Lists of deceased former Long Beach Naval Shipyard Employees. Action: Completing BRAC disposal The Navy awarded a $1.1 million contract 01 April 1994 to Great September 30, 1993 _____ Before Chairman McKee and Members Talkin and Armendariz. in Long Beach to other west coast homeports. (Photo by Keith Durflinger, Contributing Photographer), Jack Burns shares a boiler plate from the USS New Jersey with former coworkers during the Long Beach Naval Shipyard reunion at El Dorado Park in Long Beach on Saturday August 25, 2018. 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Public hearings by a special subcommittee of the House Armed Service Committee : a study of subsidence at Naval Shipyard, Long Beach, Calif., in connection with H.R. The sign says: Long Beach Navy Memorial. The closure of the shipyard in 1997 resulted in the transfer of approximately 140 acres of land to the City of Los Beach - including the Villages. Stories chock-full of the tireless work-ethic and admirable camaraderie quelled as the yardbirds folded up their chairs and dragged coolers back to the trunk of their cars. The shipyard also hosted minesweepers and (Photo by Keith Durflinger, Contributing Photographer). [2], Long Beach NSY was placed in an inactive status on 1 June 1950. Naval sailors onboard United States Battleship USS Missouri as it departs Long Beach Naval Shipyard for the Persian Gulf, November 14, 1990 in Long. ment of 16,000 civilian employees was reached in August, 1945. Three ships reactivated for the Korean War were three minesweepers on March 1, 1952 the: USS Competent (AM-316), USS Gladiator (AM-319) and USS Devastator (AM-318). To facilitate the economic reuse of the former military bases, the Department of Navy authorized the use and redevelopment of the property under a Lease in Furtherance of Conveyance. The Terminal Island Naval Dry Docks were authorized in June 1940, and construction began in August 1940 on one large drydock and two smaller docks. The expansion of Pacific 1) permitted. The Long Beach NSY industrial area encompasses 119 acres of the total 214 owned. Long Beach Naval Shipyard | 35 followers on LinkedIn. It is a large self-propelled crane standing 374 feet (114m) tall with a lifting capacity of 385 short tons (349t), and was claimed to be the largest floating crane in operation as of 1957. Thats an aircraft carrier, she said. [2], The Long Beach NSY industrial area encompassed 119 acres (48ha) of the total 214 acres (87ha) owned. Supply and fuel depots at the site were reactivated Under the lease, the Port of Long Beach was able to take stewardship of the property and begin redevelopment on a parallel track with the Navys environmental cleanup actions. On 1 June 1950, partly due to concerns about sinking of the land surface, the shipyard and naval station were placed in inactive status. On 9 February 1943, the Secretary of the The city deeded 288 additional acres to the Navy. improve waterfront capabilities and facilities and to provide We didnt feel like it was really going to happen. . There was also a raffle of some historic items. . from the open sea. Update for name pending. That is really about all you can do. Left to right: Rear Admiral Gillette; Captain L.M. DECISION AND ORDER. This website uses cookies for functionality, analytics and advertising purposes as described in our, Looking to interview former LBNSY Employees. May 26, 1978 Long Beach Gov. At Long Beach Naval Shipyard, asbestos was used as insulation in walls, boilers, incinerators and around pipes. U.S. Navy briefly established a naval base at San Pedro but it Statement of the Case work pertaining to the overhaul and repair of surface ships. The shipyard was activated in February 1943 when it launched into work to repair, overhaul and modernize the nations ships in the Pacific Fleet. In 1991, just four years before the Base Realignment and Closure Commission ruled in favor of closure under President Bill Clinton, Long Beach Naval Shipyard operated at $457.43 per man-day rate coming in second by $100 behind the best in the nation that year, Philadelphia and had $16,782 left over from federal funding. Ship repair was the largest undertaking at the Last month, 15 miles from the shipyard that once was, a cluster of yardbirds gathered for an outdoor get-together in Long Beachs El Dorado Park. That amount is roughly equivalent to falling behind each year by the number of days of labor required to complete an EDSRA for a Virginia class submarine. carrier (CVN) emergency dry dock. or about $100,000 per acre would be consistent with rates paid Theodore B. Shultz in command. 08-2386 Issued: June 5, 2008 Appearances: Case Submitted on the Record Jeffrey P. Zeelander, Esq., for the appellant Office of Solicitor . It turns out, however, that the Long Beach shipyard, which employs 4,200 civilian workers, was not on the Pentagon list to begin with, according to documents and interviews. of producing timely, economical and quality work coupled with The Pacific Reserve Fleet, Long Beach was used to store the now many surplus ships after World War II. Annual lease payments, estimated at between $13-15 million, Working on gun sights, rangefinders and 52-footlong viewfinders belonging to battleships built in the 1940s for wars long over, Sloan and his team were not only tasked with deconstruction, cleaning and reconstruction, but oftentimes were called upon to improvise., These men can do anything, he said. was abandoned after that war. During World War II, the naval dry docks provided routine and battle damage repairs to a parade of tankers, cargo ships, troop transports, destroyers, and cruisers. had transferred there. Blackman and two others lowered the announcement banner for the last time. since 1981, had been negotiating with the Port for additional Service Information for Robert Neal Garner, Shop 51 Electrician, Passing of Robert Fuller, Shop 31 Valve Shop Machinist, Passing of Charles Hamilton, former Shop 71 Painter Foreman, Charles "Chuck" Chamberlain Shop 71 painter/pump repair/forklift operator. The USS Isle Royale (AD-29) was laid in the fleet and used as the headquarters of the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Long Beach, in June 1962 she was put back in service for the Vietnam War.[22]. cargo ships, troop transports, destroyers, and cruisers. 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Zigler, Commanding Officer, U.S. msp-herman1-sh photo Courtesy of the Los Angeles Maritime Museum. However, last week it was announced that the two facilities may be added to the list to quiet concerns that they were eliminated for political reasons. From: Gates open on the drydock here as the battleship NEW JERSEY (BB-62), is refloated. In 1933, more than 4,500 sailors and marines came ashore to provide rescue units and patrols to assist local authorities in dealing with the destruction, injuries and breakdown of order in the aftermath of a massive earthquake. There are 17 different shop work areas and 2.4M SF of covered building space. Staff photo Hal Lowe. [2] The shipyard had three graving docks, and five industrial piers. While serving at Long Beach, it participated in the refurbishment of the battleships USS Missouri and New Jersey in the 1980s and lifted the Hughes H-4 ("Spruce Goose") from its original hangar in Long Beach when it was relocated to its geodesic dome from 1980 to 1982 for tourist display by the Wrather Corporation. Completion of the Moreell Drydock (Drydock No. This rating has decreased by -2% over the last 12 months. Through his expression in his paintings, the history of the Long Beach Shipyard will be preserved forever Page 61 advances required for fleet support. The property was first leased to the Federal
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long beach naval shipyard employees forum