"On the evening of July 17, 1944, residents in the San Francisco east bay area were jolted awake by a massive explosion that cracked windows and lit up the night sky. At Port Chicago Naval Magazine, 320 men were instantly killed when two ships being loaded with ammunition for the Pacific theater troops blew up. It was WWII's worst home front disaster."
It's a long way from the big city with the same name, and the park's history may not be familiar to many Americans, but Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial has a compelling story, and it's now the newest addition to the National Park System.
Did you watch all 15 hours of the Ken Burns mega-series "The War" which wrapped up last night on PBS? I did! Having watched the series, I have wondered, what are the World War II sites managed by the National Park Service? I've come up with this list, with some parks units that you might not expect.