From Arrival to departure: US Navy in the Bay Area

This presentation will focus on the United States Navy’s presence in the San Francisco Bay Area for 154 years, beginning with the first navy base on the Pacific Coast, located on the barren Mare Island in the North Bay in 1854. Highlighting the Bay Area’s importance to the United States and the world, major topics will include its role as a major naval fleet complex when Treasure Island served as the principal Naval personnel gateway to the Pacific Theater of operations. During World War II 4.5 million fighting men passed through Treasure Island while also being trained as gunners, navigators, cooks, pilots, radar operators, fire fighters etc.  The Bay Area naval complex continued to play a vital role through the end of the Cold War; as major fleet operational base of operations and as host to highly classified Navy, National Security Agency, and Central Intelligence Agency operations. The Bay Area also played a critical role in the technological evolution of the Navy from the surface of the sea operating sidewheel steamers to nuclear powered warships conducting operations on, above and below the sea. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, a variety of factors contributed to the closure of the entire naval infrastructure in the Bay Area.

Speaker: Dennis R. Kelly

Dennis R. Kelly has many years of experience, working for 22 years at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in technical and managerial positions. Kelly was assigned to be an ombudsman for the conversion of the base to civilian use in 1993. Subsequently, Kelly helped negotiate transfer agreements for most Bay Area naval bases, including Treasure Island.

Kelly has been involved as a Board Member and officer of the Mare Island Historic Park Foundation since its inception in 1995. Kelly continues to manage and create posts for the Mare Island Historic Park Foundation’s social media sites.