The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights

After the Port Chicago explosion, the sailors are unsure whether to follow orders to return to work loading explosives. As the sailors debate amongst themselves, some of them begin to sign their names to a list stating that they do not want to continue loading explosives. Small, however, recognizing that such a petition could get the sailors into trouble, helps to destroy the list. Though the Navy never sees the actual list, it takes on an important significance in the trial of the Port Chicago 50. Since the list has been destroyed, the actual wording of the list’s demands is unknown, and both the prosecution and defense make differing claims as to what the list stated. The prosecution has sailors testify that the list stated that “we, the undersigned men, are willing to work, but refuse to load ammunition” (117). In cross-examination, the defense asks whether it is possible the list actually stated that the sailors “don’t want to handle ammunition,” which witnesses agree is possible (118). Though the two wordings are almost identical, the small change makes a large difference for both the prosecution’s and defense’s arguments. The wording of “refuse” implies an intentional plan to disregard the Navy’s authority, while “don’t want to” simply suggests that the sailors were “requesting a change of duty” (118).