Black sailors exonerated for mutiny 80 years after Navy disaster, but not alive to see justice prevail
Carol Cherry never knew her father was a central character in one of the darkest chapters of American military history until long after his death — something she found out from her sister.
"I said, 'Stop playing.' And she was like, 'No, he didn't tell you he went to jail?' I said, 'For what?' She said, 'Mutiny,'" Cherry said.
In July 1944, World War II was raging in the Pacific. U.S. forces were in desperate need of ammunition, and Port Chicago in northern California became a critical supply point. At the time, the Navy was still segregated. Naval historian Dr. Regina Akers says Black sailors got the toughest, most dangerous assignments.
"Those who loaded the ammunition were African American, exclusively," Akers said. "Not that they didn't want to do their jobs. This is so important. Why are only African Americans loading ammunition?"
They repeatedly warned the White officers that safety conditions were lax, but they were never addressed.
Then, disaster struck. Two explosions in July 1944 decimated the entire loading area, killing 320 people and injuring more than 390. It was the worst stateside disaster in World War II, according to the Navy.
The White sailors were granted leave after the explosion, but Black sailors were ordered back to work loading ammunition at another port. Around 250 sailors initially refused, but after threats, most complied.
Fifty men stood their ground and became known as the Port Chicago 50. They were charged and convicted of mutiny in a mass summary court-martial and sentenced to hard labor.
Carol Cherry's father, Cyril Sheppard, was sentenced to prison for almost two years at the age of 20.
"He didn't have a blemish on his record until this happened. He was commended for his bravery after the explosion," Cherry said.
Last July, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro exonerated the Black sailors 80 years after the disaster.
"They took the right course of action by denying to go back to work under the similar circumstances," Del Toro said.
Yet, they lived and died with this dark cloud.
"And that's the unfortunate part about this. And I pray that an exoneration will bring peace to their souls and bring peace to their family members," Del Toro said.
At a memorial ceremony at Port Chicago last July, Carol Cherry was presented with a flag that now sits on her shelf, serving as a shrine to her father.
"I thank my pop for what he did. I'm so proud of him, and I'm so happy for where we are at this moment. I wish he was here to see it."
And she wishes she could tell him justice was finally done, and the Navy now says her pop was a hero.
