Navy Secretary Exonerates 256 Black Sailors Punished After Deadly 1944 Ammunition Explosion
258 black sailors were court martialed for refusing to handle ammunition after a deadly explosion at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine on July 17, 1944. Secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro, announced on July 17 the full exoneration of 256 black sailors who had been convicted in trials by court-martial for refusing to handle