Mare Island Naval Shipyard to add 100 jobs refurbishing historical navy ships:

In this photo is the USS Iowa which is currently docked at Mare Island. Mare Island Naval Shipyard to add 100 jobs refurbishing historical navy ships

Photo: US Navy

Mare Island Naval Shipyard announced yesterday that they are adding 100 jobs in the next few months to dismantle and scrap the historical naval ship fleet which is stored at the yard. This is good news for Vallejo, which is partly economically driven by the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, which is also a National Historical Landmark. The shipyard dates back to 1850 when the land was declared for government use. The docks were built during the Spanish-American war and military ships began using the base on a regular basis. The base was part of the 1993 Base Realignment and Closure report from Congress, leaving the structures and many old naval ships left on the property awaiting restoration or demolition.

Mare Island was first discovered by a Spanish Explorer named Perez Ayala. The island became the European land in the area. In 1834 Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo named the island Mare Island after his mare went missing and was found when he swam ashore the island.

In 1850 California became a state. This prompted a review of California lands, and President Fillmore decided that Mare Island should be reserved for government use. In 1852 the island was transferred to the US Navy for $83,410 to be used as a naval shipyard. By 1954 Mare Island was the first permanent U.S. naval base on the west coast.

In 1891 the Navy began building dry-docks on the island. The work continued through the Spanish-American War, World War I and World War II. As new dry-docks were being installed, the base housed Navy personnel and was used for naval operations during the wars.

In 1941 a hospital was added to Mare Island and by the Vietnam War the base was used for training and boat operations. The base was officially deactivated in 1996; however the US Navy Reserves still uses portions of the island for training exercises. During the course of the base’s history, over 500 ships were built on Mare Island which included nuclear submarines.

The project began in the 1990’s and has included three residential neighborhoods, a state wildlife area, and office buildings. Ships that are still located near Mare Island include the USS Iowa and the USS LCS (L) (3) 102. Yesterday’s announcement to add 100 jobs to the project rounds out the restoration and reuse plan for Mare Island by freeing the bay from environmental hazards.

Source: US Navy, Mare Island Historic Park Foundation, Lennar. By Cathy O'Brien, San Jose Military History Examiner. 19 February 2011.

http://www.examiner.com/military-history-in-san-jose/mare-island-naval-shipyard-to-add-100-jobs-refurbishing-historical-navy-ships