Keith Kamisugi

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The Friends of Port Chicago Memorial welcomes Capitol Hill veteran John A. Lawrence to our board of directors.

John served for 38 years as a staff member in the US House of Representatives, the last eight as Chief of Staff to Speaker/Leader Nancy Pelosi. John played a major role in the creation of the Port Chicago National Memorial and in securing a presidential pardon for Freddie Meeks, one of the 50 sailors court martialed following the explosion.

After retiring from service on the Hill in February 2013, Speaker John A. Boehner and Leader Pelosi recognized John’s dedication and bipartisanship by conferring on him the John W. McCormack Award for Excellence. John served as Staff Director of the Committee on Natural Resources (1993-2001), Staff Director of the Committee on Education and the Workforce (2001-2005), and Chief of Staff and Legislative Director to Congressman George Miller (D-CA) (1975-2005).

He is a visiting professor at the University of California campus in Washington, DC and writes and speaks on public policy and politics, and is author of the blog, DOMEocracy (johnalawrence.wordpress.com). Born in Paterson, N.J., John holds a Ph.D. in American History from the University of California (Berkeley), and an A.B. (with high honors in history) from Oberlin College.

Join the National Park Service and the Friends of Port Chicago National Memorial to honor the 320 men who lost their lives in the largest WWII military disaster on the home front. Visitors are invited to attend the ceremony at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 20, 2013 at the site of the catastrophe, which occurred on July 17, 1944, at Port Chicago Naval Magazine in Concord, Calif., when two ships being loaded with ammunition exploded.

Following the ceremony, all visitors are welcome to attend a short ranger-led program and a screening of …into forgetfulness, a documentary film about Port Chicago. Visitors will have an opportunity to share stories and learn more about the explosion, the desegregation of the United States Armed Forces, and the birth of the civil rights movement in our country.

As the event will be held on an active military base, all visitors must have reservations and a security check. Visitors age 18 and under must be accompanied by an adult, but do not need to provide the information below. When reserving a spot, please be ready to give the following:

· First and Last Name
· Gender
· Date of Birth
· E-Mail or Mailing Address
· Daytime Phone Number
· The identification number of a government issued ID, e.g. driver’s license, state issued ID

Reservations are required and must be made by July 5, 2013. To make a reservation, please leave a voicemail message at 925-228-8860 x. 6423 or email Jim_MacDonald@nps.gov. Your reservation is confirmed when you receive acknowledgement from NPS staff. For more information about the event, please visitwww.nps.gov/poch.

The National Park Service offers guided 1.5 hour tours of Port Chicago Naval Magazine throughout the year on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 1:30 p.m. Not all dates may be available, and reservations must be made at least two weeks in advance online or by phone at 925-228-8860 ext. 6520.

Posts By Keith Kamisugi

John A. Lawrence Joins Friends of Port Chicago Memorial Board of Directors

National Park Service Commemorates the 69th Anniversary of the Port Chicago Explosion