Tag Archives: Vallejo

Bomb Shelters(?)

C59F7828.jpgWith the outbreak of the Second World War, Mare Island rapidly added some bomb shelters for the workers and residents.  These concrete bunkers were built quickly but have lasted a long time.  The doors to them have gradually decayed and they are now predominantly sealed with steel doors.  As bomb shelters go, they were of reasonable use.  A direct hit would have destroyed them and whoever was unlucky enough to be inside.  However, they should have provided protection to the occupants from shrapnel resulting from a nearby impact had it ever happened.  Now they just look a little incongruous amongst the trees but there would have been a time when they were considered a very welcome feature to those nearby.

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Ospreys on the Docks

AU0E1643.jpgI might have been visiting Mare Island to see the museum and surrounding area but I also got to fit in some wildlife viewing while I was there.  I had stepped out of the back of the museum towards one of the dry docks.  One of the guys working in a business nearby starting chatting and saying how he wished he had a long lens with him to photograph the ospreys.  I could hear a lot of noise but he pointed out the source.  All of the high structures around the docks be they cranes or gantries seemed to have a nest on them.  Ospreys were all over the place.  They had access to the fishing in the water a short distance away so the metalwork was providing a great vantage point with plenty of privacy.

AU0E1670.jpgThe noise from the nest close to me was pretty loud.  A chick was obviously awaiting some food.  At first I thought the parents were going to come right in but then I realized that there were so many nests that the birds I could see flying were not necessarily anything to do with this chick.  I don’t know whether it had worked that out, though, given the noise it was making when any bird came close.  I have no idea how much the nest impact the operation of the machinery and whether there are any restrictions on what can be done when they are in place but they are clearly all over the place.

St Peter’s Chapel

C59F7827.jpgLocated on Mare Island, St Peter’s Chapel was a non-denominational chapel to support the naval facility.  It is no longer an active chapel but it is available for use for ceremonies.  The structure looks pretty small from the outside but it is surprising how many people it can accommodate without trouble.  The wooden structure is very different to everything else on the facility and it looks quite rustic.  Many panels inside the chapel reflect the naval history of Mare Island and, particularly, the submarine forces.

C59F7821.jpgThe striking feature of the chapel is the stained glass windows.  Many of them were made by Tiffany and they are considered very valuable.  An exact value is not given but, since they cannot be replaced, you could argue they are priceless.  Not all of the windows are from Tiffany but most are and some include a signature which makes them even rarer.  The windows survived relatively unscathed in the recent earthquake that hit the area so the team is making sure that they are left alone as much as possible to avoid causing more harm than good.

Officer Commanding’s House

C59F7805.jpgEx-military installations that I have visited have a feature in common and that is the quarters for the senior officers.  Some grand looking houses are the home for the higher levels of staff and, the older the installation is, the grander the accommodations appear to be.  Putting together this post has reminded me of another place I visited a few years ago and I shall have to write about that too at some point.  However, the location today is Mare Island.  As a naval facility, the officer commanding required a sizeable house.  We got to take a look around the place.

C59F7783.jpgIn actuality, it isn’t the largest home you will see on a military base.  Take a trip to the Presidio in San Francisco and you will see plenty of big houses.  Even so, this one is quite an impressive place.  There is plenty of space for a family to live in this house and it looks very nice from the outside.  It is also a short walk to the main administration block.  Not the worst commute anyone would have.  The staff areas are naturally a little more spartan and there is a buzzer system to allow the occupants to summon those staff when required.  It isn’t hard to imagine officers with cigars around the table after dinner.