An easy end to confrontation

With the specter of war again upon us, it might be timely to discuss

the militarization of our city during World War II.

After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, as far as Californians

were concerned, the next step of the Japanese war machine was, quite

logically, the coast of California. While we now know that the sole

attack on our shores was the night a Japanese submarine surfaced near

Santa Barbara and lobbed a few shells at some oil rigs in Goleta, at

that time California could visualize Japanese soldiers storming

ashore at almost any place along the coast.

Fox holes were dug on the bluffs from Corona del Mar to Laguna. A

powerful searchlight was mounted on the end of the Huntington Beach

pier. Preparations were commenced for the installation of coastal

artillery on the bluffs back of Bolsa Chica.

Every night, householders who had been for years watching the

ocean break on rocks off Laguna or San Clemente called the

authorities to report a Japanese submarine surfacing there. Militia

companies were formed. A blackout was enforced along the coast.

Even after it was pretty obvious that the war was being fought in

such far off places as Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan and Okinawa,

California kept itself in a state of military preparedness -- and our

city did its share.

It is commonly believed that the only military establishments in

Orange County at that time were the Marine Corps Station in El Toro,

the Lighter Than Air Base in Tustin, the Los Alamitos Navy Air

Station in Los Alamitos and the Seal Beach Ammunition Station in Seal

Beach.

Not so. Newport Beach had its own military establishment, a U.S.

Coast Guard Patrol Station located -- where? On Balboa Island. More

specifically, on Collins Island, in the castle built by Mr. Collins

for his wife, Apolena.

Long Beach, San Pedro and San Diego were the logical places for

our naval forces. But what better place for patrolling the coast than

halfway between Long Beach and San Diego? Also, Newport’s fishing

fleet had to continue fishing to feed the populace, and they had to

be checked coming and going for the possibility that one of those

fishing boats might meet a Japanese submarine and acquire a saboteur

to land and play havoc with our military installations.

To prevent this, a barge was stationed in the channel mouth.

There, the Coast Guard checked all craft coming and going out of the

harbor. There was some talk of a submarine net across the channel,

but wiser heads prevailed. It would have to be a mighty small

submarine to get into the channel mouth and, once in, what would it

torpedo -- the Balboa Island ferry?

Meanwhile, the Navy was in the process of acquiring yachts up and

down the coast, bringing them into one of our brand new shipyards,

painting them gray and sending them out to patrol the Catalina

channel.

And so it was that Navy Ensign Black came steaming into Newport

Harbor on a small yacht the Navy had acquired in San Diego. As he

came alongside the barge, Coast Guard Ensign White ordered him to

stop for inspection.

No way, Ensign Black said. He was an officer of the United States

Navy, and no two-bit Coast Guard officer was going to stop him as he

carried out his duties. He steamed grandly past the barge.

Thunderstruck at this breach of security, Ensign White leaped into

his patrol boat, came alongside and ordered Ensign Black to heave to

or whatever salty language a Coast Guard officer uses to tell a boat

to stop.

Ensign Black would have no part of this. In the great tradition of

the Navy, “Damn the torpedoes,” -- or in this case, damn the Coast

Guard -- “full speed ahead.”

“Prepare to board!” Ensign White ordered.

“Prepare to repel boarders!” Ensign Black ordered.

At that time, one of the crewmen was giggling so hard he fell

overboard, and that was the end of the confrontation.

If only all confrontations could end so simply.

* ROBERT GARDNER is a Corona del Mar resident and a former judge.

His column runs Tuesdays.