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.
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