Today in World War II History—August 9, 1944
Friday, August 9, 2019 by Sarah Sundin

75 Years Ago—August 9, 1944: At Mare Island Navy Yard in Vallejo, CA, 258 black sailors who survived the Port Chicago Explosion refuse to load munitions and are imprisoned [see Port Chicago: The Work Stoppage].
US Fifteenth Air Force Aircrew Rescue Unit (Italy) flies first mission, evacuating 268 airmen & refugees from Yugoslavia in C-47 cargo planes.
Smokey Bear is introduced by the US Forest Service as a spokesman for fire prevention.
