Los Angeles County
San Pedro
22nd St. Cabrillo Wharf
Cruise Ships
Jacob's Ladder
Maritime Museum
Point Fermin
Lighthouse
Port of Los Angeles
Vincent
Thomas Bridge
War Memorials
SAN PEDRO HOTELS
Best Western Sunrise
Hotel
525 South Harbor Boulevard
San Pedro, CA 90731
Holiday Inn San
Pedro/Los Angeles Harbor
111 S. Gaffey St.
San Pedro, CA 90731
Marina Hotel San
Pedro
2800 Via Cabrillo Marina |
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American Merchant Marine
Veterans Memorial
S. Harbor Blvd. at W. 6th St., San Pedro, CA
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Photo © Debbie Stock
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| Commissioned by a group of local seamen to honor merchant
marine veterans from all wars, this memorial is the first national memorial
to merchant seamen in the United States. During World War II, there were
215,000 merchant mariners, including many teenage boys too young to enlist
and men classified as 4-F who wanted to serve the United States military
during the time Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. With More than 6,800 civilian
merchant seamen losing their lives in World War II, their causality rate
was the highest of any service.
600 were taken prisoner and more than 650 of their
ships were sunk. 8,651 merchant mariners were killed at sea, 11,000 wounded,
1,100 died from their wounds ashore, 604 taken prisoner and 60 died in
prison camps.
A bronze plaque on the memorial states, "The United
States Merchant Marine has faithfully served our country in times
of war and peace hauling cargo to every corner of the world. This Memorial
is dedicated to those brave men and women of all races, creeds and colors
who answered that call to serve."
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U.S.S. Los Angeles
Naval Memorial
S. Harbor Blvd. at W. 6th St., San Pedro, CA |
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Photo © Debbie Stock
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The heavy cruiser CA-135 Los Angeles earned her name,
since she was financed by war bonds purchased by the residents of the city
and county of Los Angeles. The campaign produced over $80 million, and
was so successful that it helped to finance four destroyers.
Commissioned in 1945 days prior to Japan's surrender,
she spent a year in Asiatic waters before being placed in the reserve fleet. Re-commissioned in 1951, she was the first U.S. Navy vessel to take enemy
fire in Korea, and established a record for the longest-sustained bombardment
ever logged by an American warship. After Korea, she returned to routine
naval duties until 1963, when she was decommissioned, placed in the
reserve fleet in San Diego and scrapped in 1977. |
When the Los Angeles was dismantled, San Pedro acquired her
main mast, two anchors and one of the anchor chain capstans. Together,
they form the monument that was dedicated in 1979. With code flags
and the Stars and Stripes, the mast has become a symbol of the heritage
that San Pedro Harbor represents. An extensive collection of memorabilia
from the Los Angeles is on display at the L.A. Maritime Museum. .
MORE SAN PEDRO PHOTOS
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