Nights Like These

by Laurie Search

Title

Nights Like These

Artist

Laurie Search

Medium

Photograph - Digital Photography & Textured Photography

Description

Treasure Island, San Francisco, CA........It's a very interesting story...As told by Wikipedia: Treasure Island was built with imported fill on shoals on the north side of Yerba Buena Island for the World's Fair Expo in 1939. The connected Yerba Buena Island sits in the middle of the San Francisco � Oakland Bay Bridge. Built by the federal government, Treasure Island was planned for and used as an airport for Pan American World Airways flying boats, of which the China Clipper is an example. The flying boats landed on the Port of Trade Winds Harbor / Clipper Cove which lies between Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island. Full construction of Pan Am's headquarters was diverted. Instead, Treasure Island�s first role was to host the 1939-40 World�s Fair, Golden Gate International Exposition. Themes for the Fair were Pacific Unity, Peace and Innovation. For two years, tourists and locals alike were enthralled by many international pavilions and exhibits, lush gardens, dramatic nighttime lighting displays, lively entertainment, and striking public art. After the fair, the Island was scheduled to be used as an airport until the Navy offered to exchange Mills Field on the San Francisco Peninsula near the cities of San Bruno and Millbrae in San Mateo County for the island. The City and County of San Francisco accepted the swap, and the airport was built at Mills Field..........During World War II, Treasure Island became part of the Treasure Island Naval Base, and served as an electronics and radio communications training school, and as the major Navy departure and receiving point for sailors in the Pacific aboard surface ships and submarines. The Naval Station also served as an Auxiliary Air Facility airfield for airships, blimps, dirigibles, planes, and seaplanes by Hangars / Bldgs. 2 & 3. The seaplanes landed in the Port of Trade Winds Harbor. In honor for his dedicated service for developing the Treasure Island Naval Station and Auxiliary Air Facility from inception the Navy named Rear Admiral Hugo Wilson Osterhaus square in front of Building One. Also, World War II Medal of Honor recipient Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone USMC had a base movie theater (at Bldg 401 on Avenue I and 9th Street) named in his honor.........After the war, a training center for nuclear decontamination was established on the island. A full size mockup of a navy ship dubbed the USS Pandemonium was constructed in July 1956. Radioactive materials were placed on the land-locked ship in order to train crews in radioactive detection and cleanup. The Pandemonium remained in use until July 1969. It was moved from its original site and then demolished in 1996..........During the 1960s-1980s Treasure Island was used by the U.S. Navy for shipboard fire fighting and damage control training for Hull Maintenance Technicians and other sailors. Treasure Island housed the "USS Buttercup" (in Bldg. 341 on Avenue M and 4th Street) which was a static damage control trainer that was used for real time shipboard battle damage repair and control. The Auxiliary Air Facility airfield was limited to helicopter landing pad use at Naval Airship square on the East side of Hangar/Bldg. 3 near the Naval firehouse at Bldg. 111.........Additionally, the Hull Maintenance Technician Training School Phase "A" was trained at Treasure Island for Nuclear, Biological, Radiological and Chemical Warfare Training as part of their phase "A" and phase "B" training..........Treasure Island was also the location for the (nominal) 42-week Electronics Technician (ET) 'A-School'........In 1996, Treasure Island and the Presidio Army Post were decommissioned and opened to public control, under stipulations. Treasure Island is now part of District 6 of the City and County of San Francisco, though it is still owned by the Navy. In 1993, the naval station was selected for closure, and Navy operations ended there in 1997. Some of the property was transferred to the Federal Highway Administration, the Labor Department and the U.S. Coast Guard, and the rest is open for development..........Problems have arisen over the determination of Treasure Island's fair-market value. The city's redevelopment agency, The Treasure Island Development Authority, valued the land at $13.8 million, and the city offered the Navy $40 million for the property. Two other estimates determined the fair market value at $250 million. However, in 2008 Congress offered the publicly held property to the city of San Francisco for nothing, under Section 2711 of HR 2647, drafted by Rep. Sam Farr.

Uploaded

May 22nd, 2013

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