The San Diego Naval Base was commissioned in 1922 as U.S. Destroyer Base, San Diego. It grew rapidly during its first years as a repair facility and torpedo & radio school. In 1931, then Captain (later Fleet Admiral) Chester W. Nimitz assumed command and noted the “poor condition of decommissioned ships” in his report about the country’s readiness for war. During the Depression, the base survived with more than $2 million for dredging projects from the Public Works Administration (PWA). Then came WW II. Read more San Diego and Navy history in Tazia and Gemma (see NOVELS).
