Mare Island, located near Vallejo, California, was an important naval shipyard for over a century. It was the first naval facility built on the Pacific coast in 1854. During the height of World War II, it employed close to 40,000 workers in the various dry-docks, shops and warehouses. They are credited with constructing at least eighty-nine seagoing vessels, many of them submarines. Their efforts certainly helped win the War.

In 1996, the Navy closed the base. Ambitious plans by the City of Vallejo and a private contractor to redevelop the island into a multi-use community are ongoing. Preservation of the important structures is guaranteed by the site's status as a National Historic Landmark.

The fate of many of these old buildings is sealed. They will eventually be destroyed. This fact brings a sense of urgency to document their current state before they are gone forever.

Tim Fleming, August 2011