The Snapshots in Time Collection

U.S. Navy Sailors Returning from Sentry Duty, Mare Island Naval Shipyard, 1917

U.S. Navy Sailors Returning from Sentry Duty, Mare Island Naval Shipyard, 1917

This 1917 snapshot from a personal photo album captures three U.S. Navy sailors returning from sentry duty at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, California. Dressed in regulation undress blues with cartridge belts and sidearms, the men reflect the heightened security measures at American naval installations during the World War I mobilization, when shipyards like Mare Island rapidly expanded to support the fleet. Project: 218551