Please join the USS Hornet as we commemorate Veterans Day on
November 11th.
The ship opens at 10 am and the commemoration starts at 11 am.
The event will include the Hornet Horns playing the National Anthem, guest speaker Steve
Minnear, a wreath laying ceremony at the fantail, a flyover from the Memorial Squadron
and more.
Steve Minnear’s (Bio Below) presentation is titled: Before Anchors Aweigh: How the
San Francisco Bay Area Got Sailors to the USS Hornet and the Pacific Theatre. Many
people know the story of how the Navy’s sailors fought World War II in the Pacific. But
few know how the sailors got to their ships. Even fewer know how the San Francisco Bay
Area played a critical role in moving Naval personnel from all over the United States on to
ships to fight the war in the Pacific. Historian Steve Minniear will tell how three now
unknown Navy bases near Dublin, California shipped over 350,000 sailors, Marines and
Coast Guardsmen to war. And how the USS Hornet brought many back as part of Operation
Magic Carpet.
The USS Hornet Memorial Squadron will conduct a flyover of the ship at 12:30 PM.
Film maker George Reletas will be unveiling a trailer to his new movie “Sundown to
Eleven” and if you’ve seen his other video projects, you know this will be good!
In addition, we are partnering with the Alameda County Veterans Commission for
Operation Greenlight. In the evenings from Nov 4th to the 11th we will be shining a green
light in our island structure in support of our Veterans.
Finally, we are partnering with Seatrek for their Veterans Day at Sea Trek. They are
honoring veterans and highlighting the rich military history of the Bay Area with a special
scenic Alameda Waterfront kayak tour.
Steve Minnear bio:
Steve Minniear is an author, speaker, and social media creator focusing on the social,
political, military, and naval history of the Dublin and Tri-Valley area. Besides being the
Historian for the city of Dublin, he works at the Dublin Camp Parks Military History Center
at Parks Reserve Forces Training Area. He is author of Alameda County Sheriff’s Office;
Dublin and the Tri-Valley: The World War II Years (both with Arcadia Press); and Dublin,
California: A Brief History (The History Press). He is also a Board Member of the Dublin
Historical Society and a former commissioner of Dublin’s Heritage and Cultural Arts
Commission. Steve volunteers at Dublin’s Heritage Park and Museums and consults at the
Alameda County Sheriff’s Archive. He posts on local history on social media, including
several Facebook and Instagram pages. Steve has spoken on TV 30 and to civic groups
throughout Alameda and Contra Costa about local history. His blog, Other’s People’s
Photos, and Stories, focuses on off-beat stories about the military, society, and history. It
can be found at substack.com.
Mr. Minniear retired after 32 years of service with the Federal government in the national
security field, including 22 years with the Department of Energy. He has a Master’s degree
in Government from Georgetown University and received his undergraduate degree in
Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley. He is a member of the
Society for Military History, Organization of American History, Council on America’s
Military Past, National Council of Public Historians and has authored articles and book
reviews for several publications
