 And 256 black sailors punished for a deadly California port explosion during World War II have been exonerated. It happened in 1944 at Port Chicago Naval Weapons Station when munitions being loaded onto a cargo ship detonated, igniting 5,000 tons of explosives. 320 sailors and civilians died. Black sailors had spoken up about the loading operations before the explosion. Afterwards, white sailors were given hardship leave and black sailors were told to clear the site.