The San Francisco Bay Area's major contribution to victory during World War II was shipbuilding. Inside the bay, bases abounded including Fort Mason, the principal Pacific Port of Embarkation, the Presidio, Fort Miley, and Hamilton Army Airfield.

Forts Baker, Barry, and Cronkhite ringed the tip of Marin County, while Fort Point mounted guard on the Golden Gate Straits.

Preparations for mobilization to create 'Fortress San Francisco' were massive. The communities that ring the San Francisco Bay were irrevocably altered by that wartime era and still bear its visible marks in the remains of military bases and coastal defense fortifications, ships and shipbuilding facilities, worker housing and day-care facilities. World War II dominated the social, economic and political landscapes of the mid-20th century, setting in motion momentous events that still shape the world we live in today. Photo by Christian Mehlführer, User:Chmehl - Own work, CC BY 3.0,

China Town in San Francisco, CA overlooking the Bay Bridge.

Instal Warfare Area 2