Naval Section Base, Monterey


Historic California Posts, Camps, Stations and Airfields
Naval Section Base, Monterey
There is sufficient evidence to support the existence of Section Base Monterey.

In communications with Mr. Jim Conway, City of Monterey Museum Coordinator, and Mr Tim Thomas of the Monterey Maritime Museum, we have established the following facts:

That the US Navy did operate Landing Craft Vehicle and Personnel (LCVP or Higgins Boats) and Landing Craft, Medium (LCM) from the Wharf II (also know as the Commercial Wharf).
That a housing area was established at Tevis-Murray estate on Cannery Row. the Tevis-Murray location is where the current Monterey Plaza hotel is today about 1/4 mile to the Coast Guard jetty.
That the US Coast Guard did have a presence in Monterey due to the large fishing fleet located there. It is not known at this time if the Captain of the Port and other elements of the Coast Guard operated from the Commercial Wharf or what is know as the Coast Guard Jetty which was built by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1934. In November 1941 the Coast Guard was transferred from the Treasury Department to the Navy Department and remained there until 1946. As such any Coast Guard facilities would have transferred to the Navy and would have been the basis of the Section Base. The Coast Guard currently has the 87 foot USCGC HAWKSBILL (WPB 87312) and smaller motor lifeboats operating from the jetty. The City of Monterey is investigating the history of the jetty.