Three Navy bandsmen transferred out of Camp Robert Smalls at Great Lakes to Camp Parks, on the eastern edge of San Francisco Bay, in August 1943, where they were to become part of a 25-piece Navy band that would be stationed there “for the duration.” Drummer Kenneth Wilson, a Chicago native, was 18. Also from Chicago: George Dye, clarinet and saxophone, and Arthur King, trumpet.
Camp Parks was commissioned January 19, 1943.
The band pictured here is identified as the Fleet City Military band in a 1945 annual that unfortunately does not provide IDs. Camps Parks and Shoemaker were part of the operations merger in April 1944 that also brought the Naval Hospital, the Naval Disciplinary Barracks, and an Army POW camp under one unit known as Fleet City.
The Fleet City Bluejackets [?], a 22-piece band formed in 1943, its White bandmaster 2nd row, left.
A White band from Fleet City played USO shows in the Bay area with Danny Kaye and Chico Marx.
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Sources
“Camp Parks In-depth Overview.” Military Installations. Militaryonesource.mil. 17 July 2022.
“Eleven Hollywood Stars Here.” The Masthead. Treasure Island Naval Station. 3 Mar. 1945. 1. treasureislandmuseum.org. 2 Feb. 2025.
Naval Receiving Station, Transient Personnel, U.S. Naval Training Center [TADCEN]. vol 25, 1945. GGArchives.com. 11 Feb. 2025.
“3 Musical Seamen Join Band in West.” Chicago Defender. 21 Aug. 1943.
–February 12, 2025