02/26/2026
UPDATE: A NEW Youtube video of Building 505, created by Daniel Chappell. I wrote, “tears. Wow! Whew! You are unbelievable! Thank you. So beautiful.
Thank you for your lyrics some taken from my words. The ending is phenomenal. Breathtaking. You are my hero. Your Mare Island Vallejo piece was astonishing. Just thank you. I will be sharing with your blessing!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-EKbBhjICc
These were my own words with my post aboutbrge dreams and demise of our first San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival Go Wildly Live Outdoors
A song of solace for my beloved friend Building 505, the Radio Communication facility for the US Navy for the Pacific before, during and after WWII. Built in 1939. Through Bldg 505, the mainland learned of bombing of Pearl Harbor. Some say although the Navy transitioned to low frequency radio in this building, that a Navy radio operator did have a high frequency radio over which he, and many, many other people throughout the world, are documented to have heard Amelia Earhart’s distress calls. This beautifully designed “streamline moderne”style architecture was eligible for listing on the National Reiner of Historic Places prior to the base closure. The nomination never took place. Our 1st San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival was held inside Building 505, hosted by the US Navy and our nonprofit at that time, Save the Bay and later, taken over by our Mare Island Heritage Trust. Sadly, two horrible things happened, maybe 3 to drive this lovely building into ruin. The US Fish and Wildlife Service was forced off Mare Island by the Navy at the behest of the City of Vallejo and our willing and eager to please the City, Congressman. The Navy instituted conditions for transfer, untenable for the USFWS and in fact, the DOD forced them to withdraw 66,000 acres of requests for fed-to-fed transfers. Mare Island became one of those withdrawals. Ironic, now. And, finally, the city made a grant application from the newly founded Depart of Homeland Security, to take the building and turn it into a police workout gym and indoor firing range. That didn’t get funded. The USGS occupied it for decades. Then, they were forced to move by a recent administration. Leaving Building 505 vulnerable. I traveled for 7 years to DC, lobbying and securing $2.4 mil in the Dept of Interior construction budget FY 00-03 for the federal
Match to a State and local match to convert it to a regional environmental education center for the $2.5 mil people on the “north shore of San Francisco Bay, who do not have such a facility. It was slated to serve as the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge headquarters in that @ renovation. What the hand of disregard, the disdain for natural and historic resources and the shear incompetence and malice by one city, can accomplish. Nothing short of criminal. Assets gifted by the American people squandered simply because they didn’t want it, but no one else could have it. Without a window, fully, covered in “tattoos” and fires set, likely msny of which are official “fire for hire” as we know do well on Mare island, and yet, she stands strong. We know each other intimately. We will love each other always as good friends, do. Building 505, you are always in my heart. Forever and always. Myrna Hayes San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival Go Wildly Live Outdoors
As I wrote a short intro for a repost to my personal page, more of my heart sickness came forward.
“Not my most uplifting or hopeful or happy post. I was drawn the two blocks from my normal drive to lock the San Pablo Bay Trail gate, towards Building 505, the former Commissary and Commisssary Annex for many years, this evening.
The sun was setting to its northwest. A man was walking out of it with his backpack. The colorful tatoos it is covered in, looked bleak, and disgraceful on this precious and sacred place of Military and Navy history.
And, as I took a few photos down the long drive from the main road, I felt this sinking feeling. Like all is lost. Like before me, lay a sunken treasure. All of our inheritance from the US Navy, gifted to our city 30 years ago, squandered.
While we have millions of dollars of historic maritime rolling stock, completely unrelated to Mare Island Naval Shipyard, presently floating along the quay, our direct link to by far, one of the most somber maritime stories in our Nation’s history, has the fabric shredded, burned, defaced and defamed. How does this honor the service of this Navy, this Shipyard and its dedicated Workers, this Building, and its sacred duty?
And, it seems that I am the sole person who cares. What’s up, people?! WHAT is wrong with this town, this regional community, this congressional district, this State? Shame. Shame. Shame.”
Built in 1939 as the Navy’s High-Frequency radio transmitting station, she stood proud in sleek Streamline Moderne style. Her waves carried the first word of...
