The Honda Naval Disaster that occurred off the coast of what is now Vandenberg Space Force Base remains the navy’s greatest peacetime disaster. In the space of less than 20 minutes, 7 navy destroyers wrecked on the jagged rocks at Point Honda. Many theories have been offered to explain the disaster including human error, arrogance, discomfort with new technology, and irregular wave behavior due to an earthquake in Japan an ocean away. Despite a court of inquiry and court martial trial, the exact cause of the disaster continues to be debated.

The museum program will focus on actions taken by the US Navy before and after the incident, and how the historic location of the accident has been managed for the past 100 years. Community responses to the accident and its aftermath will also be explored