Mare Island Naval Hospital

Starting with a brief history of western naval medical care from the ancient Greeks and proceeding to modern times, this book chronicles the evolution of the Navy’s first west coast hospital, the Mare Island Naval Hospital, as it grew from a “palatial” but primitive facility in the 1860s to the Navy’s premier amputee center for Marines and sailors returning from the brutal Pacific war. Located in the Navy’s largest California shipyard, the hospital benefited from healthful California weather that permitted creation of a tent hospital to care for Spanish flu victims. Navy Yard engineering and mechanical skills helped create the Navy’s first ambulance boats, and in World War II, the best limb prostheses available. Hospital commanders skillfully balanced their obligations as naval officers and as physicians to provide the best possible care for their charges.
Damaged by the 1898 Mare Island earthquake, the original structure was replaced. The facility grew over time as structures representing new medical knowledge—laboratory science, neuropsychiatry, infectious diseases, internal medicine, the famous “brace shop”—came on line. Despite concerns that its proximity to the navy yard’s industrial complex could lead to inadvertent (or intentional) bombing in wartime, at its peak, the hospital’s 23 structures covered 48 acres and accommodated about 2,300 patients. This complete history of the Mare Island Naval Hospital draws heavily on primary sources and provides a detailed picture of this pivotal hospital.

Thomas L. Snyder, M.D. is a retired urological surgeon and Navy Reserve medical officer. He lives in Vallejo, California.

Thomas L. Snyder, M.D.
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 216
Bibliographic Info: 20 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2025
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9738-3
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5526-0
Imprint: McFarland

Preface 1

Introduction 5

Part I—The Early Years: Anticipating Modern Health Care

One. The Navy Arrives on the West Coast 15

Two. Early Medical Care at Mare Island Navy Yard 18

Three. A Firm Base for Health Care and the Doctors 29

Four. A Hospital in Technological Transformation, 1871–1898 42

Five. Early 20th Century 85

Six. Toward Modernity 97

Part II­—The 20th Century: Responding to World Events

Seven. First “Test of War” 125

Eight. Interbellum 132

Nine. Into the Great Depression and Then Ramping Up 142

Ten. World War II—Their Finest Hour 149

Eleven. War’s End, Immobilization, Korean War, Closure 163

Epilogue 175

Chapter Notes 179

Bibliography 203

Index 207

• “The story of Navy Medicine is incomplete without mention of Naval Hospital Mare Island, the Navy’s first West Coast hospital. In his groundbreaking book Dr. Snyder meticulously chronicles Mare Island’s remarkable journey from the age of sail through the dawn of modern medicine. This definitive account not only fills in important narrative gaps in our Navy’s history, but also sheds light on the fascinating evolution of military healthcare. A must-read for anyone interested in the history of the Navy, Navy Medicine, or California.”—André B. Sobocinski, historian, Navy Medical Department

• “Dr. Thomas L. Snyder’s Mare Island Naval Hospital: A History, 1864–1957 is a masterful and comprehensive exploration of the history of the Navy’s first hospital on the West Coast. This meticulously researched work, spanning centuries of medical and naval history, offers an insightful and engaging narrative that highlights the intrepidity, creativity, and resourcefulness of those who served. Dr. Snyder’s dedication to his subject and his ability to weave personal anecdotes with historical facts make this book a compelling read for historians, medical professionals, and anyone interested in maritime medicine. This is a significant contribution to the field and a fitting tribute to the legacy of Mare Island’s naval hospital.”—Tami Hendriksz, D.O., FACOP, FAAP, Interim Chief Academic Officer, Touro University California, Dean & CAO, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Professor of Pediatrics

• “Dr. Thomas Snyder has produced an important, carefully researched book documenting the history of the Navy’s first West Coast hospital, that expanded from cramped quarters on a Navy sloop in 1854 to a facility averaging 2,300 patients in double-bunks during World War II. Snyder, informed by his years in the Navy’s Medical Corps, explains how the hospital at Mare Island Naval Shipyard achieved international acclaim in rehabilitating combat amputees. He also details the hospital’s efforts to control the Spanish Flu and its innovative treatment methods for burn victims. A significant contribution to Navy and medical history.”—Brendan Riley, Vallejo author and historian

• “Tom Snyder, M.D. has presented us with an extremely scholarly and detailed historical picture of one of Navy Medicine’s most important medical facilities in the latter part of the 1800s through the first half of the last century. Quite simply, the Mare Island Naval Hospital and its staff were there when we needed them, through several wars, including the two big ones, and a pandemic. The hospital also hosted new members of the medical department including nurses and enlisted corpsman. This is a fascinating story which keeps your interest high. The problems faced by the leaders of Navy Medicine, on sight at Mare Island and in Washington D.C., such as staff, facilities, other resources, were the same, then as now. Well Done, Dr. Snyder.”—Frederic G. Sanford, M.D., Rear Admiral, Medical Corps, USN (Ret.)