Page 63 - Historical Study of Yerba Buena Island, Treasure Island and Their Buildings

1.3.2 Receiving Ship, San Francisco, 1899-1946

The "receiving ship" function had always been a part of the Naval Station on Goat Island, but it
came to the forefront as the only significant reason for the Navy to remain on the island. The
function of a receiving ship was explained in the same article that reported the closure of the
Training Station:

"The commander in chief of the battle fleet will notify Captain George Landenburger
(Receiving Ship Commanding Officer) of his requirements, and these will be filled from
the receiving ship with available men. In a similar manner the Bureau of Navigation will
notify the receiving ship of men needed at various stations. Assignments of officer
personnel, communications relating to enlisted personnel and such matters will be
handled by Commander Gunther (who worked for Captain Landenburger)."

Except for the building of the San Francisco-Oakland (SFO) Bay Bridge, this time in the history
of Yerba Buena Island was very quiet. To illustrate how little the base facilities were used after
the Training Station moved to San Diego, facilities such as the swimming pool, basketball and
tennis courts, and barracks were turned over to the San Francisco Playground Commission for
use as a weekend camp for disadvantaged children who otherwise would not be able to go to
summer camp (Ref. W, July 12, 1926).

Many buildings that were not used after the transfer of the Training Station to San Diego were
found to have termite and teredoe (shipworm) damage. These buildings were demolished in the
mid 1930's because (1) they were uneconomical to repair, and (2) preparations for the building
of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge were underway. See Figure 30.

The building of the SFO Bay Bridge did not really change much about Y erba Buena Island
directly. It was still the little island in the middle of the bay that everyone ignored. Only now
they ignored it as they went through its tunnel instead of while passing it on the ferry.
--- Eventually, however, the presence of the bridge led to the building of Treasure Island and that
did have an enormous effect on Yerba Buena Island's mission.

The Yerba Buena Naval Station remained as a Receiving Ship until, once again, space
limitations of the island were evident upon the advent of World War II. The approximate 150
acres of useable land was not enough acreage to satisfy expansion requirements. Treasure
Island, on the other hand, with its 400 acres of ready-for-use flat land appealed to the expansion
needs of the Navy. So, during World War II, the Receiving Ship functions gradually transferred
to Treasure Island. The barracks on Y erba Buena Island continued to serve as the primary
barracks until it was filled beyond capacity, causing even the theater and library to be used as
additional space for berthing. Such overcrowding required men to be transferred to Treasure
Island. To reduce the impact on Yerba Buena Island, the Navy instituted a liberal leave policy
for men returning from overseas duty. Also, the Receiving Ship function was limited to that of
receiving only those men returning from overseas for processing, leave, or other assignments.
This allowed the Receiving Ship to handle far more than they would have been able to otherwise.

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September 1, 1995 Historical Study ofYerba Buena Island, 1-39
Treasure Island, and their Buildings