Terminal Island Isla Raza de Buena Gente Rattlesnake Island
Terminal Island, which includes Federal Correctional Institution, Terminal Island
Terminal Island Location within Southern Los Angeles
Coordinates: 33°45′25″N 118°14′53″W / 33.756963°N 118.248126°W / 33.756963; -118.248126
Country	United States
State	California
County	Los Angeles
Cities	Los Angeles and Long Beach

Terminal Island is an island located in Los Angeles County, California between Los Angeles Harbor and Long Beach Harbor. Originally a mudflat known to the Spanish as Isla Raza de Buena Gente, and later called Rattlesnake Island, it has officially been Terminal Island since 1918. The west half of the island is part of the San Pedro area of the city of Los Angeles, while the rest is part of the city of Long Beach. The island has a land area of 11.56 km² (4.46 sq mi), 2,854 acres (11.55 km²), and had a population of 1,467 as of the 2000 census.

History[link]

The island was home to hundreds of first and second-generation Japanese prior to World War II in an area known as East San Pedro. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, all of the adult males were incarcerated by the FBI and the rest of the inhabitants were forced to evacuate their homes within 48 hours. The subsequent enactment of Executive Order 9066 sent all West Coast Japanese and Japanese-American citizens to internment camps. The entire neighborhood was razed.

Because of the relative geographical isolation of the island, the citizens developed their own culture and even their own dialect. After World War II, the Terminal Islanders, naturally, settled elsewhere. However, in 1971, they formed the "Terminal Islanders Club". Since its formation, the members have organized various events for the members. In 2002, the surviving second-generation citizens set up a memorial on Terminal Island to honor their parents.

NAS Terminal Island[link]

In 1927 a civilian facility, Allen Field, was established on Terminal Island. The Naval Reserve established a training center at the field and later took complete control designated the field Naval Air Base San Pedro (also called "Reeves Field").^[1] In 1941 the Long Beach Naval Station became located adjacent to the airfield. In 1942 the Naval Reserve Training Facility was transferred and a year later NAB San Pedro's status was downgraded to that of a Naval Air Station (NAS Terminal Island). Reeves Field as a Naval Air Station was disestablished in 1947, although the adjacent Long Beach Naval Station would continued to utilize Reeves Field as an auxiliary airfield until the late 1990s.^[2] A large industrial facility now covers the site of the former Naval Air Station.

Ownership[link]

The Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach are the major landowners on the island, who then lease much of their land for container terminals and bulk terminals. The island also hosts canneries, shipyards, Coast Guard facilities, and a Federal Correctional Institution.

The Long Beach Naval Shipyard, decommissioned in 1997, occupied roughly half of the island. Sea Launch maintains docking facilities on the mole that was part of the naval station.

Bridges[link]

Vincent Thomas Bridge

Terminal Island is connected to the mainland via three bridges. To the west, the distinctively green Vincent Thomas Bridge connects Terminal Island with the Los Angeles neighborhood of San Pedro. It is the fourth longest suspension bridge in California. The Gerald Desmond Bridge connects Terminal Island to downtown Long Beach to the east. The (also green) Commodore Schuyler F. Heim Bridge joins Terminal Island with the Los Angeles neighborhood of Wilmington to the north. Adjacent to the Heim Bridge is the Henry Ford Bridge that carries rail traffic.

In popular culture[link]

In The Last Detail, Jack Nicholson playing a navy sailor, reminisces about how he almost marries a girl who lived on Terminal Island in an interesting scene.

In the original Gone in 60 Seconds, the police chase goes across both the Gerald Desmond Bridge and the Vincent Thomas Bridge. The remake, Gone in 60 Seconds, states that Eleanor jumps on the "Vincent Thomas Bridge" when it actually jumps on the Gerald Desmond Bridge.

In the film Death Race, the island is the home of the prison in which most of the film takes place.

Author John Fante makes extensive mention of the island in the novels Ask the Dust and Dreams from Bunker Hill.

In the Neal Stephenson science fiction novel Snow Crash, Terminal Island is part of a "sacrifice zone", a "parcel of land whose clean-up cost exceeds their total future economic value".

In the Leonardo Dicaprio movie Inception the Commodore Schuyler F. Heim Bridge bridge was used for the scene when the main characters are forced to jump a van off a bridge to wake up from one of the levels of the dream.

See also[link]

• List of islands of California

References[link]

1. ^ Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: California: Long Beach area
2. ^ Historic California Posts: Naval Air Station, Terminal Island

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Terminal Island

Greater Los Angeles portal

• Furusato - The Lost Village of Terminal Island Website
• National Park Service: A History of Japanese Americans in California: Terminal Island
• The Bridges of Terminal Island (CA 47, CA 103)
• http://www.MyLAAFBGuide.com

Coordinates: 33°45′25″N 118°14′53″W / 33.756963°N 118.248126°W / 33.756963; -118.248126

v t e Harbor Area, Los Angeles Districts and neighborhoods Harbor City · Harbor Gateway · San Pedro · Terminal Island · Wilmington Points of interest Cabrillo Marine Aquarium · Port of Los Angeles · Vincent Thomas Bridge Downtown · Eastside/Northeast · Harbor Area · Greater Hollywood · Northwest of Downtown · San Fernando and Crescenta Valleys · South Los Angeles · Westside · Wilshire

Vincent Thomas
State Assemblyman, 68th District San Pedro, California
In office January 1941 – January 1975
Preceded by	Fred Reaves
Succeeded by	Walter M. Ingalls
State Assemblyman, 52nd District San Pedro, California
In office January 1975 – January 1979
Preceded by	Floyd L. Wakefield
Succeeded by	Gerald N. Felando
Personal details
Born	(1907-04-16)April 16, 1907 Biloxi, Mississippi
Died	January 1980 (aged 72) San Pedro, California
Political party	Democratic
Profession	Politician
Religion	Roman Catholic

Vincent Tomasevich-Thomas (April 16, 1907- January 1980) was a Democratic Party politician from California who represented San Pedro's 68th and 52nd Districts in the California Assembly from 1941 to 1979.^[1]

Childhood and education[link]

Born in Biloxi, Mississippi, Thomas was the third of eight children of Croatian immigrants who came to America in 1903.^[2] His family moved from Mississippi to Oakland, California in 1917, and then to San Pedro in 1919. In 1928, he graduated from San Pedro High School. He received a Bachelor Degree from the University of Santa Clara in 1932 and attended the University of Santa Clara and Loyola Law Schools from 1932 to 1936. He worked as a minor sports coach and physical education instructor while in college. He also played football for Santa Clara.^[3]

After graduating law school, Thomas did not open his own practice, but found a job in a fish processing factory that was owned by Martin J. Bogdanovich, a fellow Croatian from the Island of Vis. While with the factory, Thomas was encouraged to engage himself in politics.^[4]

Political career[link]

Thomas entered politics and was successful in his first run for office in 1940, resoundingly defeating Charles M. Smith to become the State Assemblyman for the 68th District representing San Pedro.^[5] While in the Assembly, Thomas worked to improve the California commercial fishing industry, and to provide programs for public recreation, senior citizen services, the disabled, transportation and education.

He also served as Chairman of the Committee on Intergovernmental Relations. Thomas had the longest record of service in the Assembly and was known affectionately as "Dean of the Assembly". In 1974, his district was redrawn as the 52nd Assembly District. Ultimately, he served in the Assembly for 19 consecutive terms, until his first defeat in a re-election bid by Republican candidate Gerald N. Felando in 1978.^[6]

Vincent Thomas Bridge[link]

Vincent Thomas Bridge

Originally slated to be called the "San Pedro-Terminal Island Bridge" when construction began in 1960, in 1961 the California Legislature passed Concurrent Resolution 131 naming the suspension bridge planned between San Pedro and Terminal Island for Thomas in honor of his foresight and untiring work that culminated in its construction. The bridge was dedicated and opened to traffic on November 15, 1963. Thomas paid the very first toll, which was then 25 cents.^[7]

Death[link]

Thomas died in San Pedro, California in January 1980 at the age of 72.^[8]

External links[link]

• Vincent Thomas Bridge at Structurae
• Vincent Thomas in Political Graveyard

References[link]

Natalie Martinez
Martinez with Kevin Tostado, February 8, 2007
Born	(1984-07-12) July 12, 1984 (age 27) Miami, Florida, U.S.
Occupation	model, actress
Years active	2006–present

Natalie Martinez (born July 12, 1984) is an American model and actress. Martinez is known as the spokesmodel for JLO by Jennifer Lopez, and for her supporting role in the 2008 feature film Death Race. She did a music video titled "Rain Over Me" by Pitbull featuring Marc Anthony. She has also appeared in several music videos and telenovelas. In 2010-11, she starred in the television crime drama Detroit 1-8-7 as Detective Ariana Sanchez.

Martinez, a Cuban American,^[1] was born in Miami, Florida. Martinez is a 2002 graduate of St. Brendan High School. She is best known for her role as Michelle Miller on MyNetworkTV telenovela, Fashion House.

She was cast as a major character in Chuck, and appears in first-season promotional pictures of the cast. However, her character was cut before the series aired.^[2]

Filmography[link]

• Fashion House (2006), Michelle Miller – TV series, 55 episodes
• Saints & Sinners (2007), Pilar Martin – TV series, 62 episodes
• Death Race (2008), Case
• El Dorado (2010), Maria Martinez
• Sons of Tucson (2010), Maggie – TV series, 2 episodes
• Magic City Memoirs (2010), Mari
• Detroit 1-8-7 (2010–2011), Det. Arianna Sanchez – TV series, 18 episodes
• The Baytown Disco (2012), Ariana

Music videos[link]

• Self Scientific - "Live & Breathe"
• Justin Timberlake - "Señorita"
• Sean Paul - "We Be Burnin'"
• Amr Diab - "Ne'ool Eih"
• Wisin & Yandel - "Yo Te Quiero"
• Pitbull - "Rain over Me" feat. Marc Anthony

References[link]

External links[link]

• Natalie Martinez at the Internet Movie Database
• Natalie Martinez at the Fashion Model Directory
• Natalie Martinez's profile at AskMen.com

Gerald "Jerry" Desmond (April 12, 1915 – January 1964) was a prominent Democratic politician and civic leader in Long Beach, California who served as a Long Beach City Councilmember and as Long Beach City Attorney.

Desmond was born in Long Beach, California on April 12, 1915.^[1] He was the second oldest son of Walter Desmond (1876–1951), a religious Irish Catholic lawyer from Boston who came to California in 1905 and opened a law office in Long Beach. Walter Desmond was later appointed a Superior Court Judge and was one of the first judges to assign weekend jail time so offenders could work during the week.^[2]

Desmond attended Long Beach City College, where, in 1932, he met his future wife, Virginia Slater. He briefly attended California State University, Long Beach, but soon transferred to Cal Berkeley. After graduation, along with Virginia, he attended law school at his father's alma mater, Harvard. In 1937 he and Virginia were married, and eventually had five children.

When World War II began in 1941, Desmond worked in the U.S. Attorney's Office. As a result, he would not have had to go into the service, but he was eager to join and enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He was in the supply corps, and then he was transferred to fraud investigation. The Navy sent him to Harvard Business School to train him to prepare for disposing of surplus disposal after the war, but never worked in this field. While he was investigating fraud, he traveled a lot. The Desmonds rented a house in Long Beach and Gerald went to New York, where he was stationed. He never went overseas. After the war, he came back to Long Beach and opened a private law practice.^[3]

Desmond became active in local government and served on the City Council. He was a delegate to the 1960 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles.^[4] Later in 1960, he was elected City Attorney and served in that position until his death in 1964 at the age of 48.

The Gerald Desmond Bridge, which opened in 1968 and connects Terminal Island and Long Beach, was named in his honor.

References[link]

1. ^ "Social Security Death Index for Gerald Desmond". World Vital Records, Inc. http://www.worldvitalrecords.com/SingleIndexIndView.aspx?ix=ssdiall&hpp=1&rf=*,z*&qt=i&zassn=562&zgssn=22&zsssn=5333&highlight=Gerald%2cDesmond. Retrieved 2007-10-04. 
2. ^ "Justice Walter Desmond". Judicial Council of California. http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/courts/courtsofappeal/2ndDistrict/justices/former/DesmondW.pdf. Retrieved 2007-10-04. 
3. ^ "Interview with Virginia Desmond by Ann Andriesse on January 26, 1982". Long Beach Area History: Community Builders. The Virtual Oral/Aural History Archive, California State University, Long Beach. Interview 1b. http://salticid.nmc.csulb.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/OralAural.woa/wa/segment?ww=560&wh=749&pt=tab&bi=1&prj=bb108&col=c113&ser=a1017&evt=bb441. Retrieved 2007-10-04. 
4. ^ "California Delegation to the 1960 Democratic National Convention". The Political Graveyard. http://politicalgraveyard.com/parties/D/1960/CA.html. Retrieved 2007-10-04. 

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