. >> reporter: command master chief keith wilkerson jr. read the order, officially signed earlier by the u.s. secretary of the navy, carlos del toro.'s budget is a resounding affirmation of the values that we, as americans, hold dear. justice, quality, and the right to a safe workplace. >> reporter: freddy mays is now officially exonerated. he is absolved of all wrongdoing against him in the aftermath of the devastating explosion in port chicago. >> i always ask what did you do in the war, and he would never tell us. >> reporter: darrell's quest to find out what happened to his father began the day he entered his father's home unannounced. >> he was crying, the first time i had ever seen my father cry. i was probably 23 or 24 years old. >> reporter: in 1942, following the attack on pearl harbor, the u.s. navy built a new munitions depot near the small town of port chicago in contra costa county, near the bay. it quickly became a largest ammunition shipment facility on the west coast. young black sailors, trained for combat roles were sent

. >> reporter: command master chief keith wilkerson jr.d an order officially signed earlier by the u.s. secretary of the navy, carlos del toro. >> i've always considered them as heroes even without the final legal findings that were discovered as part of our investigation. >> reporter: freddie, affectionately called pops, is finally exonerated. he is now absolved of all wrong doing levelled against him in the aftermath of the devastating explosion at port chicago. >> i always asked pops, what did you do in the war? and he would never tell us. >> reporter: darrell's quest to find out what happened to his father began the day he entered his father's home unannounced. >> he was crying. first time i had ever seen my father cry. and i was probably 23, 24 years old. >> reporter: that's when darrell first heard about port chicago, an injustice done to his dad and to hundreds of other black sailors. in 1942 following the attack on pearl harbor, the u.s. navy built a new munitions depot near the small town of port chicago in contra costa county nea