Gallery: Navy buoys in Puget Sound | Washington State Magazine

Headquarters sign at Naval Magazine Indian Island

Naval Magazine Indian Island is the U.S. Navy’s only deep-water ammunition port on the West Coast with a pier that can support the largest Navy and commercial vessels afloat. (Photo US Navy)

Navy soldiers storing ordnance at Indian Island

The installation is also one of the Department of Defense’s largest ordnance storage sites on the West Coast with magazines that store conventional munitions. (Archival photo US Navy)

Many munitions magazines adorn Indian Island. (Archival photo US Navy

munitions being loaded onto US Navy ships

At Naval Magazine Indian Island, the US Navy loaded munitions onto ships during the war in the Pacific, and built munitions and mines. (Archival photo US Navy)

US Navy sailors working on anti-submarine nets

During WWII, the Navy manufactured anti-submarine and anti-torpedo nets at Naval Magazine Indian Island. (Archival photo US Navy)

To be rolled into a bundle to load on the net laying ships known as net tenders, they were stretched out first. (Archival photo US Navy)

Cranes would then lift them over to the naval net tenders, also known as net layers. (Archival photo US Navy)

The Navy’s net tender USS Boxwood operated out of Naval Magazine Indian Island during a part of WWII. The specialized ship laid the giant anti-submarine nets in Puget Sound to protect againsy enemies vessels. (Archival photo US Navy)

Indian Island in Puget Sound from the air in 1948

An aerial photograph of Indian Island, dated 1948. This rare photo showing ships rafted up in Kilisut Harbor on the island’s east side—probably back from service in the Pacific Theater. (Archival photo US Navy)

Indian Island is also the location of the Indian Island Naval Reserve which covers the entire island. (Wildlife camera photo US Navy)