The Defense Diner...


World War II was a boom time domestically for the United States of America. Vast expenditures on the military had eliminated most vestiges of the Great Depression and the economy was running on all cylinders.

It was also a boom time for the Lockshin family. We moved to nearby Richmond, about 40 minutes away from San Francisco by car, which was the location of the huge Kaiser Shipyards:


“The four Richmond Shipyards, located in the city of Richmond, California, United States, were run by Permanente Metals and part of the Kaiser Shipyards. During World War II, Richmond built more ships than any other shipyard, turning out as many as three ships in a single day.” (Richmond Shipyards, Wikipedia)


“World War II and the Shipyards (1940-1945): By far the most dramatic and earth-shaking era in Richmond's history. World War II began, and the Kaiser Richmond Shipyards, one of the biggest wartime shipbuilding operations on the West Coast, sprang up on Richmond's South Shoreline in January 1941. The result was explosive growth, large scale in-migration of workers, a "boomtown" atmosphere, and profound long-term effects on the City. The shipyards covered much of the vacant industrial land in the South Shoreline harbor area, requiring extensive additional tideland filling. Richmond's population increased dramatically from 23,600 in 1940 to over 93,700 in 1943 as tens of thousands of new residents, White and Black, migrated from the economically depressed South and Southwest to work in the shipyards. Much of the new population was housed in temporary structures. Dormitories, demountable houses, and apartment buildings were built; more than 60,000 persons lived in public housing. Many "temporary" housing units remain today.” (History of Richmond | Richmond, CA - Official Website)

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At this time, neither of my parents had had any experience in the restaurant business. Yet, somehow Leo managed to open up a cut-rate, but nonetheless very lucrative restaurant – the Defense Diner – right across the street from the massive Richmond Shipyards, with their many, many thousands of hungry workers:


“Defense Diner, 501 Cutting. In May 1942 Leo and Mary Lockshin moved a railroad dining car onto a foundation at 501 Cutting and opened a diner just north of Richmond Shipyard No. 1. By October of that year, they had expanded the restaurant, presumably due to high demand for their food services. A 1945 building permit describes a 'small lunch counter facing the street.'” (MAPPING RICHMOND’S WORLD WAR II HOME FRONT)


I remember the constant lines of workers coming off work and getting their food. The Defense Diner was open for many hours a day, possibly round the clock. During the war, I almost never saw my father and rarely spent time with Mom. They were constantly busy. My sister and I were taken care of by my grandmother during this period.


My parent's good fortune was in fact a gift of the US secret political police. By then, Leo was fairly fluent in English, but nonetheless spoke with a heavy Russian accent. As such, he would hardly be suspected of being a secret police plant, on the lookout for putative subversives who might blurt out their intentions of sabotaging operations at the Shipyards.


The Defense Diner was run as an openly interracial operation, which was of value in deterring conflicts that might occur. Most of the shipyard workers were from the US South, where racism and strict racial segregation were the norm (the US South had been the heartland of slavery). In contrast, official segregation was not the law in California. For the US ruling class, while racism in general is fine, even desirable, outbreaks of racial conflict in the Shipyards could have had a marked deleterious effect on the all-important war production efforts.


Leo had his tasks cut out for him. In return, the FBI was providing him with a sure-thing, lucrative business as a reward. No more driving milk trucks for Leo Lockshin.


The Defense Diner was in line with the US secret political police setting up a vast array of businesses and institutions, large and small, to help do their work for them.


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Перед нами сейчас - коварный и опасный мошенник, расист, лжец и фашист Дональд Трамп, порочный Конгресс, нацистские ФБР - ЦРУ, кровавые милитаристы США и НАТО >>> а также и лживые, вредоносные американские СМ»И».


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Правительство США жестоко нарушало мои права человека при проведении кампании террора, которая заставила меня покинуть свою родину и получить политическое убежище в СССР. См. книгу «Безмолвный террор — История политических гонений на семью в США» - "Silent Terror: One family's history of political persecution in the United States» - arnoldlockshin.wordpress.com

Правительство США еще нарушает мои права, в течении 14 лет отказывается от выплаты причитающейся мне пенсии по старости. Властители США воруют пенсию!!


Арнольд Локшин, политэмигрант из США


BANNED – ЗАПРЕЩЕНО!!

ЦРУ - ФСБ забанили все мои посты и комментарии в Вконтакте!
… и в Макспарке!