he Harry Bridges Memorial Marker is located in the John S. Gibson Park which is a really unassuming stretch of greenery housing several other memorials along Harbor Blvd between 5th and 6th. Many, including locals, don't even know this small but very significant memorial to a true hero exists. Simply, a few benches with "ILWU" etched in them, and a very large bust of Harry Bridges, and a marble marker telling the story. At first I was baffled why in our "City of Longshoreman" why there is not a larger memorial. I do believe if you took the influence of the Longshoreman and their impact over the century from San Pedro, it would implode upon itself. At the very least we would be just an ordinary city; however, after spending several hours in John S. Gibson Park, I began to get a feel for the complex simplicity of this marker for a very influential man. John S. Gibson Park, in itself, houses tributes to several things which make San Pedro, San Pedro.
Harry Bridges was a visionary who revolutionized working conditions thrusting equality and safety in the face of those who chose to exploit these very basic rights of America's workers. His contributions resonate through San Pedro. I think the marker says it best and very powerful:
"In his unwavering commitment to militant democratic trade unionism harry Bridges represented the best of the generation of visionaries who built the modern labor movement ..."
Harry Bridges to me represents the essence of San Pedro character, himself and immigrant from Australia, who influenced a city built by a universal cross section of humanity. Until 1977, he served as an inspiration to a union predicated on the interests of workers, allowing them to focus on productivity fairly and safely. As I drive through the harbor, which I do every day on my commute to Long beach when my office is, I pass through a legacy this "working man's" hero influenced. Although one might argue a larger and more visible tribute should be constructed, the marker paying homage to Harry Bridges is in John S. Gibson park in the presence of other tributes to veterans, fisherman, and servicemen all who made San Pedro...our country...what it is: maybe there is not better fitting place.
The Harry Bridges is a great place to take our kids to remind them of exactly what it takes to build and protect democracy.
