AI-assisted summary
In 2005, the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard was saved from closure after a commission removed it from a recommended list.
The shipyard's survival was credited to its efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and strong community and political support.
Since avoiding closure, the shipyard's workforce has grown from 4,800 to over 7,700 employees.
A 20th-anniversary celebration for saving the shipyard is planned in Portsmouth's Albacore Park.
KITTERY, Maine — They showed up in force and en masse, thousands of Portsmouth Naval Shipyard workers donning yellow shirts with a fighting spirit.
Twenty years ago, in 2005, a U.S. Department of Defense-appointed commission voted to remove Portsmouth Naval Shipyard from the list of potential military bases to close, saving thousands of jo