photo #8448219

In 1953, LIFE photographer Hank Walker captured a security guard walking along US Highway 101, dwarfed by towering stacks of hollow iron floats. These massive structures once supported anti-submarine nets used to protect US ports during World War II, a stark reminder of the wartime defenses that once lined the coastline. Now repurposed or abandoned, the floats stand as industrial relics of a conflict that reshaped global security. Walker’s composition highlights the scale of these remnants, juxtaposing human presence against the lingering weight of history. 📷 Photo by Hank Walker, 1953.