Recreation facilities, personnel and shop buildings were ordered in February 1942, and work began on Drydocks 2 and 3 and several piers in April 1942.

[6] On 9 February 1943, the Secretary of the Navy established the facilities as the US Naval Dry Docks, Roosevelt Base, California.

[2] Also in 1943, a barrack for Marines was built, work began on another approach pier, a 50 short tons (45 t) drydock crane was erected, and several shop buildings were started.

[2] During World War II, the naval dry docks provided routine and battle damage repairs to a parade of tankers, cargo ships, troop transports, destroyers, and cruisers.

[2] Long Beach NSY was equipped with facilities and skills to perform all non-nuclear structural, sheet metal, boiler, rigging, electronics, electrical, insulating, lagging, ordnance, sandblasting, welding, machining, woodworking, painting, pipe fitting, and other work pertaining to the overhaul and repair of surface ships.

1 was designated the West Coast nuclear powered aircraft carrier (CVN) emergency dry dock.

[9] In 1993, California congressmen Horn and Rohrabacher cited the military value of the shipyard[10] in a successful attempt to keep it open.

[15] In 1997, COSCO (The China Ocean Shipping Company) wanted to lease the space from the City, including building a $400 million cargo terminal.

It was opposed by Rush Limbaugh, as the company was owned by the Communist run People's Republic of China, and was being reviewed for national security by the Department of Defense.

Hanjin entered talks to sell its stake in the Long Beach Terminal to its minority partner in TTI, Mediterranean Shipping Company in October 2016.

The Pacific Reserve Fleet, Long Beach was used to store the now many surplus ships after World War II.