In contrast, the governor of American Samoa immediately instituted draconian quarantine, including house arrest, and, across the Pacific, the commander of the Goat Island Naval Station in San Francisco Bay instituted "
absolute quarantine," and placed guards "at the docks with orders to shoot to kill anyone embarking or disembarking without authorization." Acting decisively before the appearance of even one case of influenza, these men risked ridicule, court-martial, and the destruction of their careers.