Listening to Capt. Paul C. Haebler as he describes it, Naval Weapons Station Yorktown is like a diverse, sprawling city bustling with a vibrant mix of tenants, and he is their de facto mayor.

Speaking to the 75-80 people attending Tuesday night’s Veterans Day dinner and membership awards program at American Legion Post 83, Hudgins, Haebler, commanding officer of the York County military installation, provided an overview of the operations of the Navy’s premier weapons station on the East Coast.

It’s a military facility that many on the Middle Peninsula are familiar with, “waving to it” as they cross the Coleman Bridge, said American Legion Post 83 Commander James C. Warren. But few are aware of the diverse activities that take place on that base every day. Haebler provided a glimpse behind the gates during his talk Tuesday night.

The sprawling campus of Naval Weapons Station Yorktown and Cheatham Annex (which was incorporated into the station in 1998) c...