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James B. Husted, Ptr3c

4-13-13 James enlisted in Erie, PA on Dec. 15, 1943.   He arrived on the Boston on Aug. 4, 1944, while she was anchored in the Eniwetok (Marshall Islands) Lagoon. When the ship left the lagoon on August 31, it was “all-action” from then on, starting with the Philippines Campaigns.   John

John W. Cooper, Jr., GM3c

4-6-13 John enlisted in Little Rock Arkansas on July 14, 1943.   He arrived on the Boston on May 30, 1944, while she was anchored in the Majuro (Marshall Islands) Lagoon. When the ship left the lagoon on June 6, it was “all-action” from then on, starting with the Marianas Campaign.

Jerome R. Peebles, TC1c

3-17-2013 Jerome Robert Peebles was a Plankowner, joining the ship on Commissioning Day.   He enlisted in Hartford, CT on 3-1-43.   He was a gunner on the ship.   He departed the Boston on 12/26/45.   This picture, showing Jerome with his two sisters, Helen (l) and Maude (r), was sent

Weston L. Harner, M1c

3-10-13 Weston Lyle Harner enlisted in Denver Colorado and reported to the Boston as a metalsmith.   He was a Plankowner, reporting aboard the ship on Commissioning Day (6-30-43).   He left the ship on Sept 26, 1946. Photo was sent to us by Weston’s grandson, Rick Gonzalez.

Donald J. Geng, S1c

02-02-13 Donald enlisted in Helena, MT in February 1944.   He joined the Boston on May 9, 1944, while the ship was anchored in Majuro prior to the start of the Marianas Campaign.   He left the ship on Oct 10, 1946, half a year after the ship was retired to Bremerton,

ARMAND J. GAGNON, EM3c

2-23-13 Folks have been sending in pictures of their loved ones (dads, mostly) who served aboard the Boston during the war.   The folder (which I named – cleverly enough – “submitted pics”) has been sitting on my desktop gathering cyber dust for a while now, so it’s time to share them.

HALSEY'S TYPHOON

2-16-13 A couple of posts back (mid December), I shared some of the memories of Typhoon Cobra that were recounted to me by the four sailors who participated in Volume 2 of Baked Beans: George Pitts, Bob Knight, Pat Fedele and Julian Goldstein.   A few weeks back, I heard from

JANUARY 19, 1945

1-19-13 From George Pitts’ War Journal   (Jan 19, 1945): Today makes one year the Boston is out of Pearl Harbor and in enemy infested waters. We have one of the best records in the Fleet. We’ve been in 12 major engagements, 13 air attacks, 9 amphibious invasions, shot down

T'was the Night Before

Dec. 22, 2012 Since we seem to have survived yesterday’s end-of-the-world, I decided to share this ditty that Bob Knight, CA-69 plankowner and participant in my Baked Beans book series, sent me via email a couple of days ago: The Night Before Christmas:   Sailor’s Version ‘Twas the night

December 20, 1944 - Searching for Survivors

Dec. 20, 2012 Bob Knight: At one time I started sliding down the deck — this was on the starboard side.         The water was coming over the scuppers — in other words the deck was underwater.   I’m sliding down and didn’t know what the hell to do. I had my

More Typhoon Cobra

Dec. 17, 2012 The conversation about Typhoon Cobra with original crewmembers who survived the terrible storm that sank three ships and claimed over 800 lives, continues: George Pitts:   The ship, during all this floundering around, I’m down below in my bunk and there wasn’t anything for you to

Dec. 17, 1944 - Winds starting picking up

Dec. 16, 2012 The ships of Task Force 38, after supporting the landings of American troops on Mindora and bombing targets in and around Luzon and Manila Bay, headed for a fueling rendezvous east of the Philippines.   The ships were getting low on fuel, especially the destroyers and destroyer escorts.

This week in 1944

Dec 3, 2012 The Boston spent the first week of December 1944 still anchored at Manus Island in the Admiralties (south of the Equator).   They had spent the last four days of November in drydock in Seeadler Harbor.   Among other things, the guys went “over the sides” and scraped barnacles

THANKSGIVING ABOARD THE BOSTON

Nov 17, 2012 1943:   The Boston was underway, heading to the Pacific.   She was commissioned on June 30, 1943   –   the day the crew finally reported to duty after waiting months for her to be finished.   They spent the next 5 ½ months doing test runs and shakedown cruises, casting off from

Honoring our veterans who served in WWll

Nov 6, 2012 Okay, so I’m a little early.   However, what a great day to start thinking about our veterans (of all branches, in all conflicts and wars)   –   election day!   Our rights as Americans have been saved, protected and/or reaffirmed by the blood, guts and bravery of American

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN YOUR SHIP IS TORPEDOED

10-17-12 It just so happens that I’ve spent the last month or so working (on Vol 2), concentrating on the events of October, 1944, in the Philippine Sea north of Luzon and a little east of Formosa (Taiwan for you young’uns).   To summarize very briefly, the Boston and

Beanpot

10-7-12 I am preparing to add this copy of the Beanpot, compliments of Bob Knight, into Vol 2 of new Boston book, “Baked Beans”.     When I first saw a copy of the Beanpot, which came to me compliments of the family of Augustus Harris, I was amazed.   Each week, the

Then and Now: Julian C. Goldstein

9-23-12                 Julian enlisted in Hartford, CT and went to boot camp at Sampson, NY. He was assigned to CA-69 and like hundreds of others, he reported to the Naval Receiving Station at the Fargo Building in Boston, waiting for his ship to be finished.   He is a plankowner – reporting for

When Cultures Collide . . .

9-15-12 I live in California, which has a huge connection to Pacific cultures (I grew up in Massachusetts).   In the two decades after WWll, my exposure to “other cultures” was primarily European immigrants who were wading into the Great American Melting Pot. The boys who joined the Navy after Pearl

WAR MOMS

9-1-12 Our friend Laurie Wasilewski (daughter of CA-69 plankowner Frank Wasilewski) sent me this terrific clipping from the old Morning Record of Wallingford, CT.   As I read it, I was struck by the fact that her grandmother had four sons serving simultaneously in the War.   Like the millions of other

This week in 1945

8-12-12 On August 9, 1945, the Boston broke away from the Task Force and formed up with other cruisers, battleships and destroyers into a bombardment group.   The ships lined up outside the northern Honshu industrial city of Kamaishi (area of the recent tsunami) and pounded it with volleys of 8″

HIROSHIMA

Aug 6, 2012 The box of photos that Dirk Oster sent me (see previous post) taken by his father, Bernard Oster contained 17 pictures of the leveling of Hiroshima (and Nagasaki) (Aug 6 and 9, 1945).   I have been studying the pictures and trying to sort out which flattened city

Bernard Paul Oster, S1c

07-22-12 Bernard was aboard on Commissioning Day and was a plankowner. Bernard’s son, Dirk, got in touch with me a while back and told me his dad was the ship’s photographer.   Everywhere the Captain went, he took Bernie along with him.   Dirk told me he had a stack

JULY 4, 1944

July 4, 2012 We celebrated the   4th of July with quite a bang with the Japs paying for all expenses. Three or four cruiser divisions including ComCruDiv 10 in the Boston left the task group to bombard Iwo Jima. We blew the hell out of them with our five inch.

WHAT DID THE BOSTON DO IN WWII?

6-16-12 CA-69 arrived in Pearl Harbor in early December 1943. She was a brand-new ship with a brand-new crew.   While she was in Pearl, lots of other brand-new ships slipped into the Pacific Naval Base harbor. By the time CA-69 left Pearl Harbor in late January, almost 100 other warships