Author: steve

1-5-14

Donald mustered onto the ship during Occupation Duty off the shores of Japan.   He was transferred off on January 25, 1946.

submitted by his son, Don Hoppe, Jr.

12-21-13

Christmas aboard the USS Boston in 1945:   Many of the original crewmembers had left the ship already –   transferred off in waves during Occupation Duty.   For the men still aboard, this last CA-69 Christmas was relaxed, but full of anticipation.   Home sweet home beckoned the men, many of whom had been aboard for over 900 days.   It would be another month before the Mighty B left Japanese waters for the last time.

EXCERPTS FROM CHRISTMAS PROGRAM (AND MENU) 1945

(BTW – it took my father until his late 50’s before he was able to quit smoking.)

Compliments of Bob Knight

Happy New Year to everyone.

My New Year’s wish / resolution:   that everyone (me included) take a couple of deep breaths and back away from the brink of this absolutely insane political, social and cultural CHASM that has split this country in two.   Could the difference between post-WWII America and post-24 hour cable news America be any more heartbreaking?

Peace.

steve

12-14-13

The second Christmas at sea for the men aboard CA-69 was NOTHING like the first Christmas (1943), which they spent anchored in Pearl Harbor.

By the time they dropped anchor in the Ulithi lagoon on Dec 22, they had endured: the Marshall Islands Invasions / Campaigns, the Crossing of the Equator Initiations, the Hollandia Invasion, bombing attacks against Wake, the Truk Islands, Iwo Jima; the Mariana Islands Campaigns (which prompted the First Battle of the Philippine Sea), and six months of attacks on the Philippines (which prompted the Second Battle of the Philippine Sea.)   As part of the overall Philippines strategy, they became embroiled in the “thick of things” during the Battle off Formosa (mid October) – when two cruisers in their group were torpedoed.   The Boston became one of the “tow ships”   {whose job it was to pull the heavily damaged Houston 1200 miles away to Ulithi.}. Still in the midst of the Philippines operations, the men suffered through the horrific Typhoon Cobra, during which time the Boston recorded a roll of 46 °, most of the ships were damaged, and three destroyers sunk – taking 800 men to the bottom of the sea.

Less than a week later, they celebrated Christmas:

Compliments of Bob Knight.   Lucky for us he saved “stuff” from the War.

steve

 

 

 

 

11-27-13

The crew spent another Thanksgiving Day at sea – enroute to drydock at Manus Island in the Admiralty Group.

(compliments of Bob Knight)

Happy Thanksgiving.

steve

11-23-13

Okay, here’s the situation.   You’re 19 years old.   You had never been away from home, friends, family   –   on Thanksgiving Day before this.   It’s November 25, 1943, and you and your 1,500+ shipmates are sharing Thanksgiving Dinner while steaming up along the Mexican shoreline, about a day away from San Francisco.   You’re on your way to the War in the Pacific, via Pearl Harbor, by way of San Francisco.

(menu compliments of Bob Knight)