Author: steve

12-1-10

It is funny, a little bit, to see pictures of the CA-69 guys. During their service at the height of the Pacific War, they were heavily censored.   Letters were carefully read to make sure the boys did not reveal anything   –   especially which ship they were on and where they were headed (or had already been.) Journals / diaries were strictly forbidden.   And, it goes without saying – NO PHOTOS ALLOWED.   So when we see a picture of individual sailors or groups of guys, they were invariably on leave or on liberty.   Liberty pictures more often than not show the boys “unwinding”   –   often with a drink in hand.

This did not happen very often for the crew.   Most of their time in the Pacific was spent in combat.   At the end of each operation, the ship would anchor in a remote lagoon for repairs and resupply.   A few anchorages were so short that the guys did not even get liberty.   When they did get liberty, they would be allowed to swim in the lagoon and go ashore with their “liberty rations” (two cheese sandwiches and two cans of cool beer each.)

The two pictures below are from my dad’s scrapbook.   There were only two times when the guys were in “liberty port” long enough to buy a cheap camera and have the pictures developed.   The first was in Pearl Harbor in December 1944.   He has pictures of pals from this first leave.   I can tell because the guys have their “whites” on and there are no medals or rank badges.   The second was a year and a half later, when the ship returned to San Pedro (CA) for six weeks for repairs and radar retrofits.   That’s when these pictures were taken   –   you can tell because the guys have their Campaign Ribbons and Battle Stars on their uniforms.

Steve

Compliments of Brian Connelly

Howard Murray Connelly, s2c, CA-69

Born: 11-22-24

Enlisted in Boston, MA. Assigned to USS Boston on Commissioning Day and was a plank owner

Died: 04-22-2009

Howard (seated left) and some of his pals

11-19-10

I know some people whose lives are smooth and orderly –   much like water gently bubbling along in a small stream.   I say I know some people like this, because I am not one of them.   Okay, so here’s where I stop using the water analogy to describe my life, because we all know that water can end up in some funny places . . .   Let it suffice to say I’ve been busy; involved in a big project with my brother Bill. It has pulled us from putting full energy into this website.

So here I am, a few days before Thanksgiving, thinking about some random things.   First, let me say Happy Thanksgiving to new friends and readers of this website and my book.   Thanks to everyone who has engaged in ongoing emails with me.   Thanks to everyone who has sent me pictures of their beloved Boston crewmembers.

Some folks have asked me questions that I can’t answer.   Here are a few of them:

Radiation Exposure: Mike Leuders wants to know more about radiation exposure that his father in-law (as well as the rest of the crew) experienced in post-Surrender Japan — especially at Hiroshima and Nagasaki and its cancer implications.

Prisoners of War: Lois DeKay (widow of crewmember Jean DeKay) wants to know about a ship’s detail to visit Allied Prisoners of War   during the Philippines Campaign.   He was bothered by the memory of seeing hungry American prisoners.   Does anyone know anything about this?

Oh yeah, thanks to Bill for all his enthusiastic help.   Happy Thanksgiving.

Steve

10-31-10

A year ago, my brother Bill and I launched this website dedicated to the men who served aboard the heavy cruiser USS Boston during the height of the Pacific War.   We knew that the ship’s story encompasses four decades — that she was retrofitted into a guided missile cruiser and found herself once again three and a half decades later in the South China Sea and CamRahn Bay, this time lobbing shells against enemy positions during the Vietnam War.   We knew about the terrific organization USS Boston Shipmates (of which our only affiliation is that we are members) that is dedicated to preserving the legacy of all ships named Boston.   But our dad served aboard CA-69 as she participated in the systematic reduction of enemy defenses that lead directly to the Surrender of Japan.   That’s the Boston that we’re interested in, and that is what this website is all about.

Bill decided to tackle the task of systematically identifying and listing all the men who served aboard her from Commissioning Day until the crew disbanded in February of 1946.   That is a work in progress, and Bill blogs when he can, reporting on his progress. We are planning to add photos to the crew records as we get them from folks out there in cyberspace.

When we launched the site, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do or write about.   I decided to post a monthly summary of the ship’s activities for 1943-45.   The last installment for October finishes the 12 month cycle.   I’m not big on redundancy — so future blogs will take a different path.   For one thing, I’ll try to start posting the photos readers have been sending me.

I reviewed all the postings the other day.   While I take it for granted that most people are used to electronic postings in “from newest to oldest” order, I admit that I found the October postings chronologically challenging.   A new reader would have to scroll to the “last page” to read the “first post” of a year ago.   Starting today, I am adding the “created date” to the title of each blog posting (assuming I remember to do that . . . .)

Thanks for reading, and thanks to everyone who has sent us pictures, documents, memories, observations, questions   . . .     etc.

Steve

Six days after the Canberra was slammed by a “fish” dropped by a Japanese dive-bomber, the Boston and the Crippled Cruisers were met by more fleet tugboats. Two of them each joined in a tandem tow of the cruisers.   Next morning, (Oct 20), Boston received orders to rejoin her task group (38.1), which was steaming towards the central Philippine island of Leyte.   The invasion was unfolding according to schedule.   Task groups 38.1 and 38.4 were ordered to provide support and cover for the invasion.

What unfolded over the next several days was a complex series of naval battles between the Japanese and Americans that stretched over three days and thousands of square miles of ocean in and around Central and Northern Philippines. Between Oct 23 and Oct 26, four separate and very distinct battles developed, with “victory” and “defeat” swinging like a gate for both sides   –   with substantial casualties and losses of ships for both.

Again, this battle is way too complex to adequately discuss here, complete with much drama, blunders and heroics on both sides.   However, when the smoke settled by October 24, the Imperial Japanese Fleet had suffered devastating losses of capital ships — especially aircraft carriers (in the Battle of Cape Engano).   The once mighty IJF, which started the War against America by attacking our fleet at Pearl Harbor less than three years earlier, was decimated and limped back to safe ports in the Dutch Indies and Singapore.   While this was not the last time Task Force 58/38 would encounter the IJF, what was left of her after the Second Battle of the Philippine Sea was almost a non-issue.

Oh, by the way, after a few days of mop-up following the Battle, the Boston and the rest of her task group was ordered back to Ulithi for replenishment on the morning of October 27.   As she steamed east, the crew got news that afternoon that the Cripples had arrived at Ulithi, fourteen days after the first torpedo struck the Canberra.