8-27-11
Here’s one more picture from the Cruise Book that I could not resist posting. In other pictures, we’ve seen barbers and dentists and navigators and signalmen – glimpses of life aboard the ship. Bear in mind that the Boston was a heavy cruiser – a ship designed to hold almost 1900 men. it was a self-contained unit – they had a hospital, a store, a print shop, a fully equipped bakery and kitchen, their own “fresh water” (desalination) plant, etc. etc.
They also had a soda counter (they made their own ice cream) called a “Gedunk” with goodies for sale at certain times for off-duty men. I have looked up the term Gedunk and found several possible explanations for roots of the word – but nothing definitive. Perhaps one of our oldtimer friends can set us straight . . .
Our dear friend Lynn Kochis, daughter of crewmember Augustus Harris, tells me that when she was a growing up whenever the family would go for ice cream treats Augustus would tell they kids they were going to the Gedunk.
