LATE DECEMBER ABOARD THE BOSTON

1943: The men spend their first Christmas aboard the Boston anchored in Pearl Harbor.

1944: The ships of Task Force 38 spent the 19^th and 20^th of December searching for survivors of the terrible typhoon that claimed three destroyers and 800 men off the eastern shores of Luzon and Samar (Philippines).   Search planes launched from all the   ships continued searching for survivors as the ships reorganized into their task groups for more strikes against Luzon.   Because the ships were still being plagued by the typhoon, the airstrikes were cancelled that night.   The task groups then turned south and east and headed for the anchorage at Ulithi, where they would stay until Dec 30.   After arriving on the 22^nd, the men celebrated Christmas in Ulithi Lagoon. While the ships were in anchorage, the Navy convened a Court of Inquiry to ascertain the facts surrounding Typhoon Cobra.

1945: The men still aboard the Boston on Occupation Duty spent their last Christmas together aboard the ship.