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MARCH 9th ABOARD THE BOSTON

1944: The Boston, on it’s way to the South Pacific (to participate in Operation Reckless — the support of Gen. MacArthur’s invasion of Hollandia and other enemy strongholds on New Guinea), crosses the Equator for the first time and the men are inducted into the Realm of King Neptune — a centuries old Navy Initiation ritual.

This document graciously supplied by the family of Augustus Harris, S1C, CA-69

1945: The Boston is steaming home after being detached from it’s task group at the start of operations against Okinawa leading up to the Invasion on April 1.   On March 9, 1945, the Boston is sailing east toward Pearl Harbor.

1946:   The Boston sails north from San Francisco to the boneyard at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard   –   where she finishes her AMAZING Pacific Tour on March 12, 1946.

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EARLY DECEMBER ABOARD THE BOSTON

1943: December 1st was the last day of Liberty in San Francisco. The ship has been reprovisioned and has taken on some new crewmembers and marines hitching a ride to their first destination: Pearl Harbor. The Boston pulls out of San Francisco Bay on 12/2 heading west. On December 6, the day before the two-year anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Boston lines up with other ships waiting to enter P.H. When they enter, the men aboard see the devastation all around.   The Battleship Oklahoma is belly-up and on her side.   Oil is still spewing out. Then the Boston eases into it’s berth on Battleship Row, right next to the sunken Arizona, watery grave of   1,100 sailors. The men spent the next month and a half at Pearl Harbor; daily war exercises and drills with other ships in Hawaiian waters, and weekend liberty in Honolulu.

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USS Arizona

1944: After arriving in Seeadler Harbor (in the Admiralty Island of Manus north of New Guinea) the Boston, was in drydock for boiler repairs and a new paintjob from Nov 21 through Dec 9.   The war in and around the Philippine Archipelago raged on unabated while the men and their ship was away.

Image:Admiralty Islands Topography with labels.png - Wikipedia,

1945: After the Surrender of Japan, a Demilitarization Task Group was formed, with the Boston in command. The men spent the month of December ranging up and down the coasts of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, destroying suicide subs and boats and seizing weapons.