THANKSGIVING ABOARD THE BOSTON
Nov 17, 2012
1943: The Boston was underway, heading to the Pacific. She was commissioned on June 30, 1943 – the day the crew finally reported to duty after waiting months for her to be finished. They spent the next 5 ½ months doing test runs and shakedown cruises, casting off from Boston for the last time on Nov. 17.
The Boston transited the Panama Canal and headed up the west coast towards San Francisco, having their first Thanksgiving off the coast of California.
from Frank Studenski’s diary:
November 27, 1943
Today is Thanksgiving Day, (Holiday routine) we are having Turkey, Ham and all the trimmings. We will arrive at Frisco tomorrow.
1944: In mid-November, the Boston headed for boiler repairs in drydock in the South Pacific Admiralty Islands (Manus Island and Seeadler Harbor). They had been through: the Marshall Islands Campaign, the Hollandia Invasion Campaign, the Marianas Campaign, the First Battle of the Philippine Seas, several Raids and Bombardment Missions, the first half of the Philippines Campaigns, The Battle off Formosa which turned into the Crippled Cruisers Adventure, and the 2nd Battle of the Philippine Seas; all since the last time they observed Thanksgiving on the ship.
from George Pitts’ diary:
Nov 23
Thanksgiving Day – very quiet, but plenty to eat.
from Frank Studenski:
November 22 — December 8, 1944
We spent 18 days here (Manus Island) for minor repairs and a new paint job. We will be leaving tomorrow.
. . . seems like Thanksgiving had lost some of it’s glow for the guys after what they’d been through during the previous year . . .
1945: The Boston spent Thanksgiving Day off the shores of Honshu, demilitarizing the beaten Japanese Empire. At this point, Occupation Duty was almost over. In a matter of months, CA-69 would makes it’s last trip home to San Francisco, then went on to Bremerton, Washington into mothballs.
Happy Thanksgiving.
steve