Commanding Officer, Marine Detachment, USS Boston (CA-69)

Norm came to the Boston in an unconventional way.  He was one of the heroic survivors of the Battle for Guadalcanal.  If the horrors of that struggle weren’t enough, he contracted malaria that was so severe they prepared his body to be shipped back from New Zealand for burial in the States.  He survived that, and the Marine Corps, loathe to lose a good man, shipped him off to join the Boston, (as he wryly puts it, “because there are no mosquitoes on the ocean . . .) in the fall of 1944.  He replaced the Marine Commanding Officer.  (We’re trying to ascertain the exact date.)  He was aboard for Typhoon Cobra – and, like the other original crewmembers I have interviewed, has some amazing memories of that storm.

Norm straightened me out on the role of the Marine Detachment aboard the Boston.  I knew they guarded the captain, and that they patrolled the ship with rifles – on the lookout for sharks whenever the men had the rare chance to swim off the side of the ship. The primary role for the marines was: they manned the 20mm anti-aircraft guns, which were the last line of defense against enemy planes closing in at close range to polish off the Boston.  And they shot down planes!

Norm, having distinguished himself in battle in the Solomons, was asked to carry out two very special missions onto Japanese soil late in the War; one by himself, and one leading the Marine Detachment from the Boston.  Sorry, those stories are way too complex to get into here.  You’re going to have to wait until I finish the second or third volume of my next book(s) on the Boston and read all about it there. (Volume 1 is wrapping up.)

Did I mention that Norm is 95 years young?  And still sharp as a razor?

Steve

John Carson Commanding officer

John Hazard Carson was the first commanding Officer of the USS Boston and the first officer to be added to the database.  He the USS Boston Commanding officer from April 5, 1943 to June 5 1944.  Commander Hazard was in charge from commissioning to full engagement in the Pacfic.

He was promoted to Rear Admiral in March of 1944.  He was born on April 13. 1896 and was Commissioned from Annapolis in 1916. Received an MS from MIT in 1924. He was Commanding Officer of the Dewey 1936-1937. He served duty at the Navy Proving Ground, Dahlgren, Virginia 1937-1940. He was the Executive Officer of the New Mexico 1940-1941. Operations Officer on the staff of the Commander of Cruisers in the Battle Force, then Southwest Pacific Forces 1941-1943. Then, he was assigned to the USS Boston CA-69.

After serving on the USS Boston, he was Commander of U.S. Naval Torpedo Station, Newport 1944-1946. He retired as Vice Admiral in April 1958. Died on February 2, 1976.  Source: http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/jhcarson.htm

You can see the link to his boston record here.  I’ve included a new biography for each sailor which individuals can send us short biographies of family members or friends who were boston sailors.

Please send me a bio if your interested!

-Bill

Bob is a plankowner, reporting to the ship on Commissioning Day (6-30-43)

He was a Radio Technician in CR Division

He left the ship on 1-19-46

Bob is an active member of the Boston Shipmates, and serves on the Reunion Committee. I had the pleasure of spending an afternoon recently with Bob as he reminisced about his time aboard the ship.

During the last couple of weeks, I’ve had the incredible good fortune to spend time with two men who served on the Boston during the War.  (The visits were on opposite sides of the country.)  The first visit was with Bob Knight, a plankowner who served in Radio 1 and Radio 2.  The second visit was this last weekend, on the other side of the country, with one of the Marines from the ship. Not just any old Marine, but  the commanding officer. . .

Oh, and then I drove a little further and spent an afternoon with my new old friend Pat Fedele and his wife Sandy.  So I actually spent time with three Boston shipmates during the last few weeks.

I’m finding it amazing that these guys, seventy years removed from the action, still have vivid memories of their lives aboard the ship.  I am awestruck by the fact that each one of them had unique experiences and saw and heard and remember different things.  Life aboard the ship was different for each guy in some ways, but the same in other ways.  The one event where everyone’s divergent experiences become practically an echo of each other is their recounting of Typhoon Cobra.

The one thing that really strikes me the most about talking with these guys is I have had many laughs with each one of them.  I have been asking them questions, and while some of them require a “serious” answer, it’s only a matter of time before the chuckles begin.

I have some great material for the new Boston book(s).  I am working on the first part. I will see two or three more crewmembers in the next few months, and will happily thread whatever they tell me into what I’m writing.  The combination of first-hand accounts and all the materials (photos, captain’s reports, war diaries, etc.) that bill gathered at the National Archives  -  should make for a pretty good read . . .

I’ll post more about my visits, and will include some pictures (Then and Now).

steve

John is a  plankowner  -  he reported to Boston on Commissioning Day (6-30-43)

Left the Boston on 2-10-46

I am happy to report that John is active and well and lives in New Jersey.

To those of us who are both blessed and cursed with Irish ancestry, Happy St. Patrick’s Day.

I am working on the new Boston book in earnest now  -  the one I’ve been talking about doing ever since my first book, A Bird’s Eye View was finished.  Soon after it was published, my brother Bill and I started this website,  Soon after we started the website, we began to hear from folks out there whose father, uncle, brother, grandfather had served on the Boston as well.  Would we be interested in his picture? Copies of documents from his service on CA-69 that he saved?  Might we be interested in seeing the journal that he kept?

That’s when I realized that a second book needed to be written.  Since then, not only have you readers sent me photos and documents, but Bill has made two separate trips to Washington DC to the National Archives.  We now have enough primary source material to write two books, let alone one.  Oh, and I’ve done a thing or two since then, including three interviews of two original members (plank owners).  I have scheduled another meeting later this week back in Massachusetts with another plank owner.

Two of the interviews yielded incredible memories and stories.  They also yielded journals -  brief eye-witness accounts  -  that each had kept during his stay on the Boston.  I am very excited to say that the new book is LOADED with official Navy photos taken from the Boston and housed at the National Archives, loaded with official War Journals and Captain’s reports and official Action Reports.  It will also include the pictures and documents that families of some of the guys have sent me over the last two years.  The interviews and their journals will be the thread that weaves the book together.

LAST CALL TO ALL YOU FOLKS WHO HAVE CONTACTED ME AND SAID YOU WERE SENDING ME STUFF FOR THE BOOK.  Time is running out.

Did I say I was excited about this?  In my interview with George Pitts a couple of weeks ago, he shared this:

I never thought a thing about all that we were doing, being in the Navy – I just wanted to get out, get home, drop everything.  That’s what you did. It wasn’t until I got home – and years later the light bulb went on and I realized I was making history out there.

 Did I already mention that I am excited about the new Boston book? . . . . . .

steve

(see post of 1-11-12 for the original inclusion of George Pitts)

On February 20, less than two weeks ago, I had the the terrific honor and privilege of meeting George Pitts (and his charming wife Mary and daughter Susan) in his home outside of Boston. George was a Signalman 3rd Class on the Boston, and was in the same division as my father.

As many of you know, I am working on a second book about the Boston – one that will be filled with “primary source” materials – including photos and original documents and interviews.  George was gracious enough to endure a couple of hours of questions and answered them with his wonderful insight and observations.

I am going to try to figure out how to include an audio clip from the “interview”  -  although I just got a message that my audio file exceeds the size allowed by this software.  Hmm, we’ll try to figure something out.  Maybe I could post them on my book website . . .  I’ll let you know.

steve

Ms. Lola Heiler will present a lecture on the Japanese Temple Bell, Sunday, March 18 from 1 pm to 2:30 at the Emerald Necklace Visitor’s Center (125 the Fenway, Boston, MA  617-522-2700).

The theme of the lecture:  The 17th century Buddhist temple bell from the Manpuku-ji Temple of Sendai, Japan represents the aspirations of the World War II generation to promote peace from the tragedy of war.  It is also a symbol of reconciliation between two nations that were former enemies;  a cultural bridge between two cities, Sendai and Boston, founded in the same era;  and a spiritual cousin of the 1954 UN Peace Bell and its twenty-two successor World Peace Bells installed since 1988 in major cities around the globe.   Transported on the USS Boston (CA69) Navy Cruiser to the USA from Yokosuka, Japan in 1946 and presented to the city of Boston by its captain Marion R. Kelley on behalf of the officers and crew, the bell was formally donated to the city by the Temple Believers in 1953.

The bell is located just behind the Museum of Fine Arts {Huntington Ave.} in the War Memorial area of the Fens.  The visitor’s Center is a short walk from there.  You can read all about the Park and the conservancy at: www.emeraldnecklace.org.  There are maps showing public transportation “T” stops and nearby public parking.

Ms. Heiler tells me the story of the bell, once it arrived in Boston (it used to be located in the Public Gardens) is fascinating and full of surprises!  I wish I could be there . . .

steve