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U.S.S. BOXER

(LPH-4)

HONOR

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The USS BOXER (LPH-4), an Essex-class aircraft carrier, was commissioned on 16 APR 1945 as CV-21. Built by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. in Newport News, VA, USS BOXER was too late to see action in the Pacific in WWII. Deploying to the Far East after the War, BOXER went to sea with the first all jet powered operation in 1948. The Korean War had BOXER performing what is known today as a "surge" deployment, ferrying aircraft into the war zone and then remaining to support the Inchon landing in September 1950. Repeatedly returning to Korean waters during the conflict, BOXER continued on with more routine cruises to the Far East after hostilities ended. Reclassified repeatedly as CVA-21 (Attack Carrier), then CVS-21 (Anti-submarine Carrier), then when shifted to the Atlantic Fleet in 1959, as LPH-4, an Amphibious Assault Ship. BOXER conducted intensive training in the use of helicopter-born Marines as an element of Amphibious Warfare. On Atlantic fleet duty she successively participated in the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Dominican Republic Intervention and the recovery of Apollo spacecraft. The growing involvement of the US in Vietnam called BOXER to carry the US Army 1st Cavalry Division (Air Mobile) to Vietnam in 1965. USS BOXER served her country for 24 years, 7 months and 15 days, until decommissioned on 1 DEC 1969. The hulk of the BOXER was sold for scrap in 1971.

The USS BOXER (LPH-4) deployment history and significant events of her service career follow:

LPH-4 Deployments - Major Events

Add a LPH-4 Shellback Initiation Add a LPH-4 Deployment - Major Event
Month Year to Month Year Deployment / Event
SEP1943-Keel Date: 13 SEP 1943
at Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. Newport News VA
DEC1944-Launch Date: 14 DEC 1944
APR1945-Commissioned: 16 APR 1945
OCT1958-OCT1958Panama Canal
DEC1958-JAN1959Dry Dock
JAN1959-FEB1959Caribbean
JAN1959-JAN1970Mediterranean-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf
JAN1959-APR1959Guantanamo Bay
JUN1959-OCT1959Dry Dock
OCT1959-NOV1959Guantanamo Bay
JAN1960-JAN1964Cuban Missle Blockade
JAN1960-JAN1962Middle Pacific
JAN1960-FEB1960Caribbean
JUN1960-AUG1960Caribbean
SEP1960-NOV1960Guantanamo Bay
NOV1960-MAR1964Guantanamo Bay
JAN1961-APR1961Bay of Pigs Invasion
JAN1961-APR1961Guantanamo Bay
APR1961-Shellback Initiation - 17 APR 1961 - Atlantic Ocean
MAY1961-JUN1961Caribbean
AUG1961-FEB1962Norfolk Naval Ship Yard
JAN1962-JAN1962Cuban Missle Blockade
FEB1962-FEB1962Amphibious Exercise 1-62 Onslow Beach North Carolina
FEB1962-APR1962Caribbean
APR1962-APR196221 gun salute for president kennedy
MAY1962-MAY1962Guantanamo Bay
JUN1962- Shellback Initiation - 26 JUN 1962 - Atlantic Ocean
JUN1962-SEP1962Amphibious Exercise 2-62 (Caribbean)
JUN1962-Shellback Initiation - 25 JUN 1962 - Atlantic Ocean
AUG1962-AUG1962Port of Spain Trinidad and Tobago
OCT1962-DEC1962Cuban Missle Blockade
OCT1962-JAN1963Cuban Missle Blockade
OCT1962-AUG1965Guantanamo Bay
FEB1963-MAR1963Santo Domingo Dominican Republic
APR1963-MAY1963Haiti
OCT1964-NOV1964Amphibious Operation Printed Material
OCT1964-NOV1964Amphibious Operation Steel Pike Coast of Spain
JAN1965-MAR1966West Pac-Viet Nam
MAR1965- Shellback Initiation - 27 MAR 1965 - Atlantic Ocean
APR1965-JUN1965Dominican Republic Crisis
APR1965-Shellback Initiation - 4 APR 1965 - Atlantic Ocean
MAY1965-AUG1966West Pac-Viet Nam
JAN1966-JAN1966Vietnam
JAN1966-DEC1966West Pac-Viet Nam
FEB1966-Shellback Initiation - 2 FEB 1966 - Atlantic Ocean
FEB1966- Shellback Initiation - 20 FEB 1966 - Atlantic Ocean
FEB1966- Shellback Initiation - 9 FEB 1966 - Atlantic Ocean
FEB1966-FEB1966Apollo Recovery
FEB1966-Shellback Initiation - 9 FEB 1966 - Atlantic Ocean
FEB1966-Shellback Initiation - 20 FEB 1966 - Atlantic Ocean
MAR1966-JUN1966West Pac-Viet Nam
APR1966-AUG1966West Pac-Viet Nam
MAY1966-Shellback Initiation - 15 MAY 1966 - Atlantic Ocean
AUG1966-NOV1966Caribbean
MAY1967-AUG1967Dry Dock
OCT1968-Shellback Initiation - 10 OCT 1968 - Atlantic Ocean
NOV1968-FEB1969Panama Canal
DEC1968-JAN1969Caribbean
JAN1969-APR1970Mediterranean
JAN1969-JAN1969West Pac-Viet Nam
JUN1969-JUL1969North Atlantic
DEC1969-Decommissioned: 1 DEC 1969

LPH-4 General Specifications

Class: Essex-class aircraft carrier

Complement: 3448 Officers and Enlisted

Length: 888 feet

Draft: 28 feet 7 inches

Flank Speed: 33 knots

Final Disposition: Sold for scrapping in February 1971 and scrapped at Kearny



USS BOXER (LPH-4)



The fifth Boxer (CV-21) was launched 14 December 1944 by Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. Newport News Va.; sponsored by Miss Ruth D. Overton daughter of the Senator from Louisiana and commissioned 16 April 1945 Captain D. F. Smith in command.


Completed too late to take part in World War II Boxer joined the Pacific Fleet at San Diego in August 1945. From September 1945 to 23 August 1946 she operated out of Guam as flagship of TF 77 in the Western Pacific. During this tour she visited Japan Okinawa the Philippines and China. She returned to San Francisco 10 September 1946 and operated off the west coast engaged in normal peacetime duty until departing for the Far East 11 January 1950. After service with the 7th Fleet in the Far East during the first half of 1950 she returned to San Diego arriving 25 June.


With the outbreak of the Korean conflict she was pressed into service to carry planes to the fighting. During 14-22 July 1950 she made a record crossing of the Pacific 8 1/2 days with 150 Air Force and Navy planes and a thousand troops. On her return trip (27 July-4 August) she cut the record to 7 days 10 hours and 36 minutes. After fast repairs she departed for the Far East 24 August this time to join TF 77 in giving air support to the troops. Her planes supported the landing at Inchon (15 September 1950) and other ground action until November when she departed for the west coast and overhaul.


Boxer departed San Diego for her second Korean tour 2 March 1951. Again she operated with TF 77 supporting the ground troops. She returned to San Francisco 24 October 1951. Sailing 8 February 1952 for her third tour in Korea Boxer again served with TF 77. During 23-24 June her planes took part in the heavy strikes against the North Korean hydro-electric complex and on


5 August she had nine men killed and two seriously injured in a fire which swept the hangar deck. After emergency repairs at Yokosuka Japan (11-23 August) Boxer returned to duty off Korea. She arrived at San Francisco 25 September and underwent repairs until March 1953.


The carrier departed for the Far East 30 March 1953 and went into action a month later. She took part in the final actions of the Korean conflict and remained in Asiatic waters until November. Since the end of the Korean fighting Boxer has cruised off the west coast and has made three cruises to the Far East. Boxer was reclassified CVA-21 in October 1952 and CVS-21 15 November 1955.


Boxer received eight battle stars for her service off Korea.

[Note: The above USS BOXER (LPH-4) history may or may not contain text provided by crew members of the USS BOXER (LPH-4) or by other non-crew members and text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]