USS Boston (CA-69/CAG-1), a heavy cruiser and later a guided missile cruiser, was the sixth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts. Boston was launched 26 August 1942 by Bethlehem Steel Company's Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts, sponsored by Mrs Helen Noonan Tobin, wife of the Mayor of Boston, Maurice J. Tobin, and commissioned 30 June 1943.
Service history
World War II
Boston reported to the Pacific Fleet, arriving at Pearl Harbor 6 December 1943. She joined Task Force 58 (TF 58) in January and took part in the raids on the Marshall Islands in support of the invasions of Kwajalein, Majuro, and of Eniwetok (31 January – 28 February 1944).
Vietnam War
In April 1967, Boston returned to the Pacific for the first time in fifteen years, transiting the Panama Canal to begin a tour of combat service with the 7th Fleet. Part of Naval Gunfire Support Task Unit 77.8.9 and Sea Dragon operations off North Vietnam, she fired thousands of rounds of eight- and five-inch shells against targets in North and South Vietnam. Though continuing to be based on the East Coast, the cruiser made two more deployments to the Western Pacific, in April–October 1968 and May–November 1969, the only 6th Fleet cruiser to make 3 tours to the combat zone. In May 1968, Boston was reclassified from "Guided-Missile Heavy Cruiser" to "Heavy Cruiser, Attack", reverting to her original hull number, CA-69. Though she retained her Terrier missiles, the swift advance of technology had made these weapons obsolete after little more than a dozen years' service, and her main battery was once again her six, eight-inch guns, of her forward turrets.
;Friendly fire incident
On 16–17 June 1968, Boston was conducting naval gunfire support against North Vietnamese targets, in company with the destroyers , and the Australian guided missile destroyer , when the group was attacked by USAF aircraft from the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing. The jets fired two missiles at Boston. One exploded off the port beam and the other close aboard to port, showering the ship with fragments. No sailors were injured and the missiles caused only minor structural damage. Hobart was later hit by three missiles, killing two sailors and wounding eight more. The US aircraft came around for a third attack but were scared off when Hobart fired at the aircraft.
Analysis determined that the missiles were AIM-7 Sparrow, designed to be used in an air-to-air role, and not in the inventory of Vietnamese People’s Air Force. Missile fragments found on Boston deck indicated they were manufactured in Waltham, Massachusetts, 11 miles west of Boston.
The ships were in the vicinity of Swift Boats PCF-12 & 19, which had come under attack by North Vietnamese helicopters with PCF-19 sunk and 5 killed. The US Navy officially records the incident as friendly fire.
Decommissioning
thumb|239x239px|Overhead shot of USS Boston (CA-69), in her original configuration before becoming one of the US Navy's first missile cruisers (19 May 1945)
thumb|Bostons flag-lowering ceremony
While on her last Vietnam cruise thought and funding was given to overhauling Boston (and sister ship ). Her Terrier missile system would have been upgraded to Standard Missile-ER with new radars and equipment for the modern missiles. Her gunnery systems, hull and electronics would have also been overhauled. With the reduction in defense spending, funds were reallocated to more modern ships and Boston sailed for a last visit and family day at her namesake city in late 1969 before decommissioning.
Senator Edward Kennedy had expressed views that she should be retained as a museum ship on the city's waterfront but no plans materialised so she began the inactivation process at Boston Navy Yard's Naval Annex, on the 5 May 1970, was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in January 1973 and sold for scrapping in March 1975. Scrapping was completed in 1976.
Awards
- Navy Unit Commendation
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 10 battle stars
- World War II Victory Medal
- Navy Occupation Medal(Asia clasp)
- National Defense Service Medal
- Vietnam Service Medal with 5 battle stars
- Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation
- Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Boston received 10 battle stars for her World War II service,