I beg you, I PLEAD with you -- tell me this is not named for Barbara "I am a socialist because Communism is not an option right now" Boxer!!!!
This ship needs to change its name to USS 'xxxx' Boxer, to ensure that nobody ever, ever gets the idea that the 'xxxx' might stand for 'Barbara'.
... you beat me to it - we think the same.
If the crew of the Boxer had a mutiny, would we call it the Boxer Rebellion?
The First and Original Boxer The first Boxer in American history was actually Her Majesties British Ship" (HMBS) Boxer, a Brig of 14 guns with a keel measuring 98 feet in length and just over 28 feet in breadth.
The HMBS Boxer, commanded by Captain Blyth, was sailing off the coast of Portland, Maine on September 5, 1813, when she was met by the USS Enterprise, commanded by Lieutenant William Burrows. The fight that ensued was heroic for both ships, and in the end Boxer's crew surrendered her to U.S. forces.
In January 1815, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry endeavored to build a squadron of four ships to aid fighting in the Mediterranean resulting from the War of 1812. The first, the newly refurbished HMBS Boxer - renamed the USS Boxer - would be one of these ships.
The USS Boxer was launched on May 17, 1815, with a new array of fourteen 32-pound cannons and two long 9-pound cannons. She was first Commanded by Lieutenant John Porter who sailed her to the Mediterranean to join Commodore Perry's squadron.
Second Boxer:
The second Boxer was the first USS Boxer built from the keel up.
Constructed as a schooner, the second Boxer - sister ship to the fourth Enterprise - was launched on November 22, 1831, at the Boston Navy Yard. The ship was 88 feet long, 23 feet wide, had a battery of 10 guns and cost the U.S. Navy $30,697 to build.
The USS Boxer served the U.S. Navy for 17 years, sailing the seas of the world until decommissioning in 1848.
The Third "Confederate" Boxer
The third Boxer, an English-built iron "side-wheeled" steamer, was originally known as the Tristam Shanty, that measured 222 feet in length and 23 feet in width.
The Tristam Shanty was used by the Confederate military to run blockades the United States had established during the Civil War.
However, she was captured by USS Kansas on May 15, 1864 then purchased by the U.S. Navy from the Boston Prize Court and commissioned into service as the "USS Boxer" on August 12, 1864.
The Fourth and Last Wooden Boxer
In the late 19th century, the US Navy named one of its new training brigantine's, launched on October 11, 1904, the Boxer in honor of the British ship captured by the USS Enterprise in 1813.
This became the fourth United States Navy ship to bare the name. The Boxer was later transferred to the Department of the Interior on May 14, 1920 for work along the Alaskan coast.
The Fifth and First Steel Boxer
USS Boxer CV-21, a Ticonderoga/Essex Class Light Aircraft Carrier (CV), was the fifth American warship to carry the name Boxer.
The name originally belonged to the British wooden brigantine HMS Boxer, captured off the coast of Maine by the USS Enterprise in 1814.
HMS Boxer, later renamed the USS Boxer, was taken into United States Navy service in 1815 making Boxer an official part of American Naval history.
The fifth USS Boxer, CV-21 was first laid down by Newport News Shipyards September 13, 1943, was launched on December 14, 1944 by Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. Newport News, Virginia and sponsored by Miss Ruth D. Overton, daughter of the Senator from Louisiana.
The ship was commissioned on April 16, 1945, and Captain D. F. Smith became the first officer to command her. However, Completed too late to take part in World War II, Boxer joined the Pacific Fleet at San Diego in August 1945 and fulfilled the campaign promise "off we go to Tokyo" by anchoring off Tokyo bay in September 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 January 11, 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 July 14-22, 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 (July 27-August 4, 1950), she cut the record to 7 days, 10 hours, and 36 minutes.
After fast repairs she departed for the Far East August 24, 1950, this time to join TF 77 in giving air support to the troops.
Her planes supported the landing at Inchon (September 15, 1950) and other ground action until November, when she departed for the west coast and overhaul. Fighter Squadron 23 (VF-23), nicknamed the "Vigilantes" operated from the deck of USS Boxer (CV-21) with CVG-2 from August 24, 1950 - November 11, 1950, in which the squadron was sent to WESTPAC for the Korean War.
The Vigilantes conducted three combat cruises from the deck of the USS Boxer during the three year war that was highlighted by landing at Inchon (September 15, 1950) and the recapture of Seoul and Kimpo airfields.
USS Boxer continued operations off the coast of Korea until November, when she departed for the west coast and overhaul. Boxer departed San Diego for her second Korean tour March 2, 1951.
Again she operated with TF 77 supporting the ground troops. She returned to San Francisco October 24, 1951. Sailing February 8, 1952 for her third tour in Korea, Boxer again served with TF 77.
During June 23-24, 1952 her planes took part in the heavy strikes against the North Korean hydro-electric complex and on 147.
On August 05, 1952 a fire, caused by an explosion, swept the hangar deck that had nine men killed and two seriously injured.
After emergency repairs at Yokosuka, Japan (August 11-23, 1952), Boxer returned to duty off Korea. On August 28 1952 USS Boxer (CV-21) launched explosive-filled drone which explodes against a railroad bridge near Hungnam, Korea.
This mission marked the first guided missile launched from a ship during the Korean Conflict. On September 01, 1952 One hundred forty-four aircraft from USS Boxer (CV 21), USS Essex (CV 9) and USS Princeton (CV 37) struck and destroy the oil refinery at Aoji, North Korea, and was the largest carrier raid of the Korean Conflict.
She arrived at San Francisco September 25, 1952, was reclassified CVA-21 in October 1952, 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. Boxer received eight battle stars for her service off Korea.
In September 1954, the USS Boxer embarked Fighter Attack Squadron VA-702, nicknamed the "Rustlers" (changed to the "Swordsmen" in 1956) and began a Western Pacific (WESTPAC) Deployment in June 1955. It was during this eight month cruise that USS Boxer and VA-702 flying AD-4 Skyraiders, established a flight record of 1,094.7 flight hours in one month.
Boxer was reclassified as an Anti-Submarine Warfare Carrier (CVS-21) in November 15, 1955. In 1958, USS Boxer (CVS-21), after completing three WESTPAC deployments since the Korean War and conducting U.S. Atomic Weapons Testing in the South Pacific as part of "Operation Hardtack", was transferred from the West to the East coast.
Because the purpose-built Iwo Jima class was taking too long to complete, the U.S. Navy decided to convert a few of its older light carriers into Essex class amphibious assault helicopter carriers (LPH).
The Boxer was redesignated again as an Amphibious Assault Ship (LPH 4) on January 30, 1959. Boxer became part of the Navy's FRAM II life extension program for fiscal year 1962 in which the ship was finally overhauled.
On August 29, 1964, a newly-overhauled USS Boxer (LPH-4) and two LSDs arrive off the coast of Hispaniola to give medical aid to Haiti and Dominican Republic which were badly damaged by Hurricane Cleo. However, despite an overhaul and nearly 25 years of service, high operating costs and replacement ships coming on-line, cause the Boxer to be decommissioned and stricken for disposal on December 01, 1969.
Two years later it was sold for scrapping during February 1971 and subsequently scrapped at the Kearny, New Jersey Shipyards. the current USS Boxer (LHD-4), was Commissioned in Feb. 11 1995 as a Multipurpose Amphibious Assault Ship, as well as non-combatant evacuation and other humanitarian missions.
Semper Fi
Amphibious assault ships are routinely named for battles/engagements of the USMC. I suspect this ship celebrates the U.S. Marines involvment in the Boxer Rebellion, although I thought regular army was involved in the rescue---there may have been U.S. Marines guarding the embassy.
"I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go in harm's way."
- John Paul Jones
God bless and protect our fighting men.
I think that's a Pit Bull / American Staffordshire Terrier before it was called that.
