Charlie Ray Boswell US Navy USS Tennessee |
Charlie Ray Boswell, Water Tender 1/C, US Navy, USS Tennessee, was born September 4, 1921 in Coryell County, Texas. He enlisted in the Navy on January 7, 1941. He received boot training in San Diego, CA and went aboard the USS Tennessee in Pearl Harbor in April, 1941. On December 7, 1941, I was a mess cook for the M Division and was washing dishes when the alarm sounded. I saw planes out the porthole then ran to my general quarters station. My general quarters were five-inch ammunition storage room. We sent up 547 rounds in 14 minutes. We had no skin on our arms when we were done. The shells weighed approximately 110 pounds per round. I stayed on the USS Tennessee until September, 1942. Then I was assigned to the destroyer USS Waller (DD-466). We went to the South Pacific up and down the slot until September, 1945. We returned to the states for a 15-day leave and during that time, I married Waldine Whisenhunt on September 5, 1945. I returned to the 7th fleet until the war was over. The USS Waller was one of the first ships in Shanghai, China. My rank was water tender first class. I was awarded the Good Conduct Medal, American Defense Service Medal with Fleet Clasp, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign with two Silver Stars and three Bronze Stars. World War II Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Service Medal with a clasp, Philippine Liberation Ribbon with one Bronze Star and the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation. We came back to the States and they decommissioned the USS Waller in 1946. I was discharged in January, 1947. I tried farming, but that didn't work out, so I went to work for Dow Chemical in 1953 and retired from Dow in 1982. I owned a small ranch in Sweeny, Texas where we raised goats and cattle until 1998. I now live in Clifton, Texas with my wife, Waldine. We have two children, five grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. |
Information provided by Charlie and Waldine Boswell. |
