William Boles

William Boles

I was born on August 19, 1918 in New York City, New York. I enlisted in the Navy on May 24, 1943 at the Naval Receiving Station in New York. I was sent to Boot Camp at the Naval Training Station at Sampson, New York; after which I attended Naval Training schools in Chicago, Illinois; Stillwater, Oklahoma; and Treasure Island, California.

I went aboard the Nassau on August 9, 1944, and I am proud to say that I spent 16 months on her where I saw a lot of the Pacific. I was assigned to "K" (Communications) Division where we maintained electronic equipment that included radar's, navigation and depth devices, as well as radio equipment.

A memorable event in my life aboard the Nassau was while we were moored at Ford Island, on January 9, 1945. I had the good fortune to serve Mass for Father Joseph O'Callahan, a Navy Chaplain. In three months, this priest would be acclaimed for his heroic deeds on the U.S.S. Franklin when it was the target of a Kamikaze attack on March 19, 1945.

On January 23, 1946, President Truman presented the Congressional Medal of Honor to Lt. Commander Joseph O'Callahan - the first Navy Chaplain to receive this award.

There is a link between the Franklin and the Nassau. After the Kamikaze attack, the Franklin headed for Ulithi. A small group of her wounded was brought aboard the Nassau, and I vividly remember one burned victim sitting in a wheel chair on the Hanger Deck.