Figure 1: USS Boxer (CV-21) slides down the building ways, during launching ceremonies at the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, Newport News, Virginia, 14 December 1944. Note banner spread across the front of Boxer's flight deck, proclaiming: "Here We Go to Tokyo! Newport News Shipyard Workers' War Bonds Help to Sink the Rising Sun." Courtesy of William H. Davis. US Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 2: US personnel wait to board USS Boxer (CV-21) at Alameda, California, for a fast trip to Japan, circa 8-14 July 1950. On 14-22 July, the ship carried an emergency shipment of 170 Air Force and Navy aircraft, plus personnel and equipment, to the Korean War zone in a record 8 1/2 day trans-Pacific crossing. Two of the 145 USAF F-51 Mustang fighters carried are visible on her flight deck. Official US Navy Photograph, from the "All Hands" collection at the Naval Historical Center. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 3: USS Boxer (CV-21), with her crew spelling out her name on the flight deck, steams past the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco Bay as she returned from her first Korean War deployment, November 1950. Official US Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 4: A crash landing on board USS Boxer (CV-21), circa 1947. This appears to be an AD-1 Skyraider from squadron VA-20A. Courtesy Rhonda Gross, daughter of C.E. "Red" Gorham Jr. (USN). Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 5: Another view of a crash landing on board USS Boxer (CV-21), circa 1947. This appears to be an AD-1 Skyraider from squadron VA-20A. Courtesy Rhonda Gross, daughter of C.E. "Red" Gorham Jr. (USN). Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 6: Four F9F-2 "Panther" jet fighters roar past the USS Boxer (CV-21), with dive brakes, landing gear and arresting hooks down, preparing to land on board after returning from a mission over North Korea, 23 June 1951. The planes and their pilots are from Fighter Squadron 721 (VF-721), a Naval Reserve squadron formerly based at Naval Air Station, Glenview, Illinois. Official US Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 7: "Plane Captain Felix A. Norris, USNR, aids in strapping in the pilot of his Corsair fighter. Soon the deadly Corsair will be diving on an enemy bridge or supply dump in North Korea, pinpointing its targets with bombs, napalm and rockets." The pilot is Lieutenant (jg) John W. White, Jr. Note the Confederate flag patch on his right shoulder, signifying the Memphis 'Rebel' squadron." This photograph and caption were released by USS Boxer on 27 June 1951, but the photo was taken on 26 June. Boxer carried two squadrons of F4U Corsair fighters at this time, VF-791 and VF-884. Both were Naval Reserve units reactivated for Korean War service. Official US Navy Photograph, from the "All Hands" collection at the Naval Historical Center. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 8: "Deck Launch -- Visible rings of vapor encircle a Corsair fighter as it turns up prior to being launched from the USS Boxer for a strike against communist targets in Korea. Hovering to the stern of the aircraft carrier, the ever-present helicopter plane guard stands by to assist if any emergency arises." Photograph and caption were released in Washington, DC, on 20 July 1951. Planes are Vought F4U-4s. Helicopter is a Sikorsky HO3S. Official US Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 9: Some of USS Boxer‘s(CV-21) F4U Corsair fighters and AD Skyraider attack planes rendezvous off the North Korean coast. Photo is dated 15 August 1951. The F4U in the foreground is from squadron VF-791. ADs are from squadron VA-702. Official US Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 10: Two F4U-5N Corsair fighters of squadron VC-3 fly past USS Boxer (CV-21) during combat operations off Korea. Photo is dated 4 September 1951. These planes are Bureau #s 124537 (left) and 124539. Their pilots are Lieutenant John D. Ely, USNR, and Lieutenant (JG) J.G. Stranlund, USNR. Official US Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 11: North Korean railroad bridges after they were destroyed by Navy carrier planes, 3 October 1951. The main bridge has several spans down. Its bypass, to the left of the main bridge, has been destroyed over much of its length. Note heavy craters in the riverbed near the bridges, made by different sized bombs. This photograph was taken by a plane from USS Boxer (CV-21). Official US Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 12: Admiral Arthur W. Radford, USN, Commander-in-Chief Pacific (left), on board USS Boxer (CV-21), during his helicopter tour of ships operating off North Korea. Also present are Captain Dennis J. Sullivan, the carrier's Commanding Officer (center), and Commander James O'Grady. Photo is dated 28 April 1952. Official US Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 13: "Practice is Important -- Commander Gordon Sherwood ..., commanding officer of Attack Squadron 65, hangs in parachute harness from an A frame erected on the hanger deck of the Boxer. With the help of the apparatus, he perfects the technique of getting out of the harness in the least possible time after landing. Seconds saved sometimes mean the difference between life and death to a downed pilot." Photograph and caption were released by Commander Naval Forces, Far East, on 1 August 1952. Boxer, with VA-65 embarked, was then operating off Korea. Official US Navy Photograph, from the "All Hands" collection at the Naval Historical Center. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 14: Hangar deck fire on board USS Boxer (CV-21) that took place on 5 August 1952. Ordnance men strip live 20-mm ammunition from a damaged F9F Panther jet fighter, while firefighters bring the blaze under control. Boxer was then operating off Korea. Official US Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 15: Task Force 77 replenishing during operations off Korea. The carrier in the foreground is USS Boxer (CVA-21), taking on fuel from an oiler which is also fueling a destroyer. Two other carriers, several destroyers and another replenishment ship are in the background. Photograph is dated 2 June 1953. Official US Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 16: USS Boxer (CVA-21) operating off North Korea in July 1953. Her flight deck crew is re-spotting aircraft in preparation for recovery of her last strike. Another aircraft carrier and the battleship USS New Jersey (BB-62) are steaming ahead of Boxer. Official US Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 17: “USS Boxer (CVA-21) Tribute -- While F9F Panther jets rest on the catapults in readiness, officers and men of the carrier USS Boxer pay tribute to pilots and crewmembers of the ship who gave their lives during the Korean War." Photograph and caption were released by Commander Naval Forces Far East on 9 August 1953. Plane on the port catapult is a Grumman F9F of Fighter Squadron 151 (VF-151). Official US Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 18: USS Boxer (CVA-21) in port, 18 November 1953. Picture was probably taken in San Francisco Bay, California, upon her return from the Far East. US Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 19: USS Boxer’s (CVA-21) crewmembers spell out "Boxer 75,000 Landings" on the flight deck to commemorate reaching that milestone in her career. The landing was made on 19 November 1955 by Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Charles R. Smith, and his crewman, Roland W. Parker, flying an AD Skyraider of Composite Squadron 35. The original photograph was released by Commander Naval Forces Far East on 28 November 1955. Official US Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 20: US Marine Corps HUS-1 helicopters lift off USS Boxer‘s (LPH-4) flight deck during operations off Vieques Island with the Tenth Provisional Marine Brigade, 8 March 1959. Photograph by Grantham. Official US Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 21: USS Boxer (LPH-4) at Mayport, Florida, in August 1965, just prior to departing for Vietnam with elements of the Army's First Cavalry Division on board. She carried 1,200 personnel, 205 helicopters and 6 OV-1 airplanes to the combat zone. Aircraft on her flight deck include 6 OV-1 (dark colored-forward); 4 CH-54 (white-just forward of island); 56 CH-47 (dark colored-amidships and aft) and 36 UH-1 (white-amidships and forward). The remaining 109 helicopters are presumably stowed on Boxer's hangar deck. Official US Army Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 22: "Caribbean Ready Group 1-68 steams in formation as it patrols the Caribbean Sea. Commanded by Capt. J.B. Drachnik, USN, Commander Amphibious Squadron Four, its mission is the promotion of peace and goodwill and the protection of US citizens and property ashore in time of crisis. Homeported in Norfolk, Virginia, the Group has been deployed since March. Ships of the Ready Group are: (l-r) Attack Cargo Ship, USS Rankin (AKA-103); Dock Landing Ship, USS Fort Snelling (LSD-30); Amphibious Assault Ship, USS Boxer (LPH-4); Tank Landing Ship, USS Graham County (LST-1176); and High Speed Transport, USS Kirwin (APD-90)." Photographed by PH2 A.P. Gonthier, Jr. The original photograph and caption were released by USS Boxer in 1968. Official US Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Click on photograph for larger image.
Named after the brig HMS Boxer, which was captured by the US brig Enterprise in 1813, USS Boxer (CV-21) was a 27,100-ton Ticonderoga class aircraft carrier that was built by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company at Newport News, Virginia, and was commissioned on 16 April 1945. The ship was approximately 888 feet long and 147 feet wide, had a top speed of 33 knots, and had a crew of 3,448 officers and men. Boxer was originally armed with 12 5-inch guns, 32 40-mm guns, and 46 20-mm guns, but this changed dramatically over the years due to the rise of missile technology. Boxer also carried 82 aircraft, but this also varied depending on the carrier’s mission.
Boxer was completed too late to participate in World War II, but she did join the Pacific Fleet at San Diego, California, in August 1945. From September 1945 to 23 August 1946, Boxer was based at Guam and served as the flagship of Task Force 77 in the western Pacific. The ship returned to San Francisco, California, on 10 September 1946 and for more than three years remained on America’s west coast, assigned to the usual peacetime duties and naval exercises that were common at that time. Boxer was sent back to the Far East on 11 January 1950 and was attached to the US Seventh Fleet for the first six months of 1950. She returned to San Diego on 25 June, the very day North Korea invaded South Korea.
With the start of the Korean War, Boxer was quickly loaded with aircraft, men, and supplies and sent back to the Far East. She was used as an aircraft transport and carried 170 Air Force and Navy aircraft, including more than 1,000 personnel and their equipment. Boxer left San Diego on 14 July 1950 and made a record crossing of the Pacific Ocean, arriving in the Korean War Zone on 22 July, a trip lasting only eight and one-half days. On her return trip to the west coast, which lasted from 27 July to 4 August, Boxer set another record, making the trip in only seven days, 10 hours, and 36 minutes.
After undergoing some repairs, Boxer returned to the Far East on 24 August 1950 and joined Task Force 77 once again. Her planes were used in the ground attack role, assisting the United Nations troops in stopping the North Koreans from advancing. Boxer’s planes also participated in the landing at Inchon on 15 September 1950. Boxer’s air groups continued providing air support for the ground troops until November, when she was ordered back to the west coast for an overhaul.
Boxer left San Diego for her second Korean War tour on 2 March 1951 and was again attached to Task Force 77. Her planes were once again primarily used in the ground-attack role, making numerous sorties in support of the beleaguered Allied troops in Korea. Boxer returned to San Francisco on 24 October 1951 and was sent back to Korea on 8 February 1952 for her third tour of duty. On 23 and 24 June, while attached to Task Force 77, Boxer’s planes participated in heavy attacks against North Korean hydro electric targets. But on 5 August 1952, a deadly fire raged on Boxer’s hanger deck, killing nine men and seriously injuring two others. After the crew managed to put out the fire, the ship steamed to Yokosuka, Japan, for emergency repairs that took from 11 to 23 August. After temporary repairs were completed, Boxer returned to the waters off Korea. But the ship was ordered back to San Francisco for more permanent repairs and arrived there on 25 September. The repairs were not fully completed until March 1953.
Boxer left for her fourth tour of duty in Korea on 30 March 1953 and her aircraft flew into action a month later. Boxer’s air groups participated in the final battles of the Korean War and the ship remained in the Far East until November 1953. During the post Korean War period, Boxer served as an attack carrier (CVA-21) for the Seventh Fleet for two cruises, once in 1954 and then from 1955 to 1956. After being converted into an anti-submarine warfare carrier (CVS-21) in early 1956, Boxer made her final cruise in that role in the western Pacific from 1956 to 1957.
In 1957, Boxer was converted once again, this time into an experimental helicopter assault aircraft carrier. In 1958, she also served as the flagship for Operation Hardtack, a nuclear weapons test program in the central Pacific. Later that same year, Boxer was transferred to the Atlantic Fleet as an Interim Amphibious Assault Ship and was formally re-designated LPH-4 on 30 January 1959.
For the next ten years, Boxer played a significant role as an amphibious assault ship for the US Navy. She carried Marines, along with their transport helicopters, and primarily operated in the Caribbean. Boxer participated in the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and in America’s intervention in the Dominican Republic in 1965. But in mid-1965, Boxer was sent into yet another war zone, this time to Vietnam. She was used as an aircraft transport and carried more than 205 US Army helicopters (including 1,200 Army personnel) and other aircraft to Vietnam as part of the deployment of the First Cavalry Division (Air Mobile). Boxer was also used as a spacecraft recovery vessel in early 1966 before making a second trip to Vietnam, this time carrying US Marine Corps aircraft and personnel. But the carrier was showing its age and other, newer, amphibious assault ships were joining the fleet. Boxer, therefore, was decommissioned in December 1969 and was sold for scrapping in February 1971.
