Have you seen this pic? WW2 US Marines/Navy in Philadephia

[Gun Runner]

I was just wondering if anyone here has seen this clipping, perhaps one with more text and more of the picture.  I don't know anything about it other than the Marine in the front is most likely my grandpa.  I realize it's quite a long shot, but I believe it's also worth a shot.  Thanks for looking.

[garrettwc]

I have never seen the picture. But with a quick google search of the visible caption I was able to come up with the following:

The ship is the USS Boise CL-47. A cruiser. The photo was taken sometime during the month of November 1942. The part of the caption I can see indicates that the ship had six(based on the number of fingers held up) "kills" in battle. The ship was arriving in the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania, for battle damage repairs, November 1942. She had been hit by enemy shellfire in the Battle of Cape Esperance on 12 October 1942, resulting in a large fire that burned out her three forward 6"/47 gun turrets and their ammunition spaces. This according to the following link:

http://www.navsource.org/archives/04/04047.htm

You could check the archives of the Philadelphia newspapers for that time. The paper or the local library in Philly should have them on microfilm.

Here's a link to a memories website with details about the ship and crew:
http://www.wartimememories.co.uk/ships/boise.html

If your grandad is the Marine in the picture then he would have been part of the Marine contingent at Guadalcanal Sept 1942 according the second website I linked.

I know this isn't much, but maybe it can point you in the right direction.

[K Frame]

Were there still Marines posted aboard cruisers during WW II?

I know there were on battleships and carriers, but I don't know about cruisers.

[garrettwc]

Were there still Marines posted aboard cruisers during WW II?

I know there were on battleships and carriers, but I don't know about cruisers.

Don't know. From the article I linked, the mission of the Boise at the time was to take reinforcements and re-supply to the first wave on Guadalcanal and to bring some of the original landing force out. That may explain the Marine presence in the photo.

[mhdishere]

IIRC Jeff Cooper was a Marine who was posted on a cruiser during WW II.

[Moondoggie]

Yes, Marine Detachments were stationed on heavy cruisers in WWII.  Heavy cruisers were still classified as "capital ships" at that time.  Task Groups of cruisers and destroyers would have the flag aboard a heavy cruiser.

The first nuclear powered guided missle cruisers, the USS Truxton and USS Bainbridge still had Marine Detachments aboard during the 70's.  I was aboard the Truxton for a couple of days in '77, and she had a Marine Detachment of approximately 20 folks at that time.

[Azrael256]

Call this man:
Mr. Don Fitch                                   801-972-2348
     PO Box 26933
     Salt Lake City, UT 84126-0933

He's the last person I can find listed as the contact for the USS Boise group.