Jim Tsihlis had just been assigned to the USS Leyte one week before an explosion on board, which was determined to be an accident, killed and injured sailors and civilians.
aboard the USS Leyte happened on Oct. 16, 1953 at the Boston Naval Shipyard in South Boston, which no longer exists. It killed 37 people, including five civilians. It was the largest loss of life ever on the Boston waterfront, according to the U.S. Naval Institute.was an aircraft carrier that won two battle stars for its distinguished service in the Korean War. The 27,000-ton vessel could hold 1,400 sailors and 100 aircraft.
Jim Tsihlis, 92, of Arlington still remembers those days well. In 1953, he was a petty officer third class, and he had been assigned to the USS Leyte just one week before the explosion happened."I was on the dock, taking supplies from the dock, bringing aboard the ship," Tsihlis said."And there was a commotion aboard the ship, when everybody said, 'Fire! Fire!' And when that happened, I dropped everything, and I helped the sailors with water hoses.
According to newspaper reports from the time, firefighters said temperatures on board the vessel hit 200 degrees. They felt the heat from the steel decks through their boots. Rescuers poured water into the smoldering hatches as Navy men on board pulled everyone out of the brig. Some braved the black smoke and found the bodies of trapped sailors lying in water and oil. They dragged them up escape hatches to safety.
The family had been planning to celebrate his birthday with cake that evening. Instead, two Navy officials came to the house to tell the family there'd been an accident. "I guess you become stronger, and we grew up pretty much on our own," he said."My mother , you know, 'Just stay out of trouble,' which we did. So I'm doing OK in life."
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