LULU MAE BOREN'S SPEECH TO CHRISTEN THE USN TANKER, THE USS CHESTATEE

LULU MAE BOREN'S SPEECH TO CHRISTEN THE USN TANKER, THE USS CHESTATEE
April 29, 1944
Savage, MN


I'm very proud and happy to be here today on this occasion. I wish to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to the United State Navy Department in giving me the pleasure to sponsor the launching of this vessel, the U.S.S. Chestatee, in honor of my five sons, three of whom are in the service in the States, one who has already paid the supreme sacrifice, and one is held a German prisoner by the German government. I feel they deserve that recognition and honor, and proud of their records and military rank, which have been achieved through a long period of years with hard work and persistent study. Wherever they may be, I just hope they will enjoy this honor with me in Spirit, and I shall always remember it as one of the greatest moments of my life.

I should like to make some special dedication, first, to the memory of my dear son, the Late Ensign Joe S. Boren, United States Navy Reserves, and his nine buddies, who were killed on July 12, 1942, in the line of duty, in Carenage Bay near the Port of Spain, Trinadad, in the British West Indies. He was in the service of his country eighteen months, and into active duty just four months, when he paid the great sacrifice with his life with nine other fine American boys. Joe earned his Gold Wings after a year's training and graduation from Corpus Christi, and was sent to do duty in the Caribbean Sea patrolling convoys of supplies and troops through the danger zone of the Caribbean Sea, detecting subs and picking up survivors, and while he was out on a special mission in a foced landing was killed.

Second, to the life and safety of another son, Second Lieutenant James Russell Boren, who was co-pilot on a Flying Fortress, based in England. Russell had served his country eighteen months and graduated at Douglas, Arizona. He took advanced training on a Flying Fortress and was sent over seas the first of January. He was out in combat action a little over one month, when he was shot down in a raid over Berlin. He'd made six missions, one over Paris, Regensburg, Brunswick, Frankfur, and two over Berlin. We received a telegram saying he was missing in action over Germany, since the 8th of March. In a recent letter, he wrote that if we should receive a letter saying, "Missing in action," not to worry too much, but if it said the other, "That would be the happiest way he could go." After several weeks of fear and anxiety for his safety, last week we were made so happy when a report came through the International Red Cross that he was held a prisoner by the German Government.

My other three sons in the service in the States are Lieutenant Commander Ralph Clinton Boren, who is a doctor and surgeon in the U.S. Navy Hospital at San Diego, CA. We were very much concerned about his safety at the beginning of the war, as he was a doctor on the U.S.S. Tanker Cayuma on the Midway, Guam, Wake and Hawaiian Islands and missed the attack on Pearl Harbor by a week. Later, his tanker was sunk by a Japanese sub. Next, is Captain Ryburn D. Boren, who has been in service fifteen years and is now at Long Beach, CA, as an engineer in the Sixth Ferrying Command. He served as an Aviation Machinist Mate in the United States Navy and last seven years as an engineer in the Army Air Corps.

My youngest son, John L. Boren, is an Aviation Machinist Mate in the U.S. Navy, and is now at present an Air Cadet in Navy Air Corps in Primary Flight Base in Dallas,TX. I might add John has been one of the lucky ones in this war, having served three years in the Philippines before the outbreak of the war, as a crew member on a plane stationed in Cavite, Philippines. When it was evident that the Japs would take them over, he was chosen as one to escape from the Philippines with ten bombers down into the Dutch East Indies, where they were based at Soerabaja, Java. They were bombed and strafed for three months, all their planes shot down but two, most all their men killed, but they got away from Java and went from island to island, finally reached Australia, and from there back to the States, where a new squadron was formed and sent to Alaska. He spent five months at Kodiak, and three on Andreanof Islands where he spent three months participating in bombing of Kiska and Attu. He was sent back to the States to train for a fighter pilot. He is very anxious to earn his Gold Wings and get back into action and fill that empty cockpit made vacant by his brother, Joe.

As you may know, we are proud of our boys and proud to make this great contribution in this fight for freedom for the protection of our homes and the defense of our grand and glorius United States of America, but at the same time we do it with our heart filled with fear and anxiety for their personal welfare and safety on the battle fronts. There's a lot of worry mixed with the pride, but I realize we are only one mother and father out of hudreds of thousands who are experiencing the same sorrows and facing the same battles. My heart goes out in mutual sorrow, sympathy, and understanding to every father and mother whose heart has been saddened over the loss of a dear son in this cruel war, and when we have gained the victory may their dear lives shall not have been given in vain.

Today, lonely hearts are yearning for loved ones far away in service somewhere, on the seas, on the land, in the air, or underneath. It becomes the patriotic duty of every American citizen without exception to work increasingly to contribute without stint, to sacrifice without restraint, to pray fervently for our just and righteous cause, that to the end the complete victory may be achieved, and lonely hearts be united again in lating peace.

With victory on the way, now more than ever, we must unite in working for, sacrificing for, and fighting and praying for the name that means everything to us, the name which is the beacon light of universal freedom, the greatest name in all the world, the United State of America.

How proud I am to be an American and a citizen of the United States. For more than 165 years, this nation has given us to enjoy so much freedom, liberties, opportunities, and the pursuits of happiness. These are things our boys are fighting and dying for today, that we may still have freedom. It is up to us here on the home front to shoulder our share of the burden in order that we may gain the victory. Now the time has come that, in turn, we may repay our country for those many blessings by sacrificing on our part, buying war bonds and giving of our fine young manhood, which means my sons and your sons, husbands, fathers, and brothers. What we are asked to do is little compared to what our boys are doing, fighting, and dying on the far-flung battlefields of this war.

When this war is over, may the victory be ours, and may Old Glory as she waves her beautiful folds of red, white, and blue, so gently in the breeze, may she forever wave over the land of the free and the land of the brave, and may she never suffer defeat and crushed to earth by the enemy's heel, and may our government long endure and shall be forever be a government of the people, by and for the people, and shall it never perish from the earth.

So, let's keep the Star-Spangled Banner waving on high and keep the home fires burning until the boys come home and the lights go on again all over the world, peace and good will reign supreme, so with our chins up. "Let's Keep 'Em Flying, Let's Keep 'Em Sailing, Let's Keep 'Em Rolling," and lastly let's keep smiling and carry on because it is all for the flag.

As this vessel, the U.S.S. Chestatee, makes her way out on the high seas and joins the Fleet of the greatest and best Navy in the world, The United States Navy, may she do her full share, in behalf of the people of the United States in bringing an early victory and peace, and when the victory has been won, may she still do her bit in helping to preserve and maintain a lasting and permanent peace.

Wherever she may go, or wherever she may be, may the Devine Providence protect and care for her with every officer and members of her crew. May Good Luck and God's Speed go with her.

I, now, christen her as the U.S.S. Chestatee, as a part of the United States Navy of America.

 

Left to right; unknown, James Dallas Boren, Lulu Boren, and 2 Boren boys.
I've always thought this picture was from the ship christening but I think I may be wrong.  The two Boren men on the right sure look to me like Russell and Joe. But at the ship christening Russell was a POW in Germany and Joe has already passed away. Hmmm. I need to figure this one out.