Below are a few details regarding Thanksgivings aboard the USS Calvert, from 1942 through 1966. A newspaper article from 1961 provides details on the Thanksgiving meal served aboard ship while she was undergoing an overhaul in Seattle, WA.

Please share a comment below if you have any Thanksgiving memories or additional details you are able to share from your time aboard the USS Calvert.

Year	The location of the USS Calvert at each Thanksgiving, and related notes:
1942	Norfolk, VA. The Calvert and crew had returned to Norfolk two days earlier after completing the voyage home from participating in the invasion of North Africa, Operation Torch.
1943	At sea, the South Pacific, steaming to Pearl Harbor, following participation in the invasion of Makin Island (Gilberts) a few days earlier. “Crossed the International Date Line and had two Thanksgivings. We were fed well for the first one, but not for the second one.” – Lawrence D. Copeland, Calversion, Vol42, p3
1944	At sea, the South Pacific, steaming from Leyte island, the Philippines, to Borgan Bay, Cape Gloucester, New Britain, Papua New Guinea. The Calvert and crew had recently completed combat landings at Leyte.
1945	San Francisco, CA. The Calvert had recently returned to the West Cost of the United States following participation in the initial stages of the Occupation of Japan.
1946	Norfolk, VA. The Calvert was undergoing preparation for decommissioning and readiness for placement in the reserve fleet.
1950	Norfolk, VA. The Calvert and crew spent the fall of 1950 in the Norfolk and Chesapeake Bay area preparing for deployment to the Pacific in support of the Korean conflict.
1951	San Diego, CA. Preparing for deployment to the Korean theatre for combat operations.
1952	Sasebo, Japan. Preparing for departure for Inchon, Korea for amphibious training exercises.
1953	Pier 64, San Francisco. Undergoing overhaul by the Triple “A” Machine Works.
1954	San Diego, CA. Having recently returned from participating in The Passage To Freedom in Vietnam. The Calvert made a first stop in San Francisco and had returned to San Diego by November 21.
1955	San Diego, CA. Having recently completed amphibious training exercises with Marines at Camp Pendleton, CA.
1956	Yokosuka, Japan.
1957	San Diego, CA. Having recently completed amphibious training exercises with Marines at Camp Pendleton, CA.
1958	At sea. Underway from Yokosuka, Japan to San Diego, CA. Returning from the ’58 Far East Cruise.
1959	San Diego, CA. Having recently completed amphibious training exercises at Coronado Roads, near San Diego. November 26: “Moored port side to pier 3, berth 32, US Naval Station, San Diego. The engineering plant is in cold iron status.” USS Calvert’s deck log book, National Archives online.
1960	At sea. Underway from San Diego to Pearl Harbor for the Calvert’s Far East Cruise.
1961	Todd Shipyard, Seattle, Washington for overhaul. Roast Turkey For 300 On Transport. Seattle Daily Times. Thursday, November 23, 1961. Seattle, WA. p16 by Don D. Wright “Put down that carving knife, Mother, there IS cause for thanksgiving today. Just be thankful you did not have to prepare: Three-hundred pounds of turkey, 140 pounds of ham, 100 pounds of Irish potatoes, 60 gallons of turkey-noodle soup, 120 pounds of celery, 75 pounds of candied yams, 60 pounds of lettuce, 40 pounds of corn, 40 pounds of peas, 30 pounds of shrimp cocktail, and 50 pies. That is only part of the victuals on the Thanksgiving Day menu aboard the Navy attack Transport Calvert berthed at the Todd Shipyards on Harbor Island. Trained to be able to make decisions instantly, the Calvert’s crew of 300 had to make several important choices today: Fruit cocktail or sea food. Turkey or ham. Potatoes or yams. Peas or corn. Pickles or olives (if olives, green or ripe). Pumpkin pie or mincemeat pie. Candy or nuts. Overseeing the dinner preparations was Thomas A. Sheldon, chief commissaryman, of San Diego, the Calvert’s home port. The transport is being overhauled here. The crew is not too unhappy about being in Seattle for hte holiday. Last year the transport was in Okinawa for both Thanksgiving Day and Christmas. With a little bit of luck the men will spend this Christmas in their home port. The ranking officer aboard the Calvert for Thanksgiving Day is Comdr. Arthur Major, executive officer, Capt. J. N. Renfro, is on leave.”
1962	At sea. Underway from Buckner Bay, Okinawa to San Diego for completion of the Calvert’s 1962 Far East Cruise.
1963	San Diego, CA.
1964	San Diego, CA.
1965	At sea. Underway from DaNang, Vietnam to Subic Bay, Island of Luzon, Philippines. “The Calvert and crew earned the Vietnam Service Medal for the period November 23rd to 26th for participation in Vietnam Defense support activities.” Navsource online: http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/03/03032.htm
1966 to 1976	Oakland Naval Supply Center, CA.

Clarence “Hoyt” Worthington served aboard the USS Calvert as a Gunners Mate from May 1944 to May 1946. Born and raised in Cedartown, GA, he enlisted in the US Navy on July 13, 1943 at the age of 17. After completing boot camp at the Great Lakes Training Station and Gunnery School in San Diego, he reported to the USS Calvert and joined her in Pearl Harbor.

After the war Hoyt was a key member of the Calvert Associates reunion group, and official photographer for many years at the Calvert Associates’ reunions. The following details were provided by Glynna Morse, Secretary of the Calvert Associates:

Many of you are aware that Hoyt was one of the first members of the USS Calvert Associates from its first reunion in Rochester, MN, in 1979, at which time John Cole was elected Commander, and Hoyt was elected as Executive Office of USS Calvert Associates, a position which he held until 2013, and he served as Acting Commander in 2013 after the death of John Cole.  Hoyt and his wife, Sara, hosted the second USS Calvert reunion in Atlanta in 1981, and they took group and individual photos of reunion attendees for the next decades.  

Hoyt provided the following photographs from his time aboard the Calvert when I met him at a reunion (either the Iowa reunion in 2013 or the Dallas-Ft. Worth reunion in 2014).

1944 film footage, saved by Hoyt:

The narrated movie footage of the Calvert’s time in the Pacific during the summer and fall of 1944 is due to Hoyt’s efforts to capture the showing of the film at an earlier reunion. Hoyt can be seen polishing one of the Calvert’s 3″ or 5″ gun barrels at the 6:17 mark of the video.

External sites featuring Hoyt’s WWII experiences

• Hoyt’s video memoirs of his time in the Navy, preserved as part of the Library of Congress Veterans History Project, is available here. Note, when you visit this page, you will need to click on the “Complete Interview” link to view the video interview.
• Hoyt’s United States Naval Memorial is available here.

Sadly Hoyt passed away in February, 2019. His obituary is available here.

After many years of delay, I have finally compiled details on the Calvert’s history following her decommissioning in late June of 1966. The information below is also available permanently at this page.

An eight-page document containing additional detailed research notes is available for download via the link/button here:

After decommissioning on June 30, 1966 at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, San Francisco, the Calvert was moved the Naval Supply Center, Oakland, Traffic Management School for use as a training hulk until 1976.

The ex-USS Calvert was sold to Levin Metals Corp (LMC), Richmand, CA on February 14, 1977 (contract # MA-8617) and physically delivered to LMC on March 11, 1977.

In the summer of 1990 the Levin Metals Corp contacted John L. Cole for purposes of safely delivering the Calvert’s brass and wood name board, thus being saved from disposal.

The living history of the USS Calvert, and her crew, continues.

With the Calvert Marine Museum’s commitment to preserve and share the Calvert’s story, former crew members and their families willingness to keep the Calvert’s story alive, and this website, the Calvert will not soon be forgotten. She was a respected and capable ship, celebrated by her crew, and she continues to earn respect for those who learn of her and her crews’ story.

I was having trouble identifying the purpose and behind the flag and linen item shown below. These are in the collection of Robert Hile, son of Robert B. Hile, BM3, 1950 – 1954. Full details on BM3 Hile’s time aboard the Calvert was previously published here.

Thank you for everyone’s help in identifying these artifacts!