MOCK INVASION CARSON BEACH

When we were kids we either played at Cowboys killing Indians or soldiers killing “Japs or Natzi’s”. After watching movies like Wake Island, Bataan, Guadalcanal Diary, Thirty Seconds over Tokyo etc. we were ready to join battle with our wooden rifles. WW II however ended in 1945 when I was 10 so I missed out on seeing the real thing. But wait; there was another opportunity to witness a real live invasion with Marines, Navy pilots, Army personnel, amphibious vehicles etc.… the whole shebang. There was planned a mock invasion right here in Southie on Carson Beach. I marked Oct. 1949 on my calendar. I wouldn’t miss this for all the tea in China. Sure enough the Navy cleared the beach of the foe by flying literally 100 feet over the land. Explosives planted in the ground made it look like they were actually dropping bombs. Then came the amphibious LST’s that discharged the Marines and Army soldiers. They charged ahead to secure a beachhead. Weapons fired and it was all so realistic. It could have been Normandy as far as I was concerned. The event was not without controversy, however. A photographer for the Boston Post named Morris Fineberg was hit by flying shrapnel and killed. I guess it was too realistic after all.