I lived in the COMBAT ZONE in 1973-1974. Disagree on drugs and vicious crime not existing there in those days. After midnight, it was pretty wild, literally hundreds of prostitutes would hang out around Lagrange Street and stop every car and give a quote for services, and they would rob you without hesitation. Anecdotal, of course. The game changer to all this was the assault and murder of a Harvard football player. After that the Mayor, Kevin White, pulled out all the stops and crime and drugs there did slow.

There is still a sizable military presence in the area, largely the North End, where there is a large Coast Guard base, with about 7 vessels anchored there, as large as 287', probably +-500 Coasties around at any given time. Not like in the WWII Scollay Square/City Square days, but still a presence.