Pictures donated by shipmates
Page 2

Left to right
Vic Brelje, Gary Roth, ???Dobie, Jim Hardy, Keith Runge in front Don Cullen

Four of us, Vic Brelje, Gary Roth, Jim Hardy and Keith Runge were from my home town. Three of us served on the USS Helena CA-75.
Jim Hardy was in the CB's and stayed in 20 years. He went to officers training school after making Chief and retired as either LCDR or Commander.

Company 826 Champion Whale Boat Team taken in Jan 1953.
Our team won the whale boat races for many weeks in a row and we were honored for our achievement by getting to carry the Battallion flag during this time meaning that our company was first in the chow line and first in Battallion formations. We were presnted with a trophy to boot.

I am sure you are familiar with the old whale boats, they were about 20 feet long, 6 feet wide and weighed a ton!
While we were in boot camp whale boat races were held every Saturday in the 5 mile long channel on the east side of NTC San Diego, CA.
Believe me it was a tough thing to do and it sure built up our back and arm muscles. A great experience!

The men in the photo from left to right are;
Flanner, Ridgeway, Appleyard, Bellinger, Banglos, Hansen (hidden by Chief Graham) Hebertson (coxwain),
Monson, Berg, Bills, Conrad, Coffman and Parrott.
Standing in front are QMC Graham (Co. Cmdr) and an unknown Lt.

I had all the men sign the back of the photo. Lee Coffman

This old photo taken on 10 December, 1952. It is a photo of the graduating Company 826 NTC San Diego, CA.
Yours truly is standing in the 3rd row from the back, 5th man from the right side of the photo.
Picture donated by Lee Coffman, ET1, OE Division, USS Helena CA-75, mid 50s

To view all the sailors in this picture, you will have to use the horizontal scroll bar at the bottom of your screen.

10 DECEMBER, 1952
CO. COMD'R. R.P. GRAHAM QMC
U.S. NAV. TRA. CEN. SAN DIEGO, CALIF.

Lee says:
I had all the men in the company sign the back of the photo,