CAPTAIN A. H. McCOLLUM an officer with a record of varied service, takes over the command of the U.S. S. HELENA today. 4 September 1945
The Captain is the third son of John W. and Drusilla Collins McCollum of Alabama, who were Baptist Missionaries to Japan until 1909.
He was born at Nagasaki, Japan, 4 August 1898. In 1925 he was married to Miss Margaret Lois Benninghoff of Indiana and Rochester, New York.
They have one child A. H. McCollum, Jr., born 24 August 1930 at San Pedro, California.
Captain McCollum was educated in various public and elementary and private schools, and attended Perry County High School in Alabama.
Later he entered Marion Institute at Marion, Alabama. He was nominated for appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy by the late Senator John H. Bankhead of Alabama.
He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy June 3, 1921.
In the year 1918, while still a midshipmen he served aboard the U. S. S. OHIO with the Atlantic Fleet.
On June 3, 1921 he was commissioned an Ensign in the U.S. Navy upon graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy,
and assigned to duty as Gun Turret Officer and Deck Watch Officer on the battle-ship U.S.S. ARKANSAW which was
then operating with the Scouting Fleet in the Atlantic.
In March 1922 he served as Assistant Navigator and Watch Officer on the U. S. S. ARGONNE enroute to the Orient.
At this juncture he was assigned to duty with the Office of the U.S. Naval Attache to the American Embassy at Tokyo as a student of the Japanese language.
During this period he was also temporarily attached to the staff of the Commander in Chief of the Asiatic Fleet, Admiral E. A. Anderson, incident to
operations in Japanese waters for relief of the sufferers of the Tokyo earthquake of September 1923. From April to August 1924 he served aboard
the destroyer U. S. S. JOHN D. FORD operating in the Kurile Islands and on the China coast assisting in the around-the-world flight by U.S. Army planes.
In June 1924 he was promoted to Lieutenant (junior grade). From July to December 1925 he was a student at the Submarine School New London, Conn.
From January to June 1926 he served as Junior Officer aboard the submarine U. S. S. 0-7 which was based at the Panama Canal Zone.
In June 1926 he became Commanding Officer of the same sub-marine. From April to July 1928 he was Executive Officer of the submarine, U.S.S. S-11.
In July he was assigned temporary duty with the Division of Navy Intelligence, Navy Department. In October 1928 he became Assistant Naval Attache
to the American Embassy at Tokyo. From September 1930 to June 1933 he was Turret Officer and Watch Officer aboard the battleship U.S.S. WEST VIRGINIA
which was then operating with the Battle Force in the Pacific. In August 1933 he returned to Washington, D.C. for duty in the Division of Naval Intelligence.
In February 1935 he was sent to San Pedro, California in Connection with the same duty. In June 1936 he became Assistant Operations and Fleet Intelligence Officer
on the staff of the Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet, Admiral A. J. Hepburn. In June 1937 he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander. In February 1938 he returned to
Washington, D. C. for duty in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.
In April 1938 he became Commanding Officer of the U.S. S. JACOB JONES operating in the Atlantic and in the Mediterranean.
In November 1939 he returned to duty in the Division of Naval Intelligence in Washington, D. C.
In July 1941 he was promoted to Commander and in June 1942 he was promoted to Captain.
In November 1942 he became Fleet Intelligence Officer on the Staff of Commander Seventh Fleet (Admiral T. C. Kinkaid) based successively in Australia, New Guinea and the Philippines.
He served in this capacity until May 1945 when he was recalled to Washington, D. C. for temporary duty with the Navy Department.
And on July of this year he was assigned duty in connection with the fitting out, and in Command when commissioned, of the U. S. S. HELENA.
Captain McCollum has the following medals and campaign ribbons: Legion of Merit; World War (Victory) with Atlantic Fleet Clasp; American Defense with Star;
Pacific with 4 campaign stars; Philippine Liberation with 2 stars; Expert Rifleman.
(This bio was copied from the USS Helena CA-75 "The PROSPECTOR" Newsletter dated 4 September 1945)
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