HELENA NEWS * VOLUME 2 * JUNE 2006
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Please help pass the word! Our web page address is:
www.usshelena.org
This newsletter is nearly complete, needing three picture. Stay tuned. Ed.
HELENA NEWS * VOLUME 2 * JUNE 2006
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From The
Bridge |
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Editor's
Corner |
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The main project to report for this Newsletter
is the selection of the location for the 2007 Reunion. First, we asked in two Newsletters for your suggestions for a location, and we received less than a 10% reply, of which Las Vegas and Helena were the top two out of a total reply of 28. Second, we considered location, facilities, and most important, the cost. The location for 2007 will be Las Vegas, after considering those factors plus others. But the main reason for these Reunions is to get together with shipmates and meet new ones. The other project is contacting those members who have drooped from the Muster because of non-payment of dues. I'm happy to report that 15 have rejoined so far. Please drop by and say Hello to me and my wife Aileen. Bob Kern |
Ahoy Shipmates:
Sitting at my desk I realize I have come full circle from being the CA-75 (1954-57) printer to becoming the editor of the Helena Organization Newsletter. I have fond memories of gathering the information for our ships monthly newsletter. Composing it on my Varityper, cutting a stencil, making a plate and printing it on our new Multilith press. Today, my daughter has designed a new logo and layout for our newsletter on our computer which will then be put on a disk and delivered to or emailed to a printer. Technology has come a LONG way! We would love to increase the number of pages which we can do as we receive your stories and photos. So please, dig around in your drawers and old photo album (please send photos (JPEG) or text files to me. Looking forward to meeting at the Las Vegas reunion in 2007. Wm. Gale Udell 37679 Medjool Ave. Palm Desert, CA 92211 gaudell@verizon.net |
| NOW HEAR THIS.
We are in the process of compiling the 2007 USS Helena Muster. If there has been any changes in your; address, telephone, area code, or e-mail since the last Muster was published, please send them to . . . . . . . . . . . . Bob Kern 582 W. Clark Street Upland, CA 91784 (909) 949-6559 boylekern@earthlink.net |
2006-2007 Officers
Bob Kern, President Matt Slovensky, Vice President East Lou Bacca, Vice President West Paul Weisenberger, Vice President CL50 Bill Bunker, Senior advisor Dick Renbarger, Master at Arms |
Page 1
History 
December 7, 1941 dawned rather cool for Hawaii, but, I thought, after breakfast I may as well clean up and go ashore to wander around. But, shortly before 8 O-clock, the volume of noise of aircraft in the area enticed me to look out the porthole to see what it was all about. There, to my surprise was a plane pulling up from a torpedo run, and the wings had red balls painted on the underside! It's Japanese, I shouted, We're being attacked! My companion chiefs crowded around to see through that same porthole, jamming me tighter into the bulkhead. That plane dropped something, I said. But it was too late. That torpedo hit and my face was thoroughly splashed with fuel oil. Turning around I found I had been deserted. All the curious viewers were long gone, heading for higher ground. I rushed to topside and from the Air-Castle I saw the flag being raised. Good, I said. We're showing our colors. Then a plane passed over spraying the deck with machine-gun bullets. It looked just like scenes in the movies, as wooden splinters splashed from the teak wood deck. By then the ship had a very bad list to port. Abandon Ship! was the word announced. The Starboard Gunwale was quite high, the water surface, way down below. The underside of the ship showed sea growth and large intake openings. Well better slide for life, it would be dangerous to try to walk down. So I sat and slid, hoping to avoid those intake openings. Made it OK. I hit the water with a great splash then headed for Ford Island. On the way, a young man hollered, I can't swim! Hang on, I said, I'm going that way. We made it ok and found a ditch that had been dug for sewer installation. We used that ditch as a trench, to protect us from the bombs that were falling all around us. My poor ship, the USS Utah, was strictly upside down by that time. People were still walking on her bottom, and we could still hear sounds of from someone trapped inside. From somewhere, metal cutting torches appeared and a hole was cut into the ships bottom, while bombs were still falling.I left the trench before seeing the results of the torch cutting. Someone had gained access into a magazine on Ford Island, and I was supplied with a 45 automatic and two boxes of ammunition. Let the Japs come, I'll get a few at least! But everything was calm, where'd they all go? The world was trigger-happy that night, bullets flying all |
over for no reason. I didn't get to fire a single
shot. Within the week, I was assigned to the USS New Orleans (CA32). She was a mess, all torn up, undergoing overhaul. We put her back together in short time and back into the main conflict. Later, in 1942, the New Orleans was badly damaged loosing the entire bow and #1 turret, in another attempt to stop the Tokyo Express from supplying Japanese forces to Guadalcanal. At that time I was transferred to the USS Helena (CL 50). The Helena was a gallant ship, took part in 13 engagements before the Japanese torpedoes sent her to the bottom on July 5th 1943. She too was trying to stop the Tokyo Express. I was rescued by a US Destroyer, the USS Radford. Guess the Navy Dept. figured I was a Jinx by that time. They sent me to the Navel Gun Factory in Washington DC for duty. The war ended later, I had been assigned by then to the USS Canberra (CA70). The rest of my navy tour was far less noteworthy, including such ships as the USS Thompson (DMS33), and the USS Yorktown (CVA10). Story submitted by a descendant. If anyone knew Chief Sarwine please contact submitter via e-mail:
www.usshelena.org
Modern Military Terms:
Engage the Enemy means "to blow something up"
Surgical Strike means "to blow up something small"
Decapitate means "to blow up their leaders"
Collateral Damage means "to accidentally blow up
Friendly Fire means "to accidentally blow up
Target of Opportunity means "to blow up
An Asset is "something that can be blown up" |
Page 2
| Mail Call
Hello:
I would be interested in a cruise book for the USS
I would like to contact the party that informed the
|
Welcome
Aboard (To protect individual privacy, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses are not included. To obtain this information, please contact our president or secretary.) NEW LIFE MEMBERS
Do you recognize any of these former shipmates?
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Ship Store
Blue baseball cap with silhouette of |
Page 3
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Helena
Sub News Naval Base Point Loma, CA (Jan. 10, 2006) - The
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| RELOCATED
Fuller, Richard L. Reiber, Francia H. Marak, Ronald C. Allen, Clarence M. Lampley, Donald Matthews, Bobby G. Williams, Richard A. Eubanks, Charles H. |
Peterson, Robert F.
Knowles, Richard A.
Penta, Richard
Barber, Buford
Nault, Joseph E.
Morano, John R.
Valentine, Aubrey
McClelland, James A.
Myers, George B. |
Taps
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Page 4. Last Page
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