Helena (CA 75) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 9 text:

Executive Officer The man who administers the ship is Commander William J. Carey Jr., the Executive Officer. Cdr. Carey was born in St. Louis, Mo., May 21, 1916. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy and was graduated with the Class of ' 39. His first naval assignment was the battleship USS Mississippi. The Executive Officer participated in World War II and the Korean War. He ' s skip- pered four destroyer escorts and was the Executive Officer of the U.S. Naval Base, Annapolis, Md. Cdr. Carey married his wife Elizabeth, who is from Elmira, N.Y., in Honolulu, T. H., in 1943. They have four children, William Jr., Maurien, Christopher Michael and James. Their permanent home is Elmira.

Page 8 text:

vT - • rr - m Commanding Officer y The ship practically holds her breath when she hears the preamble, This is the Captain speaking, over the PA system to congratulate her for a job well done or to announce future movements. Captain Harry Smith assumed command last July. At 47, he is the youngest commanding officer of a Pacific Fleet cruiser. The Captain was graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, Class of ' 30, and went right aboard the battleship USS Maryland, where he became Signal Officer. During World War II, he was in the Coral Sea, Midway, Aleutian, Guadalcanal and Okinawa engagements. He commanded the destroyers Kimberly and the Frank E. Evans, and also was an aide to a carrier task force commander. After the war, Captain Smith was Naval Attache to the Union of South Africa, and he commanded the attack transport USS George Clymer. Before taking command of the Helena, the Captain attended the National War College in Washington, D.C. The Skipper, whose home town is Springfield, Illinois, married a girl from Seattle, Washington. Captain and Mrs. Smith and their two sons Harry and Tom now live in the ship ' s home port.

Page 10 text:

SUMMARY 5 Jan Left Long Beach, Calif. 11 Jan -13 Jan Pearl Harbor. Administrative Inspection 26 Jan 30 Jan Yokosuka, Japan. Relieved St. Paul as Flagship 3 Feb — 12 Feb Keelung, Taiwan 16 Feb 17 Feb Iwo Jima. Navy-Marine Landing Exercise 20 Feb —21 Feb Keelung 23 Feb -26 Feb Buckner Bay, Okinawa 29 Feb — 2 Mar Keelung 5 Mar 9 Mar Manila, Republic of the Philippines 14 Mar — 21 Mar Keelung 24 Mar —25 Mar Nagasaki, Japan 26 Mar — 28 Mar Sasebo, Japan 31 Mar — 2 Apr Nagoya, Japan 6 Apr — 13 Apr Keelung 22 Apr - 28 Apr Hong Kong, B.C.C. 30 Apr — 1 May Keelung 5 May — 11 May Kobe (Osaka, Kyoto Nara). Japan 14 May — 21 May Keelung 23 May — 24 May Kaohsiung, Taiwan 30 May — 3 Jun Keelung 9 Jun —21 Jun Yokosuka. Rochester takes C7F aboard 22 Jun HOMEWARD BOUND FAR EAST CRUISE ' 56