Helena (CA 75) - Naval Cruise Book

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Howdy! My name is Six-bits, and I ' m your guide through these pages of the 1957 HELENA Cruise Book. My nature is pretty amiable, and I ' m proud as a peacock of my name, which, of course, means seventy-five, bearing a strong resemblance to CA-75. Our book has something brand new this year (in addition to me). I ' m leaning on it . . . our beautiful emblem, pro- claiming our motto Proud and Fearless. Each of its three major colors has a special meaning to us. The blue represents the United States Navy, mightiest fighting or- ganization in the world, while the gold and silver allude to the state of Montana, whose motto is Oro Y Plata (Gold and Silver). In our Cruise Book, I ' ll do my very best to re-create some of the wonderful experiences we ' ve had during these past six months. Some of our shipmates have put forth a good bit of effort in making these available to you, so come on aboard for your very own cruise with the USS HELENA, Queen of the Fleet.

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THE TALE OF THE HELENA Within the covers of this book is a tale — the tale of a ship and 1 200 men. You won ' t find its words printed on any page, for this is a tale that lies in the hearts and minds of the men of the HELENA. It is a tale with multitude of variations, all based on a single theme — the Cruise of the U.S. S. HELENA, 1957. To some of the men on board, this was the first experience on foreign shores. To others, it was the finale of a Navy enlistment. To the HELENA herself, it was the ninth tour of duty in the Western Pacific since com- missioned September 4, 1945. This tale almost began unexpectedly in November, 1956, when the tense situation in the Middle East made necessary the emergency deploy- ment of the HELENA to Pearl Harbor. However, the relaxation of the tension permitted the ship to return once more to the familiar waters of Long Beach and her men to the arms of their families and friends. It was on the morning of April 10, 1957, that the HELENA pointed her grey bow westward. Thusly begins the tale. During the six months that followed, HELENA put more than 37,000 sea miles under her keel, slicing the waves in that wide expanse of ocean where, years before, the two previous HELENA ships roamed as well. The pages which follow con offer only glimpses of the tribulations and the triumphs which the HELENA and her men experienced during this cruise. These pages offer but a thread upon which each man ' s own personal experiences, thoughts, and reactions will be strung. It is to these proud men and their faithful ship — and to the tale which will be told and retold in the years to come — that this book is gratefully dedicated. i=? -