We are seeking information on the USS Helm and her crews. Files and photos may be E-mailed to us and we will incorporate them into these pages.

5/6/08:

HELLO,

I JUST WANTED TO SAY A FEW THINGS ABOUT MY GRANDFATHER. HE'S NOW 83 YEARS OLD LIVES IN GREENSBORO NC. HIS NAME IS BRUCE C. WATTS HE SERVED ON THE DESTROYER USS HELMS DD388; LIGHT-CRUISER USS DAYTON (CL-105), HE WAS MOSTLY IN THE SOUTH PACFIC HIS SHIP SAW ACTION IN NEW GUINEA , MARSHALL ISLANDS, GUAM , GILBERT ISLANDS, PHILLIPEANS, OKINAWA. THE DATES WERE 1943- 1948 ALSO SERVED IN THE ARMY IN KOREA IN 1951.

kmbritt72@yahoo.com

3/19/06:

Dear Mark,

You are doing a great service for us old Navy vets.This photo is at an unknown 1944 location (I think Ulithi) taken alongside one of our 5" 38 guns. I am in the middle, the 2 outside officers are deceased. I have a fair variety of pictures of both officers and enlisted but not many names for men in the photos. I will send them, if requested. For our September reunion, I am creating a DVD from available pictures and history. Shipmates have been asked to send photos to me for this project so I shall have more.

For your general information about the sender, I served as CIC Officer for almost 3 years aboard the Helm and now am a retired college professor and former Olympic Program Swimming Coach (during the '60's and '70's) plus serving as Secretary of the 1968 Olympic Game Committere, Water Polo.

In college I specialized in 10 meter platform diving and used to dive off the USS Helm's super structre in my crazy years when in certain South Pacific ports.

Gratefully Yours,

Lt.Cdr. J.W. "Walt" Anderson,
USNR (Ret.), Redlands, California

Contributed by: Walt Anderson