John A. Help

John A. Help

I was born in Long Beach, California; and enlisted in Long Beach, California on May 31, 1944 at the age of 17. I went to Boot Camp on June 10, 1944 at San Diego. I left the U.S.S. Nassau on May 17, 1946 in Tacoma, Washington. I was discharged from the Navy on June 1, 1946 at Terminal Island, California

My Boot Camp buddies and I (including Danny Head and David Harris) arrived aboard the U.S.S. Nassau at Manus Island. We were temporarily put on cots under the aft elevator, with a crarte of rotten onions, for three days. Fearing they had forgotten us, and objecting to sleeping with rotten onions, we complained. They assigned us to the 2nd Division. I drew mess hall duty and worked serving line with the admonition to "give big helpings to the 3rd class and up ratings." I did, and got my new assignment as "Joe-Boy" for the Master-at-Arms cabin. This was followed by "seaman man your brooms", sweeping down the ladders on the mess hall deck to the propeller shaft tunnel. This is when I first met Sam Moore. A friend told me that the best way to clean ladders was with a wire brush and vinegar. Sam was the baker who gave me the vinegar! Those ladders really gleamed for my whole tour, on that assignment! I painted the decks, also. Since there was very little traffic (all storage rooms) it gave me a lot of time to read.

Watches and general quarters drills were the real purpose for deck division sailors. My first watch, after leaving Manus, was on the 20mm guns, on a clear afternoon. The sound powered earphones buzzed with news of a twin engine plane getting closer and closer to our little convoy of baby flattops and tankers. A flight of three F6Fs eventually chased the enemy plane back over the 20-mile perimeter. That was fortunate because my gun training was meager. I thought, "What am I going to do with this gun?" I'd only seen a 20mm once before, from bleachers sixty feet away. The Navy gave a demonstration on loading, but none on the firing of this gun!

I was then assigned as a 3rd loader on the aft twin 40mm Ack Ack guns. I took two 4 shell clips from tne ammunition cans in the Ready Room above the 5 inch cannon. Simple enough—take the ammunition down the catwalk to the gun to be loaded. In practice, tongues of flames erupted through the half inch holes in the catwalk each time the muzzle exploded on the five inch gun below. Some live shells frequently fell out of the clips we were carrying onto that catwalk! Fortunately, I was promoted to trainer on the gun. Evidently, I did my loading job well!

The trainer followed the target horizontally. It was important to lead the target. Tracer shells told us where the shells were going. Over our head phones we were yelled at to "lead, more lead, more lead!" By then, the tow plane pilot feared for his life and dropped the towed target or else the five incher would fire one round and down the target. The five inch crew were excellent gun men.

My next assignment was "Side Cleaner". We worked under the 1st Class Boatswains Mate. I loved it! No more janitorial work! We scraped and painted the sides of the Nassau in port, and liberty every night was a reward. At sea, we were seamen doing rope work, rigging, splicing, and hanging over the bow wave cutting the line loose from the life net cages. We did everytning a sailor should do on a ship.

My final experience on the U.S.S. Nassau was assignment to the Captain's Office as a Yeoman which was arranged by my friend, David Ready Room above the 5 inch cannon. Simple enough—take the ammunition down the catwalk to the gun to be loaded. In practice, tongues of flames erupted through the half inch holes in the catwalk each time the muzzle exploded on the five inch gun below. Some live shells frequently fell out of the clips we were carrying onto that catwalk! Fortunately, I was promoted to trainer on the gun. Evidently, I did my loading job well!

My final experience on the U.S.S. Nassau was assignment to the Captain's Office as a Yeoman which was arranged by my friend, David Harris, in the Executive Office. By this time another friend, Danny Head, had become a Quartermaster striker.

Danny invited me to share his watch at the wheel of the ship. What a thrill to actually be steering our ship! It had never occurred to me before, while I was peacefully sleeping or going about my chores. that one person was holding the tiller and steering us to our destination.

Vernon Schiattman was in charge of the Captain's office. He took shorthand and was rated a Yeoman 1st Class. We worked right under the flight deck with an outdoor window to the catwalk.

My new duties included typing (no erasures). Navy filing system, mail receiving and delivering, and inter-office mail. I had access to letters to various Navy Bureaus from the commanding officers. I was privileged to see the "Top Secret" communications on infrared night vision optics that had been newly invented.

Like many divisions, the "X" Division had its own living quarters: cots each night in the Captain's Office and food, often from the Captain's mess, brought in by his steward as a good will offering.

One of the memorable events in cruising aboard the U.S.S. Nassau was the visit to Tsing Tao, China immediately after the war. To see that great country newly freed from Japanese oppression was exciting. After the Russian Revolution, many White Russians or Czarists escaped to China. There was a beautiful Russian Orthodox Cathedral at the end of the main street. Black, stone ground bread, and local vocka was readily available along with many tourist-type souvenirs. I remember the great inflation of the new occupation currency and the many professional beggars, even on the steps of the cathedral. There were many antique shops where I purchased a few souvenirs, all of which had their precious metals stolen from them.

But my most memorable time in the Navy was growing up as teenager among men from all parts of the United States. To me, it was like a re-enactment of the Revolutionary War where men got to know different dialects, attitudes and histories. We all became brothers. We teenagers had continous talks and discussions. You guessed it — about girls and sex. One fellow even had special wallet pictures of his girl in the nude. But the real culmination of these discussions came from a middle 20's aged shipmate who had left his new bride weeks before we sailed off to the South Pacific battle zone. He talked to us, not about sex, but love, as the most precious relationship with a woman. I never forget that talk.

The almost two year experience of growing up on the U.S.S. Nassau prepared me to pursue life with a seriousness of purpose. An idea you would not expect as kid, dropping out of high school to join the Navy, would pursue. Thank you, U.S.S. Nassau and the many men and boys I served with. Rich Hessenius: I was born in Brownsdale, Minnestoa on December 28, 1920. I entered the Navy and was sworn in at The Minnestoa Hotel in Minneapolis in January 1942. I went to Boot Camp in San Diego, California; to Camp Lawrence, Camp Mahan and Balboa Park. After graduation, I went to Fleet Signal School at National City, outside San Diego. I went aboard the Nassau at Bremerton, Washington. I served on her in the South Pacific, and then Attu and Kisha in the Aleutian Islands. Nine months later, I was transferred to the Corregidor. I served my time, and was Discharged on August 14 from Great Lakes Naval Station.

I married Donna Gese in Austin. We have 6 children, 12 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren.