Unidentified Crew Member of the U.S.S. West Virginia
Date:
ca. 1944-45
Description:
Photos are from an album belonging to a crew member of the U.S.S. West Virginia. William Wright, Radio Technician 2C, was on the ship from 1944-45 and saw action at Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.
On the photo is a message reading, "All my love, Bill." Photos are from an album belonging to a crew member of the U.S.S. West Virginia. William Wright, Radio Technician 2C, was on the ship from 1944-45 and saw action at Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.
Photos are from an album belonging to a member of the U.S.S. West Virginia. William Wright, Radio Technician 2C, was on the ship from 1944-45 and saw action at Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.
Photos are from an album belonging to a member of the U.S.S. West Virginia. William Wright, Radio Technician 2C, was on the ship from 1944-45 and saw action at Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.
The photo was taken from the deck of the U.S.S. West Virginia. Photos are from an album belonging to a member of the U.S.S. West Virginia. William Wright, Radio Technician 2C, was on the ship from 1944-45 and saw action at Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.
Unidentified Crew Member of U.S.S. West Virginia Crew
Date:
ca. 1944-45
Description:
Photos are from an album belonging to a crew member of the U.S.S. West Virginia. William Wright, Radio Technician 2C, was on the ship from 1944-45 and saw action at Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. Another battleship is visible in the background.
Photos are from an album belonging to a crew member of the U.S.S. West Virginia. William Wright, Radio Technician 2C, was on the ship from 1944-45 and saw action at Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.
Photos are from an album belonging to a member of the U.S.S. West Virginia. William Wright, Radio Technician 2C, was on the ship from 1944-45 and saw action at Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.
Severely Damaged U.S.S. West Virginia After December 7th Attack on Pearl Harbor, Hi.
Date:
ca. 1942
Description:
Men inspect the damage after the infamous Japanese attack. The "Wee Vee" as the ship was affectionately referred to, was raised from the bottom of Pearl Harbor where she was moored during the attack and towed to dry dock for repairs.
Gaping Wound on U.S.S. West Virginia, Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii
Date:
ca. 1942
Description:
Crew members during a salvage and repair operation work port side of the battered battleship. The U.S.S. West Virginia was hit by seven torpedoes and two bombs during the December 7th attack.
Candid portrait of husband and wife, Clifford and Eva Condon (standing,right) with unidentified couple. The men are wearing navy dress whites. The photograph was probably taken in the Philippines before the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Clifford Condon was captured by the Japanese in December, 1941 and died in a POW Camp in 1945.
USN Captain Mervyn S. Bennion, U.S.S. West Virginia
Date:
ca. 1940
Description:
Captain Bennion was killed during the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. As he laid mortally wounded on the West Virginia's command bridge, Bennion refused to be removed from his burning ship. He continued to give orders, directing his crew's actions. Bennion's last order to his men before he died was to leave him and "abandon ship." Captain Bennion was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Crew members pal around during the crossing initiation ceremony, where sailors who have never crossed the equator before are "brought before Neptune" and tested.
Clifford Kain Condon, Pharmacist, United States Navy from Morgantown, W. Va
Date:
ca. 1938
Description:
Clifford Kain Condon, dressed in naval uniform. the photograph was taken before World War II. Condon was captured near Manila by the Japanese in December, 1941 and later died in a POW Camp.
Sailor Boarding a Motor Boat by High-Line Transfer
Date:
ca. 1936-1937
Description:
A sailor is transferred to the motor boat by gliding down a rope and pulley system. Motor boats were used to carry enlisted men ashore. Photo taken from the deck of the U.S.S. West Virginia. An unidentified battleship lurks in the background.
U.S.S. West Virginia in dry dock, likely in Newport News, Va. during construction. The keel was laid down in April 1920, and the ship was launched in November 1921.
General Omar N. Bradley, Admiral Edward C. Ewen, and Secretary of War Louis A. Johnson discuss the military crisis in Korea around a steam kettle in Guam.
Jennie Lee Johnson & "Buzz" Hellems on the Steps of the Capitol Building in Washington, D. C.
Date:
1948
Description:
To the left of "Buzz", formerly known as Jack, is George Hulme. In rear is Tommy Joe Hellems. The group is there for a Hinton High School graduation trip in the spring of 1948."Buzz" Hellems went on to Concord College after high school and later joined the United States Navy, serving on the USS Orion. Eventually returning to his home in Hinton, "Buzz" owned and operated Hellems Cash Store for more than 58 years. He served on the West Virginia State Senate from 1975-1976 and was a former chairman of the Summers County Democrat Executive Committee as well as the former Director of the Nationanl Bank of Summers. He was married to Glenda Hamm Hellems for 51 years until his death on January 9, 2009 at the age of 78.
U.S.S. West Virginia Landing Vehicle Headed for Okinawa Beaches
Date:
1945/04
Description:
Troops loaded into landing vehicles head for the beaches of Okinawa as part of the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific theater during World War II. The U.S.S. West Virginia is pictured in the background.
