COMMANDER CRUISER DIVISION FIVE
Commander Cruiser Division FIVE, Staff Officers and enlisted flag allowance embarked in the USS HELENA at Long Beach, California, 24 July, 1953, for the unit's fourth tour in the Far East. This tour, like the first one begun in 1950, was planned as a training and good - will venture.
Embarked with Rear Admiral W. V. O'Regan as his Staff Officers were: CAPT. F. T. Sloat, Chief of Staff; CDR D.F. Larkin Jr., Operations; LCDR J. R. Langford, Aviation; LT. W. B. Thompson, Flag Lieutenant; LT. L. S. Helmeci, Communications; LT C. E. Johnson, Flag Secretary; LTJG. F. L. Chase, ENS. E. F. Soens, and ENS. L. J. Dequaine, Communications Watch Officers.
The 51 enlisted men in the flag allowance encompasses the rates of boatswain's mate, quartermaster, radioman, yeoman, musician, steward, photographer, journalist, engineman and six marines.
Upon leaving Long Beach COMCRUDIV 5 was Commander of the attacking Blue Forces in DESTRAEX 54L, the largest combined cruiser-destroyer training exercise held by the Pacific Fleet since Word War II. In WesPac COMCRUDIV 5 is Commander Task Group 77.1 while operating in training exercises with Task Force 77.
While in the Task Force the personnel of the flag allowances are required to lay aside the work of their rates and become watchstanders in flag plot. In this nerve center the musicians, boatswain's mates, journalist, photographer, engineman, and marines become radio recorders and plotters while the yeoman, radioman, and quartermasters compile up-to-the-minute information for the Admiral.