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WALLACE ALFRED UTLEY

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Upon graduation, Wally was assigned to WEST VIRGINIA as First Division Officer, and catapult officer for the SOC aircraft. In November, 1941, he was transferred on temporary duty to radar school in Maine. Orders had called for return to the ship on completion of radar training, but since the Pearl Harbor attack disabled the ship, orders were changed to Fire Control School and then to MASSACHUSETTS.

During leave between Fire Control School and duty in MASSACHUSETTS, in 1942, Wally married Helyn in her home town of Maple Shade, N. J. The newly-weds rented a one-room apartment with Murphy Bed in Boston and lived there during fitting out and sea trials for the ship. After a few months the ship joined the fleet and supported the landings in North Africa, bombarding the French battleship, JEAN BART, sinking her at her moorings in Casa Blanca Harbor. MASSACHUSETTS took two shell hits from shore batteries and suffered minor structural damage but no personnel casualties. After returning to Boston for repairs, the ship headed for the Pacific and engaged the enemy in the island hopping campaign, bombarding the islands of Ponape, Truk, Kwajalein, and Eniwetok.

Near the end of the war in the Pacific, Wally was transferred in late 1944 from MASSACHUSETTS to Annapolis for post graduate training in engineering electronics. The war ended during that period and Wally's designation was changed from line to engineering duty.

Subsequent assignments included duty on the staff of COMSERVPAC from mid-1947 to 1950; Philadelphia Naval Shipyard as Assistant Repair Supt. for Electronics and Industrial Relations Officer from late 1950 to 1953; duty on the CNO Industrial and On-Site Survey Boards; Bureau of Ships Electronics Division from September 1954 to 1956; Staff of 15th Naval District in the Canal Zone and Industrial Manager, 15th Naval District from 1956 to 1958.

In 1958, Wally was assigned to the New York Naval Shipyard as Director, Navy Applied Science Laboratory. He retired in June 1960 and bought an inn-keeping business in South New Jersey. Later, while Helyn ran the business, he started teaching physics and electronics at Temple University. Then he taught at Bucks County Community College in Pennsylvania and later at Camden County College in New Jersey where he retired in 1985 after teaching twenty-three years.

The family now includes four children. The oldest son, Wally, is a graduate of the class of 1965 and is a Captain, USNR.

After the four-year period in inn-keeping, Helyn decided she needed a country experience. In the photo she is dressed in her daily attire on their 4000-tree plantation which she raised from seeds and seedlings. They extend to all classmates heading their way a big country welcome.