World War II Honoree

Gene Bearden

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Lexa, Arkansas

Honored By

Friends of American Heroes

MACHINIST’S MATE ABOARD THE 10,00 TON CRUISER, USS HELENA. THE HELENA ESCAPED THE PEARL HARBOR ATTACK, BUT TOOK A SINGLE TORPEDO HIT AND THE DAMAGE WAS NOT COMPLETELY REPAIRED UNTIL JUNE 1942. THE HELENA SAW ACTION IN THE GUADALCANAL CAMPAIGN. ON THE MORNING OF JULY 6, 1943, PART OF A TASK FORCE THAT FOUGHT JAPANESE DESTROYERS IN THE BATTLE OF KULA GULF IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC. DURING HEAVY COMBAT THE HELENA TOOK 3 TORPEDOES AND BEGAN SINKING FAST. ALL PERSONNEL WAS ORDERED TO ABANDON SHIP AND THE MEN CLUSTERED AROUND THE BOW AS IT ROSE IN THE AIR WHILE SINKING ONLY TO HAVE THE JAPANESE CONTINUE TO FIRE UPON THEM. THIRTY MINUTES AFTER HELENA SANK, 2 U.S. DESTROYERS, THE USS NICHOLAS AND THE USS RADFORD, WERE DISPATCHED TO RESCUE SURVIVORS. THE RESCUE EFFORT TOOK A FEW DAYS TO COMPLETE BECAUSE THE U.S. DESTROYERS WERE CALLED BACK INTO COMBAT WHENEVER THE ENEMY GOT TOO CLOSE. OF THE 900-MAN CREW, 168 PERISHED. ALTHOUGH HE WAS AMONG THE SURVIVORS, HE DRIFTED IN A LIFE RAFT WITH SEVERE WOUNDS TO HIS HEAD AND KNEE UNTIL HE WAS PICKED UP BY ONE OF THE DESTROYERS. HE SPENT THE NEXT 2 YEARS IN A HOSPITAL WHERE HE HAD A METAL PLATE INSERTED IN HIS SKULL AND A METAL HINGE IN HIS KNEE. AMONG HIS AWARDS IS THE PURPLE HEART.