Oral History Interview with Wilbert Shanks, January 30, 2009 Page: 3

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Wilbert Shanks. Shanks joined the Navy in December of 1940. He completed communication school, and became a signalman, operating Morse Code and semaphore flags. He served aboard the USS Helena (CL-50). His battle station was at emergency radio, providing communication within the ship. They were stationed at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, and Shanks describes his experiences before, during and after the attack, including the ship getting hit with a torpedo. After repairs were made to the Helena, they traveled to the Coral Sea where they assisted survivors of the sunken USS Wasp (CV-7). They participated in the Guadalcanal Campaign. In July of 1943 they provided artillery for the Marines at Kula Gulf, where the Helena was sunk. In February of 1944 Shanks was assigned to the USS Major (DE-796), running escort duty between Norfolk and Trinidad. He was in Tokyo Bay during the surrender in September of 1945 and was discharged in December of 1946.