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USS Whitehurst Logo by: Pat Stephens, Webmaster, DESA

The USS Whitehurst Logo Story

By; Max Crow with help from Bill Lambdin

The only photo of the original logo was
cropped from the Group picture
taken in the Whitehurst Club, Pusan, 1951

In 1951, while the USS Whitehurst was supplying power to the city of Pusan, South Korea, a contest was conducted to design a logo appropriate for the mission of Whitehurst. The officers were to judge the winner, who would receive extra liberty when the ship got back to Pearl Harbor. Since Whitehurst was designed for Antisubmarine Warfare and had special equipment for supplying "ship to shore" electricity, John F Yeoman's entry with a figure similar to Reddy Kilowatt holding a hedgehog (a "contact detonated" anti submarine bomb), and the ship name and number around the periphery, was judged the winner. A large image of the winning entry was displayed on the wall of the Whitehurst Club, the special clubhouse built by members of the ships crew on the pier near the ship.

In 1967 Russell Kemper organized and hosted the first reunion of the Korean War Era crewmen. He prepared, from memory, a logo somewhat akin to the original and his daughter Nancy helped with the project. The major item lacking in the first reunion logo, was the hedgehog. We don't know how many reunions displayed this logo. Russell Kemper died in 1980 after hosting 2 reunions and attending others. In 1981 C.D. "Marty" Martin hosted the reunion. He carried on the tradition of displaying a reunion logo. Marty made one that looked almost exactly like Russ' except that Reddy Kilowatt was red instead of black. He took his logo to each reunion he attended including a second one that he hosted in 1992.

John Drew, who hosted the 1994 reunion, does not remember a logo being displayed. Mahlon "Swede" Allgren, 1996 host did not display a logo but he recalls some six inch cards bearing the original logo image.

Sometime before 1996, a "shoulder patch" drawing was produced with Reddy Kilowatt, in red, holding the hedgehog. We do not know the origin of the patch image, nor do we know if it was ever produced as a patch. Also before 1996, someone had some hat pins made bearing the image similar to the patch. We don't know who deserves credit for the hat pin.

In 1998, host John Rockhold had made, a 4' high by 3.25' wide logo with an image which looks very much like the original. The banner is gray with white letters. Reddy Kilowatt is in yellow and black with white gloves holding a black hedgehog. This logo has been displayed at every reunion since, with the exception of the 2003 reunion in Peoria, Ill.

Russell Kemper's 1967 Logo

"Marty" Martin's 1981 Logo

Whitehurst Logo Hat Pin

Logo Arm Patch, designed, never produced

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The USS Whitehurst Logo Story
By; Max Crow with help from Bill Lambdin

The only photo of the original logo was cropped from the Group picture taken in the Whitehurst Club, Pusan, 1951

In 1951, while the USS Whitehurst was supplying power to the city of Pusan, South Korea, a contest was conducted to design a logo appropriate for the mission of Whitehurst. The officers were to judge the winner, who would receive extra liberty when the ship got back to Pearl Harbor. Since Whitehurst was designed for Antisubmarine Warfare and had special equipment for supplying "ship to shore" electricity, John F Yeoman's entry with a figure similar to Reddy Kilowatt holding a hedgehog (a "contact detonated" anti submarine bomb), and the ship name and number around the periphery, was judged the winner. A large image of the winning entry was displayed on the wall of the Whitehurst Club, the special clubhouse built by members of the ships crew on the pier near the ship. In 1967 Russell Kemper organized and hosted the first reunion of the Korean War Era crewmen. He prepared, from memory, a logo somewhat akin to the original and his daughter Nancy helped with the project. The major item lacking in the first reunion logo, was the hedgehog. We don't know how many reunions displayed this logo. Russell Kemper died in 1980 after hosting 2 reunions and attending others. In 1981 C.D. "Marty" Martin hosted the reunion. He carried on the tradition of displaying a reunion logo. Marty made one that looked almost exactly like Russ' except that Reddy Kilowatt was red instead of black. He took his logo to each reunion he attended including a second one that he hosted in 1992. John Drew, who hosted the 1994 reunion, does not remember a logo being displayed. Mahlon "Swede" Allgren, 1996 host did not display a logo but he recalls some six inch cards bearing the original logo image. Sometime before 1996, a "shoulder patch" drawing was produced with Reddy Kilowatt, in red, holding the hedgehog. We do not know the origin of the patch image, nor do we know if it was ever produced as a patch. Also before 1996, someone had some hat pins made bearing the image similar to the patch. We don't know who deserves credit for the hat pin. In 1998, host John Rockhold had made, a 4' high by 3.25' wide logo with an image which looks very much like the original. The banner is gray with white letters. Reddy Kilowatt is in yellow and black with white gloves holding a black hedgehog. This logo has been displayed at every reunion since, with the exception of the 2003 reunion in Peoria, Ill.

Russell Kemper's 1967 Logo	"Marty" Martin's 1981 Logo

Whitehurst Logo Hat Pin	Logo Arm Patch, designed, never produced