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| Aviation Art Collecton - Electricians Mate 1st Class Stanley A Kalina USN |
Born in 1921 in Rockville, Connecticut Stanley ('Steven') Kalina enlisted in the US Navy prior to WW 11. After training in Newport, Rhode Island, Kalina was assigned to the USS Nitro. Following several months on the crew of the Nitro, Kalina was transferred to the USS West Virginia. Kalina was on the bridge of the West Virginia on the fateful morning of December 7, 1941. Upon seeing the oncoming planes and witnessing the attack Kalina's first reaction was that a terrible mistake was happening. After the first wave of Japanese torpedo bombers had scored hits up and down battleship row, Kalina realized what was happening. The West Virginia took several hits and all power was lost to its gun turrets, which made the ship a defenseless target. The West Virginia was attacked by both torpedo and dive bombers, and was also the victim of several strafing attacks by Zero fighters. The attack lasted for about three hours, and with its decks awash, the order was passed to abandon ship. Kalina dove overboard, and had to swim hard to avoid the burning fuel oil from the USS Arizona, which had exploded directly aft of the West Virginia. After thirty minutes in the water Kalina was picked up by a reserve boat from the USS Solace, a hospital ship stationed at Pearl Harbor. The rescue boat took Kalina to Ford Island. There he boarded a whale boat which shuttled fire extinguishers to several burning ships. The rest of the day was spent tending to the casualties and assisting in fighting the fires. Following the attack at Pearl Harbor Kalina served on several other ships including the USS Henderson and the USS Radford. Later in the War Kalina saw action during the Solomon campaign. Naval ships were bombarding Japanese strongholds on Guadacanal, and several surface engagements took place as the Japanese Navy attempted to disrupt the invasion. Kalina was manning a searchlight while at General Quarters one evening when his light illuminated the bow of the USS Helena, which was sinking. Kalina's ship assisted in rescuing many of the Helena's crew. He was discharged from the Navy in September of 1944. Following his discharge Kalina enrolled at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He joined North American Phillips in Seneca Falls, New York, where he met his wife-to-be, Dorothy. The Kalina's have one daughter, Linda, who became an accomplished equestrian showing quarter horses throughout the eastern United States. The Kalinas reside on a small horse farm in Geneva, New York with their granddaughter Carrie. |
| Based on many years of experience in dealing with thousands of aviation signatures, we have estimated the value this signature adds to a print as £30 |
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