Alameda Man Traces USS Hornet Ring to Georgia Family
A class ring locked inside a closed-off part of the ship since 1970 is finally headed home.
By The Alameda Pulse
An Alameda man just helped send a piece of Navy history home to Georgia, and it all started because he recognized a high school name on the news. Greg Helms traced a class ring that had been locked away aboard the USS Hornet for 56 years back to the family of the sailor who wore it.
How the ring turned up on the USS Hornet
A museum volunteer named Mal Seoane found the ring in a desk drawer inside a section of the ship that's been closed off since 1970. Seoane, who passed away last year, had been cleaning out old spaces on the carrier when he came across it. The ring was engraved with "Briarcliff High School" and the initials J-S-R.
Anthony Wilson, the USS Hornet's director of exhibitions, collections and aircraft, shared word of the find, and that's where Helms comes in.
An Alameda resident cracked the case
Helms heard about the ring and recognized the school right away. Here's the thing that got him started:
- He checked a Briarcliff High School alumni Facebook group for anyone who matched the initials.
- He found an obituary for a Jon Scott Reeves, class of 1966, who'd died back in 2008.
- He used online background check tools to track down Reeves' brother.
It's the kind of research most of us would give up on after step one. Helms didn't, and now the ring is headed to Reeves' family in Georgia instead of sitting in a drawer for another half century.
Why this matters to Alameda
The USS Hornet has been part of Alameda's waterfront for decades, and it's easy to walk by the museum without thinking about how much is still tucked away inside it. This ring sat untouched since 1970, which is longer than a lot of Alamedans have been alive. It's a reminder that the ship isn't just a static exhibit. It's still turning up pieces of the people who served on it.
Helms has his own connection to Navy history too. His father was decommissioned from the Navy back in 1955, which is part of what drew him into digging through the details in the first place.
ABC7 News first reported the story after Helms reached out to share what he'd found. If you want more ways to get out and explore what Alameda's waterfront has to offer, check out our events calendar for what's happening around the island this month.
