Born September 1915, in Salt Lake City, Utah, passed away of natural causes on March 24, 2013 in Lake Forest, California. Helen was one of the first women in Los Angeles to enlist in the Marine Corps during WWII and retired after 32 years of service in 1975 with the rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant E-9. Helen attended boot training at Camp Lejeune, NC, and her first duty station was El Toro in July 1944 and, ironically, her last duty station 32 years later when she retired.
Some of the other commands where she served included: NCRD San Diego; MCB Camp Pendleton: I&I (Chavez Ravine) Los Angeles; recruiting in Los Angeles and Chicago and Quantico, VA. She received the Good Conduct Medal with star, American Theater of Liberations, WWII Victory Medal, National Defense, Armed Forces Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve Ribbon.
She was in Denver in 1960 when the Women Marine Association (WMA) was started. She served as national president, national vice president, national chaplain, editor of the WMA newsletter, and held many and various offices with her CA-5 Orange County Chapter.
Helen's father, James "Truck" Hannah was a professional baseball player and that got her into the All American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) which was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988. Helen was the last living AAGPBL chaperone. She also served on the Pacific Coast League Historical Society Board of Directors and was a member of the California Angels Booster Club and Anaheim Stadium. Helen was a docent at the Richard Nixon Library and Museum and could boast of attending Whittier High School with him. Helen resided in Fountain Valley, CA for over 45 years and was very active in her community. She was a of Retired Senior Volunteers at the Fountain Valley Police Department.
Helen was preceded in death by her parents, James and Helen Hannah. She is survived by Christopher, Kim, Matthew and Anna Brown of Dove Canyon, CA and many friends.

Published in Orange County Register on March 30, 2013