What we have here are photos and a couple of other items that were the part of an album that a gentleman by the name of Yurii Broughton found in a thrift shop in Florida. He was concerned that so much of this person’s life was here and yet it was not in the hands of the man or a relative who might want it. The album obviously from the contents belonged to Charles E. Mahle who was at some point in his life a USS ORLECK DD 886 sailor. Yurii contacted me and asked if I could find Mr. Mahle or a relative. He wanted to send the album to me in the hope that I could find someone who might be related and so he spent his own money to have it shipped to me. I spent a day scanning and getting those photos in this album. I tried to put these in right side up but there are a few who are not right but it will be more trouble than worth to change them. Also most of the pictures were not labeled so I used Charles E. Mahler name on each of them except for a few. I might go back and more clearly label those that had names on them but that will have to be a project for the future.
Charles E. Mahle is not on our member roster so I don’t have any specific information. Most of the pictures were from the time of his service in the Navy as best I can tell. There are also a number of personal type photos that I have not exhibited here but would be valuable to a family member.
Here is what I am requesting. Look at the photos. Some of you might find your face in a picture. Maybe you know the time he was aboard and maybe you served with him. If you know this person or if you know about the time aboard and maybe even have a lead to find Mr. Mahle or a relative, let me know it. You can post in the comment below the album or email news@ussorleck.com. Let’s find this man or a relative.
Click on the picture and it will enlarge then you can scroll through the pictures.
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- with Klotz Charles E Mahle 1950 to 55087
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- with Klotz Charles E Mahle 1950 to 55089
My name is Judy Mahle Rowe. Charles Mahle is/was my first cousin. He is Pictured on the second row, far right. Is there any way I can receive a copy of these pictures. His parents, Sidney and Melba (I believe she was his stepmother) passed quite a number of years ago. He didn’t have any siblings.
Dear Judy: This is great. You said Charles “is/was” your first cousin. Does that mean that you do not know if he is alive or not. When we began this Association back in the 1980’s we searched for shipmates from many sources. We estimated that there were about 4000 that had served in USS ORLECK DD 886 from her commissioning in 1945 to her decommissioning in 1982 but we were only able to find about 2200 of them. Those numbers have dwindled by more than 500 since that beginning and so it is always exciting to find one more for sure. If you have any specific information on him, that would be wonderful. I would suspect from the way you wrote this that he is not living or you are not sure. If you would clarify on that I would appreciate it. If you know of his death, I would like to have the date of death. I would then include him on the Memorial Roster and at each regular reunion we would read his name with the others who have passed so to honor them and their service to our country aboard the greatest destroyer ever to sail the seas. Please let me know anything more you know. I am glad to provide you with all his pictures (hopefully I can find what bin I have them stored in now) so if you would send me your mailing address by email at bob@ussorleck.com, I will look for them and send them to you. The purpose of posting these pictures was to find him or a relative to give them to and it looks like we have done that. Thanks for the message. Bob Orleck
Hi bob and phil. phil it is great you remember some of the folks in the pics. It means a bunch to me that you enjoy them. Hope the search keeps going. Thank you both. yurii
Hi Yurii: Looks like “mission accomplished”. Bob Orleck
Picture 55077 – Harvey Wright & ??. In undress blues so we were in port somewhere.
Picture 55112 – Phil Klotz & ??. At the torpedo director.
Picture 55117 – “Diving the tubes”. Cleaning and lubricating the torpedo tubes after firing 2 torpedo’s and prior to retrieving and reloading. Notice the foul weather gear that they are wearing. It gets thrown out afterwards. I can remember that Mahle is the man in the tube on the right.
I don’t know how I missed this one, but picture #55111 has Charles Whitehurst and Don Burchfield on the torpedo mount and Phil Klotz and Chief Cleek at the torpedo director.
Hope we can come up with a lead from someone who view this so we can get this album back to the family. I have it packaged up and ready to go when that happens. Bob Orleck
These are some really great photos! When Bob was telling me about the album and spelled the name of the apparent owner, I knew immediately that he was talking about “chick” Mahle.
After a quick tour of the album here are some names to go with the pic’s. #55051 (lower left corner) – Roy (Red) Cross. #55053 – ?? and Charles Whitehurst. #55068 – Retrieving a torpedo & Chief Cleek. #55072, 55087 & 55089 – Phil Klotz in & outside of torpedo shack. #55091, Buck Nance, C. W. Gattis & Klotz, Liberty in Japan. #55113 – Don Burchfield behind the front 3. #55119 -William Baptista. #55129 Domingo (Goose) Baptista. #55130 – Roy (Red) Cross & Pac Nance. #55132 – Sharp, C.W. Gattis & Klotz. #55155 – ??, Domingo Baptista, Charles Whitehurst & Charles Mahle.
I will do some more looking and try to put some more names with faces. But I am sure that a number of the photos were taken after I left the ship in December of 53.