Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
WEST DAVID J
   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
HERSHEY CO [HSY] 		5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
SVP, Chief Financial Officer
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
100 CRYSTAL A DRIVE		 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
08/04/2005
(Street)

HERSHEY, PA 17033		 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock 08/04/2005   M   2,000 A $ 62.89 2,000 D  
Common Stock 08/04/2005   D   2,000 D $ 62.89 0 D  
Common Stock               662.37 I 401(k) Plan

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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)		 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)		 7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)		 9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)		 10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Restricted Stock Units (1) 08/04/2005   M     2,000 (2)   (3)   (3) Common Stock 2,000 $ 0 18,770.468 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
WEST DAVID J
100 CRYSTAL A DRIVE
HERSHEY, PA 17033		       SVP, Chief Financial Officer  

Signatures

 David J West   08/04/2005
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) Each Restricted Stock Unit represents a contingent right to receive one share of Common Stock of The Hershey Company or its cash equivalent.
(2) Vested Restricted Stock Units granted under the Company's Key Employee Incentive Plan ("Plan") converted and settled with the Company in cash as permitted under the Plan.
(3) Restricted Stock Units ("RSUs") granted on August 4, 2003 of which the final 2,000 RSUs vested on August 4, 2005. Once vested, RSUs may be: (1) settled in cash having a value equivalent to the closing price of Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange on the day preceding the vesting date, in an equal number of shares of Common Stock, or in a combination of cash and Common Stock; or (2) deferred under the Company's Deferred Compensation Plan. The reporting person has elected to settle the vested RSUs for cash.
 
Remarks:
The total amount of securities reported as indirectly owned by the reporting person in Column 5 of Table I (401(k) Plan) includes 11.6800 shares acquired from August 1, 2004 through December 31, 2004; and 105.1900 shares acquired from January 1, 2005 through July 29, 2005 pursuant to the Hershey Foods Corporation Employee Savings Stock Investment and Ownership Plan (ESSIOP).  These shares were acquired at various intervals, and the closing price on December 31, 2004 was $55.54 and the closing price on July 29, 2005 was $63.87.  The exact price of each share at the date of acquisition is not readily determinable.

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