Ship Introduction

USS Arthur W. Radford (DD-968) was a Spruance-class destroyer in the United States Navy. She was named for Admiral Arthur W. Radford USN (1896–1973), the first naval officer to hold the title of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. She was laid down by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries at Pascagoula, Mississippi and launched on 21 March 1975, sponsored by Mrs. Arthur W. Radford, the widow of the late admiral. She commissioned on 16 April 1977 and decommissioned on 18 March 2003, after serving 26 years.

Aurthur W. Radford was the second Spruance class destroyer to join the atlantic fleet, and was a unit of (DESRON10) Destroyer Squadron Ten in Norfolk, Virginia. She was a member of the first class of comabatant ships in the United States navy to be powered by Marine Gas Turbine Engines.Arthur W. Radford fired the first Harpoon missile shot in the Mediterranean, scoring a direct hit on a selected target. She also engaged in shore bombardment in support of the Multi-National Forces in Beirut, Lebanon, and was later awarded the Navy Unit Commendation.

The Lone Sailor

The "Silent Sentinel" - standing watch over the Granite Sea at the Navy Memorial in Washington DC and by other maritime locations throughout the U.S. The Lone Sailor reaches into the hearts and minds of veterans and active duty sailors alike. A tribute to those who serve or have ever served in any of the U.S. Sea Sevices.

"Fair Winds and a Following Sea."

The traditional farewell of a mariner is wishing a friend "fair winds and following seas." The full version is "Fair winds and following seas and long may your big jib draw!" The phrase may also be considered a Naval blessing as well as a farewell. "We bid shipmates farewell with this naval blessing because it represents the ideal underway conditions for which Sailors yearn." It is also said for a departed mariner at a funeral.

Ship's Coat Of Arms

Ship's Coat Of Arms

Banner Motto is:

"Patriotism, Perserverance, Preparedness"

My First Deployment And Interim

For the first few months of 1983, Arthur W. Radford operated primarily in the Virginia Capes area, but ranged into the Atlantic as far as the Bahamas. After embarking Commander, Destroyer Squadron 26, at Norfolk on 7 March to begin a nine month period on board, Arthur W. Radford hosted Secretary of the Navy John F. Lehman, Jr., on 29 March. A little less than one month later the destroyer cleared Norfolk on 27 April for a six month deployment in the Mediterranean.

Touching at Gibraltar on 10 May, Arthur W. Radford proceeded to Augusta Bay, Sicily, and thence moved to waters off the coast of Lebanon. After supporting the multinational peacekeeping force in Beirut from 20 May to 28 May, the destroyer visited Taranto, Italy, before returning to Lebanese waters for another brief period. During a port call at the Romanian port of Constanţa along with guided-missile frigate Antrim, the destroyer served as flagship for Vice Admiral William H. Rowden, Commander, 6th Fleet.

Visiting Catania, Sicily, Monte Carlo, Monaco, and Livorno, Italy, Arthur W. Radford exercised with U.S. 6th Fleet battle groups later that summer, later visiting Gaeta and Naples, Italy. While visiting Istanbul, Turkey, she hosted the retired Army leader and former presidential advisor General Alexander M. Haig.

Arthur W. Radford returned to the waters off Beirut on 18 September 1983 to assume duty as ready gunfire support ship. She conducted gunfire support missions against forces threatening the peacekeeping force on 21 and 22 September until relieved on station by the battleship New Jersey on 8 October. Visits to La Maddalena, Sardinia, and to Tangier, Morocco rounded out the destroyer's time in the U.S. 6th Fleet. Operating briefly with Spanish Navy units en route to the turnover port of Rota, Spain, Arthur W. Radford cleared Rota, Spain on 10 November with the battle group formed around the carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower. She arrived at Norfolk 11 days later, remaining there for the rest of 1983.

Arthur W. Radford operated briefly in the Virginia Capes area in January 1984 before undergoing an overhaul at the Metro Machine Shipyard at Portsmouth, Virginia, between 16 February and 27 April. Subsequently undergoing sea trials and repairs in the floating drydock Sustain, Arthur W. Radford conducted routine training out of Norfolk through early August.

The destroyer next operated out of Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, and off St. Croix before returning to Norfolk at the end of August and becoming flagship for DesRon 10, (Destroyer Squadron Ten), After then conducting underway training in the Virginia Capes area in September and October, Arthur W. Radford accompanied the recommissioned battleship Iowa to Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. She later conducted gunfire support exercises off Vieques. Returning northward the destroyer took part in exercises off the coast of North Carolina before reaching to Norfolk on 20 November.

My Second Deployment And Interim

After local operations, Arthur W. Radford sailed for a deployment with the Middle East Force (MidEastFor) on 4 February 1985, in company with Barney. Rendezvousing with Antrim and Charles F. Adams near Bermuda two days later, and refueling from USNS Waccamaw, the destroyer reached Rota, Spain on 16 February. She then visited Naples before heading for Egypt to transit the Suez Canal on 27 February 1985.

The destroyer touched briefly at Raysut, Oman, on 8 March before transiting the Strait of Hormuz the following day and entering the Persian Gulf. After touching briefly at Bahrain Arthur W. Radford got underway on 14 March for the Persian Gulf radar picket station. Five days into her time on station, she responded to a "Mayday" from the Liberian-flag tanker Caribbean Breeze which had been attacked and set afire in the central Persian Gulf. The destroyer provided medical advice over the emergency radio channel and launched a helicopter to render assistance.

Refueling on 25 March at Sitrah Anchorage, Bahrain, Arthur W. Radford got underway to resume her radar picket duty later the same day, remaining employed thus until she moored alongside La Salle for availability. The destroyer resumed steaming on radar picket station again on 8 April, also conducting surveillance operations simultaneously.

Arthur W. Radford embarked Rear Admiral John Addams, Commander, Middle East Force, on 17 April, and served as his flagship until 5 June. During that time, the destroyer served twice on radar picket duties in the Persian Gulf, the first from 17 to 26 April and the second from 23 June to 29 June, and once on routine cruising. She visited the Sitrah anchorage twice during this period, and visited Manama, Bahrain, twice.

After Rear Admiral Addams shifted his flag from Arthur W. Radford, the ship served two more tours of radar picket duty in the Persian Gulf from 6 to 16 June and 20 to 29 June. During the first of these periods, on 7 June, the destroyer's embarked Sikorsky SH-3 "Sea King" helicopter from squadron HS-1 transported a civilian rescued from drowning and in need of medical attention to Bahrain hospital, saving the person's life.

Arthur W. Radford underwent her final upkeep in the Persian Gulf at Mina Sulman, Manama, Bahrain, from 29 June to 4 July observing Independence Day there before getting underway that afternoon to transit the Persian Gulf for the Strait of Hormuz. She conducted turnover to the destroyer Comte de Grasse in Rota, Spain, the following day, and exited from the gulf.

Stopping for fuel at Mina Raysut, Oman, on 8 July, Arthur W. Radford transited the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb in company with Antrim on 10 July, and the two warships conducted freedom of navigation operations off the coast of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen on 11 July. The destroyer transited the Suez Canal on 14 July, and replenished from the oiler USNS Neosho that same day. Fueling from USNS Truckee the following day, Arthur W. Radford conducted a port visit to Benidorm, Spain, from 20 July to 23 July before reaching Rota, Spain, on 24 July. Proceeding thence with Antrim, Barney, and Charles F. Adams, the destroyer sailed for Norfolk on 24 July. After visiting Ponta Delgada, Azores, and Bermuda en route, Arthur W. Radford reached her home port on 5 August 1985.

The destroyer remained at Norfolk into late October, preparing for a command inspection and operating locally in the Virginia Capes operating area. Early in this period, Hurricane Gloria prompted Arthur W. Radford to depart Norfolk on 13 September 1985, and proceed to the upper Chesapeake Bay anchorage to ride out the storm. The destroyer returned to her home port on 21 September.

Departing Norfolk on 25 October, Arthur W. Radford sailed for Nova Scotia, and arrived at Halifax on 28 October. After being briefed for her participation in an exercise, SHAREM 62, the ship departed Halifax on the following day for Notre Dame Bay Newfoundland. Transiting the Strait of Belle Isle on the 31 October Arthur W. Radford reached her destination on 1 November, and took part in SHAREM 62 until 6 November, when she sailed for Halifax.

Following the post-exercise debriefing, Arthur W. Radford sailed for Norfolk, arriving at her home port on 13 November. Moving up the eastern seaboard, the destroyer visited Boston, Massachusetts (5 December to 8 December) before spending a brief period at Newport serving as Surface Warfare Officer School school ship from 9 December to 12 December. Arthur W. Radford then returned to the Norfolk area, unloading weapons at Naval Weapons Station Yorktown from 15 December to 18 December before conducting a dependents' cruise on 18 December.

The destroyer underwent a restricted availability until late March 1986, running her post-repair trials on 29 and 30 March before proceeding to Yorktown to take on weapons. Arthur W. Radford operated locally out of Norfolk into late July, interspersing this work with a drydocking in Sustain from 30 May to 17 June, for repairs to her struts and stern tubes, as well as an inspection of her sonar dome. Following refresher training in Guantanamo Bay, the ship touched at Roosevelt Roads, Peurto Rico, before operating at Vieques for gunfire support practice, surface gunnery exercises, and missile shoots. After visiting Fort Lauderdale, Florida en route, the ship returned to Norfolk on 12 September.

Arthur W. Radford returned to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, soon thereafter to embark HSL-36, detachment 6, and then proceeded to Roosevelt Roads, Peurto Rico, where she arrived on 6 October to load ammunition, to take on fuel, and to embark a Coast Guard law enforcement detachment along with Commander, Caribbean Squadron and his staff. The ship operated in her assigned waters from 6 October to 19 October, returning to Roosevelt Roads, Peurto Rico, to debark Commander, Caribbean Squadron and his staff.

Detaching the Coast Guardsmen at Nassau, Bahamas, on 22 October at the commencement of the ship's port visit there, Arthur W. Radford sailed for Norfolk on 25 October, arriving two days later. As before, her stay in port proved brief, for she got underway on 3 November for the Bermuda operating area for exercises. One day out of Norfolk, she assisted Preble in searching for a crewman who had been lost in the Cape Hatteras area.

USS Arthur W. Radford (DD-968) replenishes from USS George Washington (CVN-73) in the Mediterranean in 1996. Arthur W. Radford conducted her exercises, SHAREM 1-87 before returning to Norfolk on 16 November. With the exception of a period underway in the Virginia Capes operating area on 9 December and 10 December, Arthur W. Radford spent the month of December in port in Norfolk.

Awards

Navy Good Conduct

(4 years service)

Navy Expeditionary

(Beirut, Lebanon, gunfire support - shore bombardment)

Navy Unit Commendation

(Beirut, Lebanon, gunfire support - shore bomardment)

Sea Service Deployment

(4 years sea service)

Letter of Commendation from the Commanding Officer U.S.S Arthur W. Radford for duties performed during ships engineering systems overhaul while in selective restrictive avialability.

One personal handwritten letter from Commanding Officer U.S.S. Arthur W. Radford for emergency overhaul work performed on 3000 psi high pressure air compressors.

Recommended for RE-R1, Preferred Renlistment status

Security Clearances:

Secret & Confidential

Navy Technical Training

U.S. Naval Propulsion Engineering School, Engineman "A" School, Service School Command, USNTC, Great Lakes, Chicago, Illinois
Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Operation and Maintenance, Fleet Training Center, Norfolk, Virginia.
Detroit Diesel 671 Overhaul and Maintenance, Little Creek, Virginia
Engineering Shipboard Propulsion Fuels and Oils, Little Creek, Virginia
Navy Bulk Petroleum, Little Creek, Virginia
Gaylord Service School, Gaylord Ventilators, C.L. Richard Co, Inc., Norfolk, Virginia

The Navy Hymn - Eternal Father Strong To Save

Eternal Father, strong to save,

Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,

Who biddest the mighty ocean deep

Its own appointed limits keep;

Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,

For those in peril on the sea!

O Christ! Whose voice the waters heard

And hushed their raging at Thy Word,

Who walked on the foaming deep,

And calm amidst its rage didst sleep;

Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,

For those in peril on the sea!

Most Holy Spirit! Who didst brood

Upon the chaos dark and rude,

And bid its angry tumult cease,

And give, for wild confusion, peace;

Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,

For those in peril on the sea!

O Trinity of love and power!

Our family shield in danger’s hour;

From rock and tempest, fire and foe,

Protect us wheresoever we go;

Thus evermore shall rise to Thee

Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.

Photos

At sea with USS Arthur W. Radford (DD 968) Nov. 27, 2002 -- The Arthur W. Radford steams through the Mediterranean Sea as the Spruance-class destroyer nears the end of a regularly scheduled deployment with the Washington Battle Group in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Southern Watch.

The U.S.Navy’s nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) and guided missile destroyer USS Arthur W. Radford (DDG 968) conduct replenishment at sea operations in the western Mediterranean Sea, July 11, 1996.

Ships Specs

General Characteristics:
Awarded: January 15, 1971
Keel laid: January 24, 1974
Launched: March 1, 1975
Commissioned: April 16, 1977
Decommissioned: March 18, 2003
Builder: Ingalls Shipbuilding, West Bank, Pascagoula, Miss.
Propulsion system: four General Electric LM 2500 gas turbine engines
Propellers: two
Blades on each Propeller: five
Length: 564,3 feet (172 meters)
Beam: 55,1 feet (16.8 meters)
Draft: 28,9 feet (8.8 meters)
Displacement: approx. 9,200 tons full load
Speed: 30+ knots
Aircraft: two SH-60B Seahawk (LAMPS 3)
Armament: two Mk 45 5-inch/54 caliber lightweight guns, one Mk 41 VLS for Tomahawk, ASROC and Standard missiles, Mk 46 torpedoes (two triple tube mounts), Harpoon missile launchers, one Sea Sparrow launcher, two 20mm Phalanx CIWS
Crew: approx. 340

Standard Nuke Nondisclosure Statement

"I can neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons aboard the U.S.S. Arthur W. Radford"

My Duties

Qualified engineering watch supervisor auxiliary division (inport/underway)

Qualified CCS (Central Control Station) watch supervisor (Inport)

Qualified ship's leading air conditioning and refrigeration technician

Qualified ship's leading high pressure air compresser technician

Qualified Detriot 671 Diesel overhaul and maintenance

Qualified damage control technician

Maintenance & operation:

Two 8000 gallon per day Aqua Chem distillant plants (Converts seawater to freshwater, for potable (drinking) water and boiler feedwater

Two 3000 psi Ingersoll Rand high pressure air compressors and air dryers (used for starting the ships main gas turbine engines via HP compressed air start)

Three York Marinepak 350 ton air conditioning units and three chiller pumps (used for electronic cooling of ships combat systems electronics, and crew berthing area cooling)

Two hydraulic steering gear units (used for ship's rudders)

Two York 2.5 ton refrigeration units (used for cooling/freezing ships stores (food)

Two hydraulic anchor windless units (ship's anchor)

Detriot 671 diesel (captains gig)

Two Jared sewage treatment plants, two Jared incinerators

Assorted seawater and firewater pumps, assorted small feed pumps

Assorted ships auxilary equipment