USS Oldendorf
_port_bow_view.jpg) |
|
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States
|
|
| Namesake: | Jesse B. Oldendorf |
| Ordered: | 26 January 1972 |
| Builder: | Ingalls Shipbuilding |
| Laid down: | 27 December 1974 |
| Launched: | 21 October 1975 |
| Commissioned: | 4 March 1978 |
| Decommissioned: | 20 June 2003 |
| Struck: | 6 April 2004 |
| Motto: |
|
| Fate: | Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise, 22 August 2005 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Spruance-class destroyer |
| Displacement: | 8,040 (long) tons full load |
| Length: | 529 ft (161 m) waterline; 563 ft (172 m) overall |
| Beam: | 55 ft (16.8 m) |
| Draft: | 29 ft (8.8 m) |
| Propulsion: | 4 × General Electric LM2500 gas turbines, 2 shafts, 80,000 shp (60 MW) |
| Speed: | 32.5 knots (60 km/h) |
| Range: |
|
| Complement: | 19 officers, 315 enlisted |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
|
| Electronic warfare & decoys: |
|
| Armament: |
|
| Aircraft carried: | 2 x Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk LAMPS III helicopters. |
USS Oldendorf (DD-972), named for Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf USN, was a Spruance-class destroyer built by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries at Pascagoula, Mississippi.
Oldendorf was the tenth Spruance- class destroyer and the first ship in the Navy named after Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf, one of the most distinguished surface warfare flag officers to serve during World War II. She was built by Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi beginning 27 December 1974. Was Launched on 21 October 1975 and was commissioned on 4 March 1978.
After participating in the 1978 Portland Rose Festival, the ship's crew requested that its four-letter Navy call sign be changed to "NOLY", acknowledging the ship's nickname of "Oly". It is possible that the ship's crew maintained a large inflatable Olympia Beer Bottle as a "mascot" that was displayed for special occasions, although no photograph of the "mascot" has been posted here.
During her first Westpac deployment which took place between May to November 1980 Oldendorf took part in a joint Australian-American-New Zealand anti submarine exercise off the Western Australian coast during August 1980, which saw the destroyer conduct visits to the Western Australian Town of Bunbury and the City of Perth.
Under the command of Commander Michael A. McDevitt USN, Oldendorf conducted her second Westpac deployment, this time with the USS Constellation (CV-64) and her Battle Group in October 1981 to the Persian Gulf, during which Oldendorf returned to visit the Western Australian city of Perth. She returned home in May 1982 before undergoing an overhaul from September 1982 to July 1983, then conducted work ups for Oldendorf's third Westpac deployment which took place from January to May 1984.
Oldendorf was posted to Yokosuka, Japan as part of the United States Seventh Fleet in August 1984. She was a member of the USS Midway battle group until being transferred to San Diego in 1991. During her time in the 7th Fleet she was involved with numerous events including regular exercises with all major navies in the area. In November 1986, along with the USS Reeves (CG-24) and USS Rentz (FFG-46), she visited the port of Quingdao, PRC, the first group of US warships to visit Mainland China since 1949. In 1988 Oldendorf deployed as part of the Seoul Olympics security force with the Nimitz battle group for which she received the Meritorious Unit Citation. During two separate deployments Oldendorf was responsible for rescuing Vietnamese refugees fleeing governmental oppression and during the summer of 1989 Oldendorf was the first warship to be granted access to the small Australian village of Gove since 1975, when a seafaring naval tug was last to visit. The Oldendorf had received approval from the Aboriginal tribe leaders to make a port of call there as a sign of good will to the US Navy. She received numerous awards for achievement and excellence. The commanding officer during her deployment to the Gulf War was Commander Cyrus H Butt IV. Oldendorf was part of the first United States response to the invasion of Kuwait in 1990. She served with distinction throughout the war earning the Combat Action Ribbon escorting the various major warships and supporting the naval blockade of Iraq. She returned to Japan in mid-1991. The summer of 1991 had the ship change its homeport to Long Beach, California for a year and a half long overhaul in the Long Beach Naval Shipyards. In the Fall of 1993 the command was shifted to her final homeport of San Diego. In early 1993 she participated in LEO operations off the South American coast returning in March 1993.
...
Wikipedia