USS O'Bannon (DD-987)
Encyclopedia
USS O'Bannon (DD-987), a Spruance-class
destroyer
, was the third ship of the United States Navy
to be named for Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon
(1776–1850), an early hero of the US Marine Corps
.
O'Bannon was laid down on 21 February 1977 by the Ingalls Shipbuilding
, Pascagoula, Miss.
; launched
on 25 September 1978; and commissioned
on 15 December 1979.
.
O'Bannon was decommissioned on 19 August 2005 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register
the same day. In 2004 O'Bannon was to be sold to Chile, but in 2005 she was scheduled to be transferred via FMS to the Turkish Navy
. In the end she was sunk off the coast of Virginia at 3:23pm on 6 October 2008 in a training exercise by the carrier group, using missiles, guns and finally a Mk 82 bomb.
Spruance class destroyer
The Spruance-class destroyer was developed by the United States to replace a large number of World War II-built Allen M. Sumner- and Gearing-class destroyers, and was the primary destroyer built for the U.S. Navy during the 1970s....
destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
, was the third ship of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
to be named for Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon
Presley O'Bannon
Presley Neville O’Bannon was an officer in the United States Marine Corps, famous for his exploits in the First Barbary War. In recognition of his bravery, he was presented a sword for his part in attempting to restore Prince Hamet Karamanli to his throne at Tripoli...
(1776–1850), an early hero of the US Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
.
O'Bannon was laid down on 21 February 1977 by the Ingalls Shipbuilding
Ingalls Shipbuilding
Ingalls Shipbuilding is a shipyard located in Pascagoula, Mississippi, USA, originally established in 1938, and is now part of Huntington Ingalls Industries...
, Pascagoula, Miss.
Pascagoula, Mississippi
Pascagoula is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. It is the principal city of the Pascagoula, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, as a part of the Gulfport–Biloxi–Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. The population was 26,200 at the 2000 census...
; launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 25 September 1978; and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on 15 December 1979.
Homeport
Assigned to Homeport in Charleston South Carolina when the Congressional BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) committee decided to close down that shipyard, the USS O'BANNON (DD-987) was re-Homeported to Mayport Florida.Deployments and Ports of Call
UNITAS XXXII: Cartagena Columbia, Rodmin Panama, Manta Equador, Lima Peru, Valpariaso Chile, Talquano Chile, Argentina, Rio de Janeurio Brazil, Puerta la Cruz Venezuela
Baltops '92: Eidenborough Scotland, Kiel Germany, Karlskrona Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Severnmorsk Russia
MEF 3-95 (started 15 July 1995) Lodges Azores (24JUL95), Palma Spain (28-30JUL95 $1US = 147 pesetas), Rota Spain, Kos Greece (3-5AUG95 $1US=2.85 Drackma), Brief stop for fuel Djibouti Egypt (12AUG95), Dubia United Arab Emirates (5-7SEP95 $5US = 18 Duhram), ASU Bahrain (18-23SEP, 10-14OCT, 21-22OCT95 $2.80US = 1 Dinar), Muscat Oman 30OCT-01NOV95 $2.60US = 1 Rial), Dubia UAE 3-8NOV95), Media Portugal.
UNITAS XL-99: Cartagena Columbia, Rodmin Panama, Manta Equador, Lima Peru, Valpariaso Chile, Vina del Mar Chile, Coquimbo Chile, Argentina, Rio de Janeurio Brazil, Puerta la Cruz Venezuela
Fate
Originally scheduled to remain in service through 2010, decommissioning of the Spruance-class destroyers was accelerated as a cost saving measure, and by June 2005 O'Bannon was the last Spruance destroyer in service in the Atlantic FleetU.S. Atlantic Fleet
The United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...
.
O'Bannon was decommissioned on 19 August 2005 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
the same day. In 2004 O'Bannon was to be sold to Chile, but in 2005 she was scheduled to be transferred via FMS to the Turkish Navy
Turkish Navy
The Turkish Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the Turkish Armed Forces.- Ottoman fleet after Mudros :Following the demise of the Ottoman Empire in the aftermath of World War I, on November 3, 1918, the fleet commander of the Ottoman Navy, Liva Amiral Arif Pasha, ordered all flags to be...
. In the end she was sunk off the coast of Virginia at 3:23pm on 6 October 2008 in a training exercise by the carrier group, using missiles, guns and finally a Mk 82 bomb.
See also
- See USS O'BannonUSS O'BannonThree ships of the United States Navy have been named USS O’Bannon, after the early Marine Corps hero Presley O'Bannon , hero of the Battle of Derna.* The first , was a Wickes-class destroyer, launched in 1919 and struck in 1936....
for other ships of the same name. - List of United States Navy destroyers