Richard E Byrd (DDG 23) - Naval Cruise Book

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SHIP' HIS TOR Y HSHOOTIN RICHARD SHlP'S HISTOR Y THE USS RICHARD E. BYRD, TWENTY SECOND IN THE CLASS OF GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYERS, WAS BUILT AND CONIIVIISSIONED IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON ON 7 MARCH I964. SINCE HER INITIAL ARRIVAL IN NORFOLK, BYRD HAS SPENTA GREAT DEAL OF TIME ATSEA BOTH LOCALLY AND ABROAD. SHE HAS GONE THROUGH EXTENSIVE TRAINING TO REMAIN READY FOR ANY EMERGENCY. ALTHOUGH BYRD HAS NOT ACTIVELY PARTICIPATED IN ACTUAL COMBAT, SHE HAS BEEN READY TO PROTECT U.S. INTERESTS IN ALL CRISES WHICH HAVE ARISEN SINCE HER COMMISSIONING. THE .IOB OFA DESTROYER IN PEACETIME IS ONE OF CONTINUOUS READINESS, SHOWING THE FLAG IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES AS WELL AS COMBAT TRAINING. RICHARD E. BYRD HAS CERTAINLY DONE HER SHARE. IN THE PAST I2 YEARS SHE HAS DEPLOYED TO THE MEDITERRANEAN EIGHT TIMES AND TO THE NORTH ATLANTIC TWICE. IN THE PROCESS, PORTS IN SPAIN, FRANCE ITALY, MALTA AND GREECE HA VE BEEN VISITED WITH REGULAR- ITY. ALSO ADDED TO BYRD'S LIST ARE PORTS IN SARDINIA, TURKEY, YUGOSLAVIA AND THE BRITISH ISLES. TRULY THE SHIP HAS MANIFESTED ITS PRESENCE IN THE INTERNATIONAL SCENE. IN COMPETETION WITH OTHER DESTROYER TYPESHIPS, BYRD HAS COME INTO HER OWN. SHE'S GAINED THE REPUTATION FOR AN OUTSTANDING WEAPONS SYTEM, AND AS A RESULT THE NICK- NAME, SHOOTIN' RICHARD . WITH MA NY COMPETETIVE CREDITS TO HER NAME, BYRD NEVERTHELESS CONTINUES TO STRESS READINESS AS THE MAJOR FUNCTION OF OUR PEACE TIME NAVY. THE CREW OF RICHARD E. BYRD IS WORKING HARD AND OFTEN TIMES LONG HOURS IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN A HIGH DEGREE OF READINESS. SHES PROUD OF HER POSITION IN A RAPIDLY CHANGING WORLD, AND WISHES TO CONTRIBUTE HER SHARE ON THE HIGH SEAS AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE ARMED SERVICES AND ASHORE, THROUGH THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF HER CREW.

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2 41 1 . I, ,fl USS R.E. BYRD IDDG-232 WAS NAMED AFTER REAR ADMIRAL RICH- ARD EVELYN BYRD, JR., WHO WAS BORN IN WINCHESTER, VA. ON OCTOBER 25, 1888, THESON OFRICHARD E. AND ELEANOR BOLLING IFLOODI BYRD, AND THE BROTHER OF VIRGINIA SEA NA TOR HARR Y BYR D. IN I927 HE MADE HIS TRANS-ATLANTIC FLIGHT IN THE AIRPLANE AMERICA, FOR THIS ACHIEVEMENT, HE WASAWARDED THE DIS- TINGUISHED FLYING CROSS, AND CITED 'FOR EXTRAORDINARY ACHIEVEMENTIN AERIAL FLIGHT: IN RECOGNITION OF HIS COUR- AGE, RESOURCEFULNESS AND HIS SKILL AS COMMANDER OF THE EXPEDITION WHICH FLEW THE AIRPLANE AMERICA FRON NEW YORK CITY TO FRANCE, ACROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN UNDER EXTREMELY ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS WHICH MADE A LANDING IN PARIS IMPOSSIBLE AND FINALLY FOR HIS DIS- CERNMENTAND COURAGE IN DIRECTING HIS PLA NE TO A LAND- ING AT VERSUR-MER, FRANCE WITHOUT SERIOUS INJURY TO HIS PERSONNEL AFTER A FLIGHT OF 39 HOURS AND 56 MINUTES. THROUGHOUT HIS NAVAL CAREER ADMIRAL BYRD'S INTEREST AND DEVOTION TO THE EXPLORATION OF THEANTARCTIC MADE HIM THE WORLD'S FOREMOST AUTHORITY ON THIS AREA. HIS GREATEST SINGLE EXPEDITION WAS MADE DURING I946-I947 WHEN HE COMMANDED THE NA VYANTARCTIC EXPEDITION, THE LARGEST EXPEDITION EVER TO GO INTO THE ANTARCTIC, COM- PRISING A FORCE OF THIRTEEN SHIPS AND ABOUT 4,000 MEN. MUCH SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION WAS GATHERED, PERSONNEL RECEIVED VALUABLE TRAINING, AND NA VY SHIPS AND EQUIP- MENT UNDER WENT CONCENTRA TED COLD WEATHER TESTING. ADMIRAL BYRD MADE HIS LAST EXPEDITION TO THE ANTARCTIC IN 1957. ON FEBRUARY 21, 1957, THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE AWARDED THE MEDAL OFFREEDOM TO REAR ADMIRAL BYRD FOR ESPECIALLY MERITORIOUS SERVICE IN THE INTEREST OF THE SECURITY OF THE UNITED STATES, AND IN RECOGNITION OF HIS OUTSTANDING ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS OFFICER-IN-CHARGE, U.S. ANTARCTIC PROGRAMS, AND HIS HUMANITARIAN CONTRIB- UTION TO THE WORLD. REAR ADMIRAL BYRD DIED IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS ON MARCH II, 1957. 54 1 Z4 'f':if fn - AMESAKE REAR ADM R E BYRD JR US. NA VY

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