Richard E Byrd (DDG 23) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 5 text:

H.. USS RICHARD E. BYRD QDDG 25l,was laid doum 12Ap1il 1961 by Todd Shipbuilding Corp., Seattle,Washington as one of the new Charles F. Adams class of multi-threat guided missile destroyers. She was launched 6 February 1962p sponsored by Mrs. Richard E. Byrd, whose daughter, Mrs. Robert G. Breyer, acted as proxy sponsor for the admiral's wife. USS RICHARD E. BYRD was commissioned 7 March 1964 with Commander Walter Ci. Lessman in command. Following a fitting out period at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington, RICHARD E. BYRD steamed for her homeport of Norfolk, Wrginia via the Panama Canal aniving in Norfolk 14 June 1964. For over two decades she has maintained Norfolk as her homeport and is currently assigned to Destroyer Squadron TWO. The past twenty-three years mark three Persian Gulf deployments, two North Atlantic deployments, and ten Mediterranean deployments. ln the process, USS RICHARD E. BYRD has visited ports in twenty different countries while operating in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. The ship's motto l'Seapower from Pole to Pole, and nickname Shootin' Steamin' Richard, exemplifies the posture ofcontjnuous readiness maintained by USS RICHARD E. BYRD. Ship's History 1 Q

Page 4 text:

Q 3 4 , P E 1 ? f 3:5

Page 6 text:

Forward Med 1-87 'To conduct prompt and sustained combat operations at sea in support of national interests. The heart and soul ofthe United States Navy abides in the deceptively simple mission stated above. Today fulfilling that mission involves complex detection and weapons systems. However, beneath the rapid changes in our society and in the way itwages peace, the life ofthe sailor remains constant. For every ship retuming home there sails another to replace it off some distant coastline, where it also stands watch. The USS RICHARD BYRD has served its nation for twenty-three years. This joumal records the life ofthe men who made her live on this, her tenth Mediterranean deployment 2 Forward The six months of Med 1-87 saw the l'Shootin' Steamin' Richard underway for numerous days with portcalls in Spain, France, ltaly and lsrael. We conducted routine patrols off Libya and Lebanon and screened both the USS NIMITZ and USS KITTYHAWK Although the BYRD suffered no major casualties through her zerodarls-thirty unreps or live-fire exercises we received a painful reminder ofthe realities ofour profession with the loss of.'56 sailors aboard the USS STARR on May 17 1987. They were men like ourselves, on station in suppon of national interests, a long way from home. . .