Fechteler (DD 870) - Naval Cruise Book

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X Uss FECHTELER fDD870J The present USS FECHTELER qDD870j is the second Destroyer honored with the name of FECHTELER. The first FECHTELER, a Destroyer Escort, was commissioned 1 July 1943. She was torpedoed and sunk on 5 May 1944 in the Western Mediterranean after parti- cipating in the North African-Sicily Campaigns. She received one Battle Star for World War H SSTXQSG. ship is named in honor of two Naval Officers. One was Augustus Francis FECHTELER, who was born in Prussia on 1 September 1857 and who was a member of the Naval Academy class of 1877. His distinguished career of service in important posts in- cluded command of the 2nd, 6th, and 7th Divisions of the Atlantic Fleet, the Norfolk Navy Yard, and the 5th Naval District. He was awarded the Navy Cross for exceptionally meri- torious service during World War I, Rear Admiral FECHTELER died at the Naval Operating Base, Hampton Roads, Va., 26 May 1921. The other was his son, Frank Casper FECHTELER, who was born on 8 July 1897 in San Rafeal, California and who was a member of the Naval Academy class of 1918. He served in PADUCAH during World War I and after the war was trained as an aviator. His last duty was in LANGLEY QCV-15. While preparing to compete in the Pulitzer Trophy Race of 1922, Lieutenant FECHTELER was killed in an airplane crash near Detroit on 18 September 1922. Admiral William F, FECHTELER, USN QRe- tiredj, Chief of Naval Operations 41952-19545, is another son of the late Rear Admiral Augustus FECHTELER, USS FECHTELER QDD-8703 was launched 19 September 1945 by Bethlehem Steel Com- pany, Staten Island, New York, and was sponsored by Miss Joan S. FECHTELER, grand- daughter of Rear Admiral Augustus F. FECHTELER, The ship was commissioned on 2 March 1946. FECHTELER entered the Long Beach Naval Shipyard in the spring of 1963 to undergo Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization MK I conversion. After completion in December 1963, she was redesignated a DD, On 5 May 1964, FECHTELER departed Long Beach for WESTPAC as amember of Destroyer Squadron 19, the Greyhounds, During this WESTPAC deployment she served with Task Force 77's fast carrier attack groups supporting operations in Viet-Nam and on Taiwan Patrol. FECHTELER was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for the Gulf of Tonkin Operations, 2-5 August. She was also awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and during this same tour FECHTELER was further commended by Commander Seventh Fleet, and Commander Anti-Submarine Warfare for Pacific for extensive Oceanog- raphic efforts in the South China Sea. She returned to Long Beach on 9 December 1964. In February of 1965 FECHTELER was again commended, this time by the Chief of Naval Operations, for surveillance operations off the California Coast. FECHTELER departed Long. Beach, California on 10 July 1965, again with Destroyer Squadron 19 to meet the increasing requirements of the Seventh Fleet in Southeast Asia. During this tour she has served with TF 77's carrier striking groups, as a Naval Gunfire iupport Ship in South Viet-Nam, and as Danang Harbor Defense Ship in Danang, South Viet- am. CAMPAIGNS AND AWARDS Navy Unit Commendation Navy Occupation Service Medal China Service Medal Korean Service Medal United Nations Service Medal Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Korean Presidential Unit Citation

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W COMMA DIN G OFFICER Commander Robert Dewey Duncan was born in Webb City, Missouri, on 10 October 1925. He reported to FECHTELER from a tour as Executive Officer of USS DALE QDLG 193. He is a graduate of the U,S, Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland 1948g the U.S. Naval War College, and holds a Masters Degree from George Washington University. His previous Commands at sea were USS GUIDE QMSO-4475 and USS PCS-1401. Besides duty in DALE his other Destroyer experience includes billets in USS CONY QDDE-5085. During the Korean conflict Commander Duncan served as Operations Officer of USS ST. JOSEPH RIVER QLSMR 5275 and Assistant Officer-in-Charge of the LSSL-105. As a Lieu- tenant he completed Underwater Demolition Team training at Coronado, California, and sub- sequently was assigned as Executive Officer of UDT-12 and later as Officer-In-Charge, Western Pacific UDT Detachment, as unit of the Seventh Fleet based at Camp McGill, Japan. He also served on the staff of the Commander-ln-Chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Commander Duncan is married to the former Patricia Royce Kersh of Joplin, Missouri. They have two children, Douglas, 14, and a daughter, Kyle, 11.