Floyd Parks (DD 884) - Naval Cruise Book

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Mrs. Floyd B. Parks Breaking the Traditional Champagne Floyd B. Parks - Cn The Way HISTGRY QF DD-884 SS FLOYD B. P RKS On June 4, I942, Major Floyd Bruce Parks, USMC, Squadron Commander for Marine Fighter Squadron 22I, was reported missing in action during an attack against Japanese over Midway Island during the Battle of Midway. For his heroism in this famed battle, which is considered by many historians to be the turning point of World War ll, Major Parks was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. The Gearing Class destroyer, constructed in honor of Major Floyd B. Parks and to carry his name for the next twenty-seven years, both in battle and in peacetime, was built by Consolidated Steel Corporation of Orange, Texas. On March 3l, l945, Mrs. Floyd B. Parks christened the ship at launching ceremonies. After preliminary underway exercises, the USS Floyd B. Parks was commissioned on July 2l, l945, and proceeded to San Diego, California, which was to be her home port for 27 years. Since commissioning the USS Floyd B. Parks has deployed for duties in the Western Pacific twenty times under the direction of nineteen commanding officers. Her most outstanding actions were her participation in the 60-day seige on Wonson Harbor during the Korean Conflict and her final tour in the waters off the Republic of Vietnam where she provided naval gunfire support to South Vietnamese Troops. ln the Wonson Harbor seige, the USS Floyd B. Parks spent more time than any other ship in this engagement, which was the longest seige in the history of the United States Navy. During her final deployment, the USS Floyd B. Parks provided shore bombardment with such volume and accuracy that she was nicknamed SUPERFRAM by the gunfire observers and spotters working with the ship. Gn March ll, l956, the USS Floyd B. Parks suffered her only major tragedy in a collision with the heavy cruiser, USS Columbus, while conducting operations with the Seventh Fleet. The collision resulted in the deaths of two men and the loss of a forty foot section of the USS Floyd B. Parks' bow. In l963 the USS Floyd B. Parks underwent major reconstruction under the Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization Program CFRAM-IJ in Bremerton, Washington, during which she received much of the equipment that attributed to her operational readiness for the next ten years. 3

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-Y .W Mrs. Floyd B. Parks And Bess Parks CMOUWBYD at Christen' USS Floyd B. Parks before Fram Conversion ing ceremony. Damage sustained in collision with the USS COLUMBUS in l956 Z USS FLOYD B. PARKS after Fram conversion , W u -, y'g,ff,.. f' W... 'M Q-: ,f,,.f- .. , f ,v -f A, aslw5+EzWZZZ