Worden (DLG 18) - Naval Cruise Book

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JOHN L. WORDEN 1818 - 1897 USS WORDEN DD-288 Destroyer 288 was the second ship to bear the name WORDEN. On 24 October 1919 the keel for the sec- ond WORDEN was laid at Squan- tum, Massachusetts. This 314 foot destroyer was commissioned one year to the day later at the Boston Naval Ship Yard. This ship was de- commissioned on 1 May 1930, having never tasted the sting of battle. The USS WORDEN CDLG-185 is named in honor of Rear Admiral John L. Wor- den, USN, Commander of the USS MONITOR in the historic Battle of the Ironc1ads which took place at Hampton Roads, Virginia on 9 March 1862. John Lorimer Worden was born in Westchester County, New York, on 12 March 1818. He was appointed a midshipman on 10 January 1834 and served three years in the sloop of war ERIE on Brazil Station, followed by brief service in the sloop of war CYNE and seven months at the Naval School at Philadelphia. He had duty with the Pacific Squadron C1840-18425, the Naval Observatory C1844-18465 and spent the Mexican War in the store ship SOUTHAMPTON and other ships on the West Coast. He was again at the Naval Observatory C1850-18523 and the next ten years were filled with cruises in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean Seas. On 16 January 1862 He was ordered to report to command the ironclad MONITOR, building at Greenpoint, Long Island. After the supervision of her completion he made the rough passage down the coast, beset by difficulties brought about in the experimental construction of his ironclad. These were later declared by him to have been as great a hazard to over- come as those of the subsequent battle. Worden brought MONITOR into Hampton Roads the evening of 8 March 1862. Three hours of battle the following day with the Confederate ironclad Virginia, left Worden wounded in the face and nearly blind. For heroism displayed and the great service rendered in this action, Worden was rendered a vote of thanks by Congress and promoted to the rank of captain. Following the end of the war, Worden was Superintendent of the U. S. Naval Academy Commander of the European Squadron, and member of the Examining and Retiring Board until his retirement in 1886. Rear Admiral Worden died of pneumonia on 19 October 1897 and was interred at Pawling, New York,after funeral services at St. John's Episcopal Church, Wash., D.C. USS WORDEN Torpedo Boat 16 The first WORDEN, Torpedo Boat 16 was laid down at Sparrows Point, Maryland, on 13 November, 1899. She was launched on 15 al August 1901 and commissioned on 17 March 1903. The WORDEN saw action as a escort during World War I. Following the end of the - war she was decommissioned on 14 july 1919. i .-rg i . ix U w,U!..1lni-1jgiJ-M I ....... 8

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HERITAGE

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A Mfyy. ,if . .. ffc ffx, ff., - 1 5 ' Sf.. P - . ' f. f ' ,iffy ' ' xx. - .1 +5 USS WORDEN DLG-18 The current ship WORDEN KDLG- 18i was laid down 19 September 1960 at Bath Iron Works, Bath Maine. WORDEN was launched 2 lune 1962 and commissioned 3 August 1963. After 2 months of out- fitting at the Boston Naval Ship Yard the WORDEN sailed for her new home, San Diego, California and became flagship for Destroyer Squadron Five. August of 1964 saw WORDEN sailing for her first Far East Deployment. 10 November 1968 saw the WORDEN decom- missioned at Bath Iron Works for modernization. L- USS WORDEN DD-352 The Naval Ship Yard at Puget Sound, Bremerton, Washington was the construction site for the third WORDEN. DD352 joined the fleet on 15 january 1935. WORDEN was at Pearl Harbor at the time of the japanese attack, and three hours later shot down her first plane of the war. WORDEN earned battle stars at Midway, Guadalcanal, and at the battle of the Eastern Solomon Islands. The third WORDEN came to an end when she went aground off Amchitka lsland in a storm in january of 1945. .'? '3 USS WORDEN DLG-18 The WORDEN was recommissioned 16 january 1971 after receiving a complete modernization. Included was the installation of the Naval Tactical Data System QNTDSJ, the addition of 2 terrier missile direct- ors, improved air-search radars and the necessary engineering equip- ment to support these new systems.