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USS Bordelon (DD-881)
Encyclopedia
USS Bordelon (DD/DDR-881) was a of the United States Navy
, named for Marine
Staff Sergeant
William J. Bordelon
(1920–1943), who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor
for his heroism in the Battle of Tarawa
.
Bordelon was laid down by the Consolidated Steel Corporation
at Orange, Texas
on 9 September 1944, launched
on 3 March 1945 by Mrs. W. J. Bordelon, the mother of Staff Sergeant Bordelon and commissioned
on 5 June 1945. Bordelon operated as a part of the occupation force in Japan
until March 1946 then alternated operations along the east coast and in the Caribbean
with the 2nd Fleet with deployments to the Mediterranean with the 6th Fleet.
On 14 September 1976, while refueling alongside the aircraft carrier
(CV-67), the ships came together and collided. Bordelon' s port bow
and some of the superstructure were damaged and the main mast snapped and fell on the signal shack, injuring some of the handling team.
The ammunition ship
(AE-34) was also involved in the rescue of the Bordelon by escorting her to an ammunition
depot where Mount Baker' s explosive ordnance disposal team off-loaded her entire cargo
of ammunition while providing electric
and water services.
Due to the damage to the superstructure and electronics and the age and condition of the hull, Bordelon was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
on 1 February 1977, transferred to Iran
in July 1977 and cannibalized for spare parts.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, named for Marine
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
Staff Sergeant
Staff Sergeant
Staff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in several countries.The origin of the name is that they were part of the staff of a British army regiment and paid at that level rather than as a member of a battalion or company.-Australia:...
William J. Bordelon
William J. Bordelon
....
(1920–1943), who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for his heroism in the Battle of Tarawa
Battle of Tarawa
The Battle of Tarawa, code named Operation Galvanic, was a battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II, largely fought from November 20 to November 23, 1943. It was the first American offensive in the critical central Pacific region....
.
Bordelon was laid down by the Consolidated Steel Corporation
Consolidated Steel Corporation
Consolidated Steel Corporation was an American steel and shipbuilding business. Consolidated built ships during World War II in two locations: Wilmington, California and Orange, Texas...
at Orange, Texas
Orange, Texas
Orange is a city in Orange County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 18,643. It is the county seat of Orange County, and is the easternmost city in Texas. Located on the Sabine River at the border with Louisiana, it is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur...
on 9 September 1944, launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 3 March 1945 by Mrs. W. J. Bordelon, the mother of Staff Sergeant Bordelon and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on 5 June 1945. Bordelon operated as a part of the occupation force in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
until March 1946 then alternated operations along the east coast and in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
with the 2nd Fleet with deployments to the Mediterranean with the 6th Fleet.
On 14 September 1976, while refueling alongside the aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
(CV-67), the ships came together and collided. Bordelon
Bow (ship)
The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...
and some of the superstructure were damaged and the main mast snapped and fell on the signal shack, injuring some of the handling team.
The ammunition ship
Ammunition ship
An ammunition ship is a warship specially configured to carry ammunition, usually for Navy ships and aircraft. Their cargo handling systems, designed with extreme safety in mind, include ammunition hoists with airlocks between decks, and mechanisms for flooding entire compartments with sea water in...
(AE-34) was also involved in the rescue of the Bordelon by escorting her to an ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
depot where Mount Baker
Cargo
Cargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.-Marine:...
of ammunition while providing electric
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
and water services.
Due to the damage to the superstructure and electronics and the age and condition of the hull, Bordelon was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 1 February 1977, transferred to Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
in July 1977 and cannibalized for spare parts.