.gif)
USS Waddell (DDG-24)
Encyclopedia
USS Waddell (DDG-24) was a Charles F. Adams class guided missile
armed destroyer
in the United States Navy
. She was named for Captain James Iredell Waddell
CSN (1824-1886).
Waddell was laid down by Todd-Pacific Shipbuilding at Seattle
in Washington on 6 February 1962, launched on 26 February 1963 by Mrs. Howard W. Cannon and commissioned on 28 August 1964. Waddell served as plane guard for carriers
on Yankee Station
in the Tonkin Gulf, participated in Sea Dragon
operations, patrolled on search and rescue duties and carried out Naval Gunfire Support
missions during the Vietnam War
.
Exercise "Hot Stove" from 26 August to 3 September. During this time, while serving as plane-guard for Ticonderoga
(CVA-14), Waddell rescued Comdr. C. H. Peters, whose plane had ditched off the coast of southern California
.
On 28 September 1965, Waddell—in company with Ticonderoga and three destroyers, and acting as flagship
for Commander, Destroyer Division (DesDiv) 132—departed her home port, Long Beach, California
, bound for her first tour of duty in the Western Pacific
(WestPac). After stopping at Pearl Harbor
, she proceeded on toward the Philippines
.
While en route on 31 October, the American task group received a radio message reporting that Japan
ese merchantman
Tokei Maru had suffered an explosion on board. Detached to render assistance, Waddell sped to the scene and lowered her motor whaleboat
containing the squadron doctor. The ship's rescue party arrived on board to find three men of Tokei Maru's complement already dead and another seriously burned. After providing medical assistance which saved the man's life and having left Tokei Maru a supply of medicine
to suffice until the Japanese ship could make port, Waddell rejoined her consorts.
, Waddell got underway on 2 November for the coast of Vietnam
and her first deployment to "Yankee Station" W-5, in the Tonkin Gulf. On station with Task Unit (TU) 77.0.2 until the 14th, the ship returned to Subic Bay for brief local operations before sailing back to the combat zone to take her post on the northern search and rescue
station (SAR) from 29 November to 29 December.
On 7 December, Waddell steamed alongside Sacramento
(AOE-1) conducting an underway replenishment on the oiler's port side; while Brinkley Bass
(DD-887) replenish to starboard of the oiler. During the operation, Brinkley Bass reported a man overboard; and Waddell executed an emergency break-away and doubled back to pick up the man.
Upon completion of this SAR tour, the destroyer sailed via Sasebo to Buckner Bay, Okinawa. She conducted a missile shoot in Ryūkyū waters and then visited Hong Kong
. On 31 January 1966, she sailed for Da Nang
, en route to a second deployment to the northern SAR area.
At 1410 on 3 February 1966, Waddell was notified that a pilot
was possibly downed in their vicinity. While proceeding to investigate, the ship noted "surface action" to port and commenced shore bombardment at 1501. Communist guns replied 14 minutes later. Waddell then trained her guns on the communist batteries. At 1545, while still shelling the communist gun positions, Waddell was straddled by the enemy guns which had found the range. Radical maneuvers enabled the destroyer to retire without damage, and she emerged from the action unscathed.
The following day, after receiving fuel from Sacramento in an underway replenishment while on station, Waddell collided with Brinkley Bass. The damage which Waddell sustained forced her to return to the Philippines for repairs.
Back in Vietnamese waters in late February, Waddell provided gunfire support in the III Corps operating area from 27 February to 11 March, as part of TU 70.8.9. She then returned—via Subic Bay, Guam
, Midway
, and Pearl Harbor—to her home port, Long Beach, where she arrived on 8 April.
Following a yard period—during which the ship underwent structural repairs—Waddell participated in various fleet and independent exercises off the California coast. Two days after Christmas of 1966, the ship got underway for another WestPac deployment.
Early in 1967, Waddell was again engaged off the Vietnamese coastline. From 2 March to 21 May 1967, the ship displayed "exceptional readiness and effectiveness in all tasks assigned," including gunfire support off South Vietnam
; interdiction of North Vietnam
ese supply traffic along the coast; and gunfire against selected targets in North Vietnam. Coming under hostile fire from shore on one occasion, Waddell returned the fire and inflicted maximum damage on enemy shore batteries while emerging without harm. During her second WestPac deployment in Vietnamese waters, the destroyer fired some 2,000 rounds of ammunition while winning the reputation of being "the busiest ship in the Tonkin Gulf" before heading home.
Waddell made port at Long Beach on 29 May 1967 and operated briefly off the southern California coast. She entered the Long Beach Naval Shipyard
on 4 August and commenced an extensive overhaul which lasted through the end of the year 1967 and into February 1968.
She returned to WestPac that summer—with logistics
stops at Pearl Harbor and Midway en route—and arrived at her new home port of Yokosuka, Japan, on 1 August 1968. She conducted three tours on the "gun line" off North and South Vietnam into the fall, as well as one tour as plane guard for the attack carrier strike group based around Coral Sea
(CVA-43) and Ranger (CVA-61).
On 22 September while operating off the demilitarized zone
(DMZ) in company with St. Paul
(CA-73), Waddell participated in a SAR operation. At 0145, an attack bomber splashed near the ship. Both crew members had previously ejected from their stricken jet and parachuted to the sea. Waddell closed to within 5,000 yards of the mouth of the Cua Vet River and rescued the navigator/bombardier, while St. Paul picked up the pilot.
After completing an overhaul at Yokosuka toward the end of December 1968, Waddell got underway on 7 January 1969, bound for the "gun line." Between 17 and 30 January, she fired two gunfire support missions in the I Corps area for the Army's
101st Airborne Division
and one for the 7th and 9th Divisions of the Republic of Vietnam
(ARVN) units. After a quick trip via Buckner Bay to Yokosuka, Waddell sped back to the "gun line" in late February and resumed her gunfire support duties on 1 March. There, in the II Corps area, she fired 12 support missions with Task Force "South." She subsequently conducted 79 more gunfire support missions including 12 for Australia
n units, 11 for ARVN units, and 15 in support of Operation "Sheridan"—in which the United States Army 101st Airborne and an ARVN regiment participated.
During the first week of April, the downing by North Korea
ns of a Navy EC-121 Connie
early-warning intelligence aircraft in the Sea of Japan
greatly increased tension in the Far East
. Waddell departed the "gun line" at 22 knots, refueled at Buckner Bay, and arrived in the Strait of Tsushima to screen aircraft carriers Ticonderoga and Ranger. She operated in the Sea of Japan until the crisis abated enabling her to head for Yokosuka on the afternoon of 28 April.
Returning to the "gun line," Waddell then lobbed shells at Viet Cong (VC) camps and infiltration points from waters off Phu Quoc Island in the Gulf of Siam in support of Operation "Javelin," before she was assigned to the Mekong Delta
region. There, supporting two ARVN divisions, she conducted 19 bombardments against VC structures, bunkers, rest sites, and supply routes.
Subsequently returning to "Yankee Station," she screened Enterprise
(CVAN-65) in June, as the big carrier conducted strike operations, and returned to waters near the DMZ in mid-July for gunnery support duties.
on 1 October 1992, sold to Greece
and renamed Nearchos.
s.
Guided Missile
Guided Missile is a London based independent record label set up by Paul Kearney in 1994.Guided Missile has always focused on 'the underground', preferring to put out a steady flow of releases and developing the numerous GM events around London and beyond....
armed destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
in the United States Navy
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...
. She was named for Captain James Iredell Waddell
James Iredell Waddell
James Iredell Waddell was an officer in the United States Navy and later in the Confederate States Navy.-Biography:...
CSN (1824-1886).
Waddell was laid down by Todd-Pacific Shipbuilding at Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
in Washington on 6 February 1962, launched on 26 February 1963 by Mrs. Howard W. Cannon and commissioned on 28 August 1964. Waddell served as plane guard for carriers
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...
on Yankee Station
Yankee Station
Yankee Station was a point in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of Vietnam used by the U.S. Navy aircraft carriers of Task Force 77 to launch strikes in the Vietnam War. While its official designation was "Point Yankee," it was universally referred to as Yankee Station...
in the Tonkin Gulf, participated in Sea Dragon
Operation Sea Dragon (Vietnam War)
Operation Sea Dragon occurred during the Vietnam War and was a series of American led naval operations beginning in 1966 to interdict sea lines of communications and supply going south from North Vietnam to South Vietnam, and to destroy land targets with naval gunfire, as well give CIA agents in...
operations, patrolled on search and rescue duties and carried out Naval Gunfire Support
Naval gunfire support
Naval gunfire support is the use of naval artillery to provide fire support for amphibious assault and other troops operating within their range. NGFS is one of a number of disciplines encompassed by the term Naval Fires...
missions during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
Pre-Vietnam War
Following trials from October 1964 to May 1965, the new guided missile destroyer conducted shakedown off the west coast into July, before she participated in antiaircraft and electronic warfareElectronic warfare
Electronic warfare refers to any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults via the spectrum. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent the advantage of, and ensure friendly...
Exercise "Hot Stove" from 26 August to 3 September. During this time, while serving as plane-guard for Ticonderoga
USS Ticonderoga (CV-14)
USS Ticonderoga was one of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy. The ship was the fourth US Navy ship to bear the name, and was named for historic Fort Ticonderoga, which played a role in the American Revolutionary War...
(CVA-14), Waddell rescued Comdr. C. H. Peters, whose plane had ditched off the coast of southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
.
On 28 September 1965, Waddell—in company with Ticonderoga and three destroyers, and acting as flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
for Commander, Destroyer Division (DesDiv) 132—departed her home port, Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, bound for her first tour of duty in the Western Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
(WestPac). After stopping at Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, she proceeded on toward the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
While en route on 31 October, the American task group received a radio message reporting that 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...
ese merchantman
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
Tokei Maru had suffered an explosion on board. Detached to render assistance, Waddell sped to the scene and lowered her motor whaleboat
Whaleboat
A whaleboat is a type of open boat that is relatively narrow and pointed at both ends, enabling it to move either forwards or backwards equally well. It was originally developed for whaling, and later became popular for work along beaches, since it does not need to be turned around for beaching or...
containing the squadron doctor. The ship's rescue party arrived on board to find three men of Tokei Maru's complement already dead and another seriously burned. After providing medical assistance which saved the man's life and having left Tokei Maru a supply of medicine
Medication
A pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine, medication or medicament, can be loosely defined as any chemical substance intended for use in the medical diagnosis, cure, treatment, or prevention of disease.- Classification :...
to suffice until the Japanese ship could make port, Waddell rejoined her consorts.
Vietnam War
Only one day after reaching Subic BayU.S. Naval Base Subic Bay
U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay was a major ship-repair, supply, and rest and recreation facility of the United States Navy located in Zambales, Philippines. It was the largest U.S...
, Waddell got underway on 2 November for the coast of Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
and her first deployment to "Yankee Station" W-5, in the Tonkin Gulf. On station with Task Unit (TU) 77.0.2 until the 14th, the ship returned to Subic Bay for brief local operations before sailing back to the combat zone to take her post on the northern search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
station (SAR) from 29 November to 29 December.
On 7 December, Waddell steamed alongside Sacramento
USS Sacramento (AOE-1)
USS Sacramento was the third ship in the United States Navy to bear the name, for both the Sacramento River and the capital city of California...
(AOE-1) conducting an underway replenishment on the oiler's port side; while Brinkley Bass
USS Brinkley Bass (DD-887)
USS Brinkley Bass was a Gearing-class destroyer of the United States Navy. She was named for Lieutenant Commander Harry Brinkley Bass USN , who was killed in action when his plane crashed in combat during the invasion of southern France on 20 August 1944.-Construction:Brinkley Bass was laid down...
(DD-887) replenish to starboard of the oiler. During the operation, Brinkley Bass reported a man overboard; and Waddell executed an emergency break-away and doubled back to pick up the man.
Upon completion of this SAR tour, the destroyer sailed via Sasebo to Buckner Bay, Okinawa. She conducted a missile shoot in Ryūkyū waters and then visited Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. On 31 January 1966, she sailed for Da Nang
Da Nang
Đà Nẵng , occasionally Danang, is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of...
, en route to a second deployment to the northern SAR area.
At 1410 on 3 February 1966, Waddell was notified that a pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
was possibly downed in their vicinity. While proceeding to investigate, the ship noted "surface action" to port and commenced shore bombardment at 1501. Communist guns replied 14 minutes later. Waddell then trained her guns on the communist batteries. At 1545, while still shelling the communist gun positions, Waddell was straddled by the enemy guns which had found the range. Radical maneuvers enabled the destroyer to retire without damage, and she emerged from the action unscathed.
The following day, after receiving fuel from Sacramento in an underway replenishment while on station, Waddell collided with Brinkley Bass. The damage which Waddell sustained forced her to return to the Philippines for repairs.
Back in Vietnamese waters in late February, Waddell provided gunfire support in the III Corps operating area from 27 February to 11 March, as part of TU 70.8.9. She then returned—via Subic Bay, Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, Midway
Midway Atoll
Midway Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago, about one-third of the way between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Tokyo, Japan. Unique among the Hawaiian islands, Midway observes UTC-11 , eleven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time and one hour...
, and Pearl Harbor—to her home port, Long Beach, where she arrived on 8 April.
Following a yard period—during which the ship underwent structural repairs—Waddell participated in various fleet and independent exercises off the California coast. Two days after Christmas of 1966, the ship got underway for another WestPac deployment.
Early in 1967, Waddell was again engaged off the Vietnamese coastline. From 2 March to 21 May 1967, the ship displayed "exceptional readiness and effectiveness in all tasks assigned," including gunfire support off South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
; interdiction of North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
ese supply traffic along the coast; and gunfire against selected targets in North Vietnam. Coming under hostile fire from shore on one occasion, Waddell returned the fire and inflicted maximum damage on enemy shore batteries while emerging without harm. During her second WestPac deployment in Vietnamese waters, the destroyer fired some 2,000 rounds of ammunition while winning the reputation of being "the busiest ship in the Tonkin Gulf" before heading home.
Waddell made port at Long Beach on 29 May 1967 and operated briefly off the southern California coast. She entered the Long Beach Naval Shipyard
Long Beach Naval Shipyard
thumb|right|300px|Long Beach Naval Shipyard in 1993The Long Beach Naval Shipyard, which closed in 1997, was located at Terminal Island between the city of Long Beach and the San Pedro district of Los Angeles and approximately 23 miles south of the Los Angeles International Airport.The Long Beach...
on 4 August and commenced an extensive overhaul which lasted through the end of the year 1967 and into February 1968.
She returned to WestPac that summer—with logistics
Logistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
stops at Pearl Harbor and Midway en route—and arrived at her new home port of Yokosuka, Japan, on 1 August 1968. She conducted three tours on the "gun line" off North and South Vietnam into the fall, as well as one tour as plane guard for the attack carrier strike group based around Coral Sea
USS Coral Sea (CV-43)
USS Coral Sea , a , was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Battle of the Coral Sea. She earned the affectionate nickname "Ageless Warrior" through her long career...
(CVA-43) and Ranger (CVA-61).
On 22 September while operating off the demilitarized zone
Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone
The Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone was established as a dividing line between North and South Vietnam as a result of the First Indochina War.During the Second Indochina War , it became important as the battleground demarcation separating North Vietnamese territory from South Vietnamese territory.-...
(DMZ) in company with St. Paul
USS Saint Paul (CA-73)
USS Saint Paul , a Baltimore-class cruiser, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for St. Paul, Minnesota....
(CA-73), Waddell participated in a SAR operation. At 0145, an attack bomber splashed near the ship. Both crew members had previously ejected from their stricken jet and parachuted to the sea. Waddell closed to within 5,000 yards of the mouth of the Cua Vet River and rescued the navigator/bombardier, while St. Paul picked up the pilot.
After completing an overhaul at Yokosuka toward the end of December 1968, Waddell got underway on 7 January 1969, bound for the "gun line." Between 17 and 30 January, she fired two gunfire support missions in the I Corps area for the Army's
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
and one for the 7th and 9th Divisions of the Republic of Vietnam
Army of the Republic of Vietnam
The Army of the Republic of Viet Nam , sometimes parsimoniously referred to as the South Vietnamese Army , was the land-based military forces of the Republic of Vietnam , which existed from October 26, 1955 until the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975...
(ARVN) units. After a quick trip via Buckner Bay to Yokosuka, Waddell sped back to the "gun line" in late February and resumed her gunfire support duties on 1 March. There, in the II Corps area, she fired 12 support missions with Task Force "South." She subsequently conducted 79 more gunfire support missions including 12 for Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n units, 11 for ARVN units, and 15 in support of Operation "Sheridan"—in which the United States Army 101st Airborne and an ARVN regiment participated.
During the first week of April, the downing by North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
ns of a Navy EC-121 Connie
Lockheed Constellation
The Lockheed Constellation was a propeller-driven airliner powered by four 18-cylinder radial Wright R-3350 engines. It was built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958 at its Burbank, California, USA, facility. A total of 856 aircraft were produced in numerous models, all distinguished by a...
early-warning intelligence aircraft in the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
greatly increased tension in the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
. Waddell departed the "gun line" at 22 knots, refueled at Buckner Bay, and arrived in the Strait of Tsushima to screen aircraft carriers Ticonderoga and Ranger. She operated in the Sea of Japan until the crisis abated enabling her to head for Yokosuka on the afternoon of 28 April.
Returning to the "gun line," Waddell then lobbed shells at Viet Cong (VC) camps and infiltration points from waters off Phu Quoc Island in the Gulf of Siam in support of Operation "Javelin," before she was assigned to the Mekong Delta
Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta is the region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the sea through a network of distributaries. The Mekong delta region encompasses a large portion of southwestern Vietnam of . The size of the area covered by water depends on the season.The...
region. There, supporting two ARVN divisions, she conducted 19 bombardments against VC structures, bunkers, rest sites, and supply routes.
Subsequently returning to "Yankee Station," she screened Enterprise
USS Enterprise (CVN-65)
USS Enterprise , formerly CVA-65, is the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and the eighth US naval vessel to bear the name. Like her predecessor of World War II fame, she is nicknamed the "Big E". At , she is the longest naval vessel in the world...
(CVAN-65) in June, as the big carrier conducted strike operations, and returned to waters near the DMZ in mid-July for gunnery support duties.
Decommissioning
Waddell was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel RegisterNaval 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 October 1992, sold to Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and renamed Nearchos.
Honors
Waddell received 11 engagement stars for her service in waters off Vietnam and two Navy Unit CommendationNavy Unit Commendation
The Navy Unit Commendation of the United States Navy is an award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944...
s.