Alan Thiese, U. S. Navy

Service in USS John Paul Jones (DDG-32)

16 December 1975 to 22 July 1977

 

 

Prior to the 2017 USS John Paul Jones Reunion held in the Norfolk, Virginia area I conducted research to learn more about this great ship.  I found out that there were many ships that bore this name and as I knew we currently have a John Paul Jones in our Navy.

 

                                                     

USS PAUL JONES (DD-10)


Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign - NOP

CLASS - BAINBRIDGE As Built.
Displacement 420 Tons, Dimensions, 250' (oa) x 23' 7" x 9' 3" (Max)
Armament 2 x 3"/50, 5 x 6pdr, 2 x 18" tt..
Machinery, 8,000 IHP; 2 Vertical, Inverted, Triple Expansion Engines, 2 screws
Speed, 29 Knots, Crew 75.
Operational and Building Data
Laid down by Union Iron, San Francisco on April 20 1899.
Launched June 14 1900.
Commissioned July 19 1902 and placed in reserve until December 22 1903.
Decommissioned July 29 1919.
Stricken September 15 1919.
Fate Sold January 3 1920 to Joseph G. Hitner, Philadelphia and broken up for scrap.

 

 

 

 





 

 

 

USS PAUL JONES (DD-230 / AG-120)


Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign - NUQN

CLASS - CLEMSON As Built.
Displacement 1,215 Tons, Dimensions, 314' 5" (oa) x 31' 8" x 9' 10" (Max)
Armament 4 x 4"/50, 1 x 3"/23AA, 12 x 21" tt..
Machinery, 26,000 SHP; Parsons Design Turbines, 2 screws
Speed, 35 Knots, Crew 114
Operational and Building Data
Laid down by Cramp, Philadelphia on December 23 1919.
Launched September 28 1920 and Commissioned April 19 1921.
Reclassified Auxiliary AG-120 June 30 1945.
Decommissioned November 5 1945.
Stricken November 28 1945.
Fate Sold October 5 1947 to Northern Metal, Norfolk and broken up for scrap.

USS JOHN PAUL JONES (DD-932 / DDG-32)


Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign - NDRV

Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign (circa 1968) - BLUE BOLT

CLASS - FORREST SHERMAN As Built.
Displacement 4619 Tons (Full), Dimensions, 418' 6"(oa) x 44' 11" x 15' (Max)
Armament 3 x 5"/54 DP (3x1), 4 x 3"/50 (2x2), 2 Hedghog ASW Mortars,
4 x 21" tt.(4x1) 6 x 12.75" Mk 32 ASW TT (2x3).
Machinery, 70,000 SHP; Geared Turbines, 2 screws
Speed, 33 Knots, Range 4500 NM@ 20 Knots, Crew 324.
Operational and Building Data
Laid down by Bath Iron Works, Bath ME January 18 1954.
Launched May 7 1955 and commissioned April 5 1956.
Decommissioned December 20 1965 and recommissioned September 23 1967.
Reclassified as Guided Missile Destroyer DDG-32 March 15 1967.
Decommissioned December 15 1982.
Stricken in 1986.
Fate December 18 1982 towed to NISMF Bremerton, arrived December 22 1982. Towed to Mare Island 1984, April 30 1986 stricken & towed to SBRF. Withdrawn from SBRF December 7 2000 to Pt. Mugu, CA for prep as target ship. Towed to target area by T-ATF 171 January 27 2001. January 31 2001 sunk in MISSILEEX at 32deg. 60' N x 121deg 36' W in 1988 fathoms



USS JOHN PAUL JONES (DDG-53)


Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign - NNJP

CLASS - BURKE Flight I As Built.
Displacement 8373 Tons (Full), Dimensions, 504' 7" (oa) x 66' 11" x 20' (Max)
Armament 1 x 5"/54 RF, 2 Phalanx 20mm Guns, 90 VLS Cells,
8 Harpoon Missiles, 6 x 12.75" TT.
Machinery, 100,000 SHP; 4 GE LM-2500 Gas Turbines, 2 screws
Speed, 30+ Knots, Range 4400 NM@ 20 Knots, Crew 370.
Operational and Building Data
Laid down by Bath Iron Works, Bath ME on August 8 1990.
Launched October 26 1991 and commissioned December 18 1993.
Active unit of the US. Navy.
Homeported at San Diego. Moving to Hawaii in Summer 2014.

I post this today, 13 January 2018 to make the History of this great Warship and my time onboard as a Yeoman Chief a Matter of Record.  When I reported aboard DDG-32 she was about to enter the Long Beach Naval Shipyard in 1976.  I was able to obtain Navy Housing at San Pedro, California.  We enjoyed our time at San Pedro and following the overhaul the Ship was once again homeported in San Diego where we purchased a home in Chula Vista.  Our youngest Son was born at the Navy Hospital near Long Beach, California.  During our time at Long Beach the John Paul Jones was the host ship for a visiting Australian Navy DDG.  If I remember correctly it was the Australian Ship named Hobart (DDG-39).