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NavSource Online: Cruiser Photo Archive

USS VALLEY FORGE (CG 50)


       

Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign: November - Victor - Foxtrot - Papa

Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - ROAD AGENT


CLASS - TICONDEROGA
Displacement 9,589 (FL) Tons, Dimensions, 565' 10" (oa) x 55' x 31' 6" (Max)
Armament 2 x 5"/54RF, 2 Twin Missile Launchers, (88 Missiles) 8 Harpoon SSM 4x2,
2 x 20mm Phalanx CIWS, 2 x 25mm Bushmaster mg. 6 x12.75" TT. 2 LAMPS Helos.
Machinery, 80,000 SHP; G.E. Gas Turbines, 2 screws
Speed, 30+ Knots, Crew 370.

Operational and Building Data
Keel laid on 14 APR 1983 at Ingalls Shipbuilding, West Bank, Pascagoula, MS
Launched 23 JUN 1984
Commissioned 18 JAN 1986
Decommissioned 30 AUG 2004
Stricken 30 AUG 2004
Fate: Sunk as target off Kauai, Hawaii on 2 NOV 2006 - 23:00.7N 159:53.8W 2570 Fathoms.

Patch image contributed by Mike Smolinski

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon - Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Second Row - Navy Unit Commendation - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (3)
Third Row - Navy Expeditionary Service Medal - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (3)
Fourth Row - Southwest Asia Service Medal (3) - Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal - Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (6)
Fifth Row - Coast Guard Special Operations Ribbon - Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) - Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)


Click On Image
For Full Size Image
Size Image Description Contributed
By And/Or Copyright
Valley Forge
04015008
451k Christening Booklet, 29 September 1984. Robert M. Cieri
Valley Forge
04015016
790k Valley Forge being christened by her sponsor, Mrs. Julia V. Taft, wife of William H. Taft, III, Deputy Secretary of Defense

Dale Hargrave

Valley Forge
04015009
436k Commissioning Booklet, 18 January 1986. Robert M. Cieri
Valley Forge 42k Starboard bow view. USN
Valley Forge 53k Passing the Arizona memorial, Pearl Harbor Hawaii. USN
Valley Forge 108k Starboard bow view. USN
Valley Forge
04015012
336k Starboard bow view while underway in 1986. Robert M. Cieri
Valley Forge 86k USS Valley Forge in San Diego, pierside at North Island. February 1987. Lacy Lee, RM1 USN Ret.
Valley Forge
04015015
366k 15 July 1990, location unknown Chris Howell
Valley Forge 76k Port side view, anchored in Hong Kong Harbor, May 1991. William Chiu
Valley Forge
04015010
395k Welcome Aboard booklet, circa 1993. Robert M. Cieri
Valley Forge
04015011
224k Change of Command booklet, 25 June 1993 Robert M. Cieri
Valley Forge 63k The guided missile cruiser USS Valley Forge (CG 50) heads out of San Diego bay to begin their regularly scheduled six-month deployment after pulling away from the pier at Naval station 32nd street. 2 November 2002 Steven A. Cardali
Valley Forge 55k The guided missile cruiser USS Valley Forge (CG 50) heads out of San Diego bay to begin their regularly scheduled six-month deployment after pulling away from the pier at Naval station 32nd street. 2 November 2002 Steven A. Cardali
Bunker Hill
04015013
74k

Naval Station San Diego, CA, 2 June 2003 - USS Valley Forge (CG 50) is assisted toward the pier by tugs at Naval Station, San Diego as the guided missile cruiser returns from a deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. USS Bataan (LHD 5) is seen in the background.

U.S. Navy photo #030602-N-6132R-008 by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Louis Rojas.

Robert M. Cieri
Bunker Hill
04015210
76k

October 2003 - Ships belonging to the USS Constellation (CV-64) Battle Group parade their colors during an a airshow on board Constellation. From front to rear: USS Bunker Hill (CG-52), USS Valley Forge (CG-50), USS Milius (DDG-69), and USS Thach (FFG-43). The carrier was decommissioned in August 2003.

U.S. Navy photo #030529-N-9076B-010 by PHC Donald Bray

Bill Gonyo
Bunker Hill
04015014
87k ex-Valley Forge, listing to port during her SINKEX on 02 November 2006. Eric Bentz

Commanding Officers
Name/Rank Class Final Rank Dates
Lockhart, Theodore C. (Ted), CAPT   RADM 01/18/1986 - 05/27/1988
Bozzelli, Philip Anthony, CAPT 1966   05/27/1988 - 05/12/1990
Tedeschi Jr., Ernest Francis, CAPT 1965 RADM 05/12/1990 - 09/14/1991
Cornett II, Billy, CAPT     09/14/1991 - 06/25/1993
Abbott, Robert James, CAPT     06/25/1993 - 03/29/1996
Kear, William James (Jim), CDR     03/29/1996 - 11/07/1997
Hoker, William Patrick, CDR 1979   11/07/1997 - 07/14/1999
Goodwin, Thomas David, CDR     07/14/1999 - 01/19/2001
Arbter, John Scott, CAPT     01/19/2001 - 07/03/2002
Rabun, Patrick Coffier, CDR 1984   07/03/2002 - 08/30/2004

(Courtesy of Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves - Photos courtesy of Bill Gonyo)


USS VALLEY FORGE (DDG/CG 50) History
This Vessel is not listed in DANFS
To see another vessels entry click this link DANFS on the U.S. Navy Historical Center website.

Crew Contact And Reunion Information

Contact Name:
Address:
Phone:
E-mail: None

Note About Contacts

The contact listed, Was the contact at the time for this ship when located. If another person now is the contact, E-mail me and I will update this entry. These contacts are compiled from various sources over a long period of time and may or may not be correct. Every effort has been made to list the newest contact if more than one contact was found.


Additional Resources
Hazegray & Underway Cruiser Pages By Andrew Toppan.

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