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USS GILLESPIE (DD-609)


Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign - NBMY

CLASS - BENSON As Built.
Displacement 2395 Tons (Full), Dimensions, 348' 4"(oa) x 36' 1" x 13' 2" (Max)
Armament 4 x 5"/38AA, 6 x 0.5" MG, 10 x 21" tt.(2x5).
Machinery, 50,000 SHP; Bethlehem Turbines, 2 screws
Speed, 35 Knots, Range 6500 NM@ 12 Knots, Crew 208.
Operational and Building Data
Laid down by Bethlehem Steel, San Francisco.June 16 1941.
Launched May 8 1942 and commissioned September 18 1942.
Decommissioned April 17 1946.
Stricken July 1 1971.
Fate Sunk as target off Puerto Rico July 16 1973.

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Size Image Description Contributed
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Gillespie 58kArtist's conception of the Gillespie as built by the renowned graphic illustrator John Barrett with the text written by naval author and historian Robert F. Sumrall. Their company Navy Yard Associates offers prints of most destroyers, destroyer escorts, submarines and aircraft carriers in various configurations during the ship's lifetime. The prints can be customized with ship's patches, your photograph, your bio, etc. If you decide to purchase artwork from them please indicate that you heard about their work from NavSource.Navy Yard Associates
Gillespie 52kArtist's conception of the Gillespie as built by the renowned graphic illustrator John Barrett with the text written by naval author and historian Robert F. Sumrall. Their company Navy Yard Associates offers prints of most destroyers, destroyer escorts, submarines and aircraft carriers in various configurations during the ship's lifetime. The prints can be customized with ship's patches, your photograph, your bio, etc. If you decide to purchase artwork from them please indicate that you heard about their work from NavSource.Navy Yard Associates
Gillespie 82kArtist's conception of the Gillespie as she appeared in World War II by the renowned graphic illustrator John Barrett with the text written by naval author and historian Robert F. Sumrall. Their company Navy Yard Associates offers prints of most destroyers, destroyer escorts, submarines and aircraft carriers in various configurations during the ship's lifetime. The prints can be customized with ship's patches, your photograph, your bio, etc. If you decide to purchase artwork from them please indicate that you heard about their work from NavSource.Navy Yard Associates
Gillespie 196kGillespie off Bethlehem Steel San Francisco her building yard, October 2 1942.David Buell
Gillespie 97kUSS Gillespie (DD-609) underway off San Francisco, California on 2 October 1942. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo #: NH 107213.Robert Hurst
Gillespie 90kUSS Gillespie (DD-609) at anchor on October 10 1942. Official U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships photo 19-N-35168.Robert Hurst
Gillespie 52kBroadside view of USS Gillespie (DD-609) off Mare Island on 17 March 1943. She was under going repairs at the yard from 4 March to 17 March 1943.Darryl Baker
Gillespie 90kBow on view of USS Gillespie (DD-609) departing Mare Island on 17 March 1943.Darryl Baker
Gillespie 160kUSN/ONI photo of USS Gillespie (DD-609) taken at Mare Island 17 March 1943.David Buell
Gillespie 87kUSS Welles (DD-628), USS Gillespie (DD-609), USS Hobby (DD-610) and USS Kalk (DD-611) in Norfolk for New Year's 1944.John Chiquoine
Gillespie 84kA series of 7 views of activity aboard and by USS Gillespie (DD609), while in operations supporting forces ashore in the New Guinea theater, summer 1944. From the Signal Corps collection, NARA SC111-items 190768, 272082-7, and 287121.John Chiquoine
Gillespie 217kAs above.John Chiquoine
Gillespie 91kAs above.John Chiquoine
Gillespie 113kAs above.John Chiquoine
Gillespie 111kAs above.John Chiquoine
Gillespie 117kAs above.John Chiquoine
Gillespie 109kAs above.John Chiquoine
Gillespie 485kUSS Gillespie (DD-609) pulls away after transferring mail to USS DuPage (APA-41) while en-route to Peleliu, 13 September 1944. Photographed by Johnson.
National Archives photo 127-GW-762-95985
Dave Wright
Gillespie 175kUSS Gillespie (DD-609) off the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Washington, 21 December 1944. Source: United States National Archives, Photo No. 19-N-75855.Mike Green
Gillespie 141kUSS Gillespie (DD-609) off the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Washington, 21 December 1944. Source: United States National Archives, Photo No. 19-N-75858.Mike Green
Gillespie 134kThis is a breeches-buoy activity between USS Walker (DD-517) and USS Gillespie (DD-609) on 28 August 1945. Found in the Bill Willeford snapshots.John Chiquoine
Gillespie 168kRight-to-left are USS Gillespie (DD-609), USS Bancroft (DD-598), USS Grayson (DD-435), and USS Edwards (DD-619) as seen in a 1970 nest at the Orange, Texas Inactive Ship Facility. These are incidental views to a series of photos of USS Hobby's first reunion, with the uncommon chance of all four wearing the larger bow numerals. Photos are by Joe Buya, courtesy Ray and Betty Simons.John Chiquoine
Gillespie 177kAs above.John Chiquoine
Click here to see additional image(s) of this ship on our Orange, Texas Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (ISMF) Special Feature page

USS GILLESPIE DD-609 History
View This Vessels DANFS History Entry
(Located On The hazegray Web Site, This Is The Main Archive For The DANFS Online Project.)

Commanding Officers
Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves


LCDR Chester Lee Clement    Sep 18 1942 - Jun 10 1943

LCDR John Southworth Fahy    Jun 10 1943 - Nov 6 1944

LCDR Elvin Clinton Ogle    Nov 6 1944 - Apr 17 1946


Crew Contact And Reunion Information

Contact Name: Gary Edmisten
Address: 300 Oak Ridge Ct., Swansboro, NC 28584
Phone: (901)325-3644
E-mail: madarteest@carolina.rr.com
Next reunion: Mobile, Alabama, September 10-14, 2019

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 and Web Sites of Interest
Tin Can Sailors Website
Destroyer History Foundation
Destroyers Online Website
Official U.S.Navy Destroyer Website

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This page was created by Fred Willishaw (ex ARG-4, AS-11 & DD-692) and is maintained by David L. Wright
All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
Last Updated 23 April 2019