Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Contributed By
No Photo Available		Captain Jeremiah O’Brien (1744–1818) was in command of Unity when she captured HMS Margaretta in the first naval battle of the American Revolutionary War. He was born at Kittery, Maine. O'Brien and his five brothers, Gideon, John, William, Dennis and Joseph, were crewmembers of the sloop Unity when she captured Margaretta on 12 June 1775, at the entrance to the harbor at Machias (a town then in Massachusetts, later in Maine). Under the command of Jeremiah O’Brien, thirty-one townsmen armed with guns, swords, axes, and pitch forks captured the British armed schooner in an hour-long battle after Margaretta had threatened to bombard the town for interference with the shipment of lumber to British troops in Boston, Massachusetts. This battle is often considered the first time British colors were struck to those of the United States, even though Unity was not formally a member of the Continental Navy. The United States Merchant Marine claims Unity as its member and this incident as their beginning. A privateer, O'Brien continued as the captain of Unity, renamed Machias Liberty, for two years. In later years, he had an appointment as the federal customs collector for the port of Machias. a position he held until his death.		Bill Gonyo
	154k	Artist's conception of the O'Brien as built in a cutaway view 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
	97k	Artist's conception of the O'Brien as she appeared following her FRAM II overhaul 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
	120k	Undated, location unknown.		-
	102k	Undated, location unknown. Korean War era configuration.		Roy Thomas
	125k	USS O'Brien (DD 725) entering San Francisco Bay with Golden Gate Bridge in the background. Photo from the collection of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum.		Darryl Baker
	55k	Undated, location unknown.		Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET.
	92k	Unmdated, location unknown.		Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET.
	230k	Christening Ceremony with Miss Josephine O'Brien Campbell at Bath, Maine on December 8 1943.		Marc Ganley
	230k	The launching at Bath, Maine on December 8 1943.		Marc Ganley
	244k	O'Brien's officers circa 1944. The officer 3rd from left front, is CDR William W Outerbridge, O'Brien's captain, and former captain of USS Ward, DD-139, (mini-sub sinking off Pearl Harbor on 12/07/41.) Three years later to the day, 12/07/44, Outerbridge, as Capt. of O'Brien, sank the Ward, (APD-16/DD139,) by gunfire following her destruction by kamikaze attack. To his left is LT James P. Murphy, the Communications Officer.		Roy Thomas
	74k	USS Ward (APD-16) Burning in Ormoc Bay, Leyte, Philippine Islands, after she was hit by a Kamikaze on 7 December 1944. USS O'Brien (DD-725) is fighting fires from alongside, as landing craft circle to rescue survivors. Photographed from USS Crosby (APD-17). Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.		Fred Weiss
	80k	Navy Photo 4751-45, stern view of USS O'Brien (DD 725) off Mare Island on 25 June 1945.		Darryl Baker
	82k	Navy Photo 4753-45, broadside view of USS O'Brien (DD 725) off Mare Island on 25 June 1945. She was in overhaul at Mare Island from 25 April to 3 July 1945.		Darryl Baker
	154k	Navy Photo 4851-45, aft plan view of USS O'Brien (DD 725) at Mare Island on 28 June 1945. USS Young (DD 580) is inboard of O'Brien.		Darryl Baker
	74k	U.S. Navy Task Force 77 being refueled off Korea, in May 1951. The aircraft carrier is USS Bon Homme Richard (CV-31), the battleship is most probably USS New Jersey (BB-62), with the destroyer USS O'Brien (DD-725) in front. Bon Homme Richard, with assigned Carrier Air Group 102 (CVG-102), was deployed to Korea from 10 May to 17 December 1951. U.S. Navy photo from the USS Bon Homme Richard (CV-31) 1951 cruise book.		Robert Hurst
	85k	O'Brien's Wardroom circa 1951-1954. Seated left to right; Ens. Jones, Ens. Ronnenberg, Ens. Hamann, Lt. Gullick, Ens. Marlor, standing left to right; Ltjg. Vejvoda, Ens. Strand, Ens. Harruff.		Wayne Meddley
	234k	1952, Kaohsiung, Formosa, Nationalist Chinese Admiral, conferring with ComDesDiv 132, Commodore John D Bulkeley, prior to the Admiral’s departure.		Roy C. Thomas
	84k	"Close Encounter of the Unfortunate Kind," at sea rendezvous, Tsushima Bay, 1952.		Roy C. Thomas
	90k	USS O'Brien DD-725 in drydock (Yokosuka) after nicking a screw on a harbor entrance net buoy in 1952.		Roy C. Thomas
	88k	USS O'Brien nested in Yokosuka harbor in 1952.		Roy C. Thomas
	144k	1953, probably during fleet exercises off Okinawa.		Roy C. Thomas
	82k	Circa 1952-1953, location unknown.		James E. Taylor
	85k	Ship dressed out while buoyed at Kaohsiung, Formosa. Occasion was Chinese Admiral aboard visiting Captain John D. Bulkeley, ComDesDiv 132, 1953.		Roy C. Thomas
	116k	Picture of the fantail of the O'Brien the day we arrived at Pearl Harbor on return from WestPac. The time was early January, 1953.		Roy C. Thomas
	161k	From the 1952-53 O'Brien cruisebook, and the origin was a Honolulu newspaper.		Roy C. Thomas
	91k	Flank speed test run, (probably near Midway), circa 1952-1954.		Roy C. Thomas
	77k	Main Battery trained to port on training exercise, circa 1952-1954.		Roy C. Thomas
	98k	Windy day, dipping the bow, circa 1952-1954.		Roy C. Thomas
	110k	"Grab something & Hang On", the Western Pacific in winter circa 1952-1954.		Roy C. Thomas
	66k	DesDiv 132 steaming circa 1954 on Westpac. Photo taken from the O'Brien with USS Walke DD-723, USS Harry E Hubbard DD-748, and USS Ernest G Small DD-838 following in unknown order.		Roy C. Thomas
	46k	Symbol of the O'Brien heritage on the funnel, it lasted about 3 weeks in 1954 before ComDesRon made us take it off!		Roy C. Thomas
	52k	1954 Westpac cruise.		Roy C. Thomas
	54k	1954 Westpac cruise.		Roy C. Thomas
	45k	Undergoing FRAM II conversion at Mare Island in 1961.		Ken Darby
	100k	USS O'Brien (DD-725) by Roy Pierce (Ships Baker)in 1962 on the West-Pac cruise.		Ken Darby
	47k	USS O'Brien (DD-725) whaleboat coming alongside, circa 1962.		Ken Darby
	226k	USS Bennington (CVA-20) and USS O'Brien (DD-725) receiving fuel from USS Chipola (AO-63) in WestPac 1964. The destroyer on the extreme right is unknown. Photo by ETR2 Travis Moffat.		Larry Backus
	208k	Another photo by Travis Moffat ETR2, this image shows the USS Bennington refueling the USS O'Brien. The destroyer on the left is unidentified. Photo by ETR2 Travis Moffat.		Larry Backus
	156k	January 1967, hole in the DASH control panel caused by enemy shore batteries during deployment to Vietnam, NPC 1119673.		Ed Zajkowski
	107k	Pacific Ocean, the destroyer USS O'Brien (DD 725) underway off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii. #1132502 PH2 T. F. O'Sullivan, May 15 1968.		-
	175k	USS Eversole (DD-789) with the USS O'Brien (DD-725) astern. on May 15 1968 off Hawaii. Photo NPC 1132501 by PH2 T. F. O'Sullivan.		Ed Zajkowski
	96k	Pearl Harbor, May 1968		© Richard Leonhardt
	86k	San Diego, CA circa 1968.		Marc Piché
Decommissioning pamphlet - February 18 1972				Alan Johnson
	59k	Ship's patch.		Mike Smolinski
	102k	Ship's patch.		Mike Smolinski
	90k	Ship's patch, probably from her second Korean Cruise, 16 June 1952 -12 January 1953.		M. Taylor
Click here to see our Special Feature - Interior Views of Sumner Class Destroyers as Built

CDR Paul Frederick Heerbrandt    Feb 25 1944 - May 29 1944
CDR William Woodward Outerbridge    May 29 1944 - Apr 26 1945
CDR John Blair Gragg    Apr 26 1945 - Oct 19 1945
CDR Howard Earl Day Jr.    Oct 19 1945 - May 1947
LCDR Oscar Frank (Big Red) Dreyer    May 1947 - Jun 1947
(Decommissioned Oct 4 1947 - Oct 5 1950)
CDR Chester William Nimitz Jr.    Oct 5 1950 - Nov 1951
CDR Frederick George Dierman    Nov 1951 - Jan 1954
CDR Thomas Andrew Melusky    Jan 1954 - Jun 1955
CDR Francis Wilson Deily    Jun 1955 - Nov 1956
CDR Oscar Edward Gray Jr.    Nov 1956 - Sep 1958 (Later RADM)
CDR William Marvin Goode    Sep 1958 - Mar 1960
CDR Boykin Robinson Dodson    Mar 1960 - May 1962
CDR William Harlan Turner Jr.    May 1962 - Nov 1963
CDR Gary Allen Mitchell    Nov 1963 - Jan 1965
CDR Charles Stahl Christensen Jr.    Jan 1965 - Sep 1966
CDR George Winter Farris    Sep 1966 - Nov 1968
CDR William Henry Cowles Self    Nov 1968 - Sep 1970
CDR William Nelson Campbell    Sep 1970 - Feb 18 1972

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