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USS JAMES E. KYES (DD-787)


Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign - NTVZ

Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign (circa 1968) - TWISTER

CLASS - GEARING As Built.
Displacement 3460 Tons (Full), Dimensions, 390' 6"(oa) x 40' 10" x 14' 4" (Max)
Armament 6 x 5"/38AA (3x2), 12 x 40mm AA, 11 x 20mm AA, 10 x 21" tt.(2x5).
Machinery, 60,000 SHP; General Electric Geared Turbines, 2 screws
Speed, 36.8 Knots, Range 4500 NM@ 20 Knots, Crew 336.
Operational and Building Data
Laid down by Todd Shipyards, Seattle. December 27 1944.
Launched August 4 1945 and commissioned February 8 1946.
Completed FRAM upgrade January 1963.
Decommissioned and Stricken March 31 1973.
To Taiwan April 18 1973, renamed Chien Yang.
Reclassified as Guided Missile Destroyer DDG-912.
Fate Decommissioned December 1, 2004 at Tsoying Naval Base, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Click On Image
For Full Size Image		 Size Image Description Contributed
By
Kyes 53kJames Ellsworth Kyes, born in Everett, Wash., 16 April 1906, graduated from the Naval Academy in 1930. As commanding officer of Leary (DD-158), Comdr. Kyes was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously for "extraordinary heroism" during action against enemy submarines in the North Atlantic 23 December 1943. After his ship had received three torpedo hits and was sinking, he gave the order to abandon ship. As he prepared to leave Leary, he checked to see that none of his men remained on board and spied one whose life jacket was torn and useless. Comdr. Kyes removed his own and handed it to the sailor. He then calmly climbed over the side and was swallowed up by the waters of the cold Atlantic, gallantly sacrificing his own life to protect a member of his crew. Photo from the USNA Yearbook Lucky Bag - Class of 1930Bill Gonyo
Kyes 83kUndated, steaming past San Clemente Island near Long Beach.Chet Bennet / Ken Schaler
Kyes 49kUndated, location unknown.David A. Picht
Kyes 92kUndated, location unknown.David A. Picht
Kyes 78kUndated postcard Copyright © Marine Photos, San Diego, CA.Mike Smolinski
Kyes 111kUndated postcard.David A. Picht
Kyes 149kUndated, location unknown.Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET.
Kyes

Kyes 		164k




173k		Undated, location unknown.Darryl Baker
Kyes
0578734		 728kUSS James E. Kyes (DD-787) passing under the Golden Gate Bridge, circa 1947. Photo from the files of the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum.Darryl Baker
Kyes 42kJames E. Kyes off the coast of the Republic of Korea, circa 1957.Donald J. Wagner
Kyes 96kUSS James E. Kyes (DD-787) refueling from the aircraft carrier USS Midway (CVA-41), circa 1958. The Midway, with assigned Carrier Air Group 2 (CVG-2), was deployed to the Western Pacific from 16 August 1958 to 12 March 1959. U.S. Navy photo from the USS Midway (CVA-41) 1958-59 cruise book.Robert Hurst
Kyes 88kApril 1960, location unknown.Ed Zajkowski
Kyes

Kyes 		314k




273k		Yokosuka, October 7 1961, with the Kyes and 10 other destroyers being serviced by the USS Piedmont (AD-17)Ed Zajkowski
Kyes 165kUSS James E. Kyes (DD-787) tied-up pierside at Yokosuka, Japan, February 1964. Photo taken by ETN3 Kurt J. Volker.Robert Hurst
Kyes 83kUSS James E. Kyes (DD-787) being refueled by the Essex-class anti-submarine aircraft carrier USS Kearsarge (CVS-33) in the Pacific Ocean, circa 1965. USN photo from U.S. Navy Naval Aviation News June 1965.Robert Hurst
Kyes 225kApril 1965, photo NPC 1110624.Ed Zajkowski
Kyes 176kUSS James E. Kyes (DD-787) underway in Hawaiian waters, July 5 1966. Photographed by Photographer's Mate 1st Class R.N. Sheffield. U.S. Naval Historical Center.Robert Hurst
Kyes 174kJuly 14 1966, (L-R) USS Everett F. Larson (DD-830), USS Markab (AR-23), unidentified destroyer, USS Radford (DD-446) and USS James E. Kyes (DD-787).Ed Zajkowski
Kyes 46kShip's patch.Mike Smolinski
Kyes 166kShip's patch.David A. Picht
Kyes 92kShip's Zippo.David A. Picht
Kyes 97kShip's Zippo.Tommy Trampp
On Taiwanese Service
Kyes 173kTaiwanese guided missile destroyer ROCS Chien Yang (DDG-912, ex-USS James E. Kyes, DD-787) underway on 1 June 1993. U.S. DefenseImagery photo VIRIN: DN-SN-94-00793.Robert Hurst
Kyes 102kKeelung, Taiwan in 2003.Michael from Taiwan
Kyes 95kKeelung, Taiwan April 27 2003.Michael from Taiwan
Kyes 103kKeelung, Taiwan April 27 2003.Michael from Taiwan
Kyes 99kKeelung, Taiwan August 16 2003.Michael from Taiwan
Kyes 90kAugust 16 2003.Michael from Taiwan
USS JAMES E. KYES DD-787 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


CDR Kenneth Sydney Shook    Feb 8 1946 - Dec 12 1947

CDR John Morris Alford    Dec 12 1947 - Jul 1949 (Later RADM)

CDR Robert Harris Solier    Jul 1949 - Jul 28 1950

CDR Frank Martin Christiansen    Jul 28 1950 - May 1952

CDR Robert Allsopp Thacher    May 1952 - May 1954

CDR Wilbur Gardner Barton    May 1954 - Sep 14 1955

CDR Franklin Forest Penney Jr.    Sep 14 1955 - Jan 1958

CDR William Stephens    Jan 1958 - Feb 1959

CDR Arthur Otis McCarroll    Feb 1959 - Apr 29 1960

CDR Philip Boswell Taliaferro    Apr 29 1960 - 1962

CDR Thomas William Lysons    1962 - May 1963

CDR George David Quinn Jr.    May 1963 - Feb 1965

CDR Robert Friedman    Feb 1965 - Jan 12 1966

CDR Henry Gaston Rollins Jr.    Jan 12 1966 - Aug 8 1968

CDR Arthur Joseph Talley    Aug 8 1968 - Nov 21 1969

CDR Philips Henry Edmunds    Nov 21 1969 - Dec 1971

CDR Stephen Walter Reszetar    Dec 1971 - Mar 29 1973

LCDR John Green Olson    Mar 29 1973 - Mar 31 1973
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
Contact Name: Roger Donnay
Address: 1486 S. Loggers Pond Place #11, Boise, ID 83706
Phone: (208)344-0108
E-mail: RogerDonnay@Donnay-Software.Com

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
USS James E. Kyes Website
USS James E. Kyes 1960-1962 Cruisebook
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
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Last Updated 28 January 2022