NavSource Main Page FAQ Contact us Search NavSource

Waving US Flag

NavSource Naval History
Photographic History of the United States Navy
DESTROYER
ARCHIVE

USS BORDELON (DD-881 / DDR-881)


Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign - NBHW

Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign (circa 1968) - FORERUNNER

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 Consolidated Steel,Orange Texas. September 9 1944.
Launched March 3 1945 and commissioned June 5 1945.
Completed FRAM upgrade December 1963.
Decommissioned and Stricken February 1 1977.
Fate To Iran July 1977 and cannibalized for spare parts.

Click On Image
For Full Size Image
Size Image Description Contributed
By
Bordelon 52kBorn in San Antonio, Tex., 15 December 1920, William James Bordelon enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1941. Staff Sergeant Bordelon was killed in action on Tarawa 20 November 1943. He landed on the beach at Tarawa under heavy enemy fire and personally put two pillboxes out of action with demolition charges. He then picked up a rifle and furnished fire protection for a group of men scaling a seawall. Although wounded, he remained in action and rescued two wounded men from the water. Later he single-handedly assaulted a Japanese machine-gun position, but was killed in a final burst of fire from the enemy. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Photo from the USMC History DivisionBill Gonyo
Bordelon 110kUndated photo by Bill Wozniak taken from USS Yellowstone (AD-27), destroyers from the left are unidentified, USS Cone (DD-866), unidentified, USS Meredith (DD-890), USS Dyess (DD-880) and USS Bordelon (DD-881) at the French naval port of Mers el-Kébir, near Oran (French Algeria).Rick Rowan
Bordelon 47kUndated, location unknown.Frank Doherty
Bordelon 40kUndated, location unknown.Robert Hurst
Bordelon 121kThe Captain's gig, undated and location unknown.Bill Gonyo
Bordelon 202kUndated, location unknown.Ed Zajkowski
Bordelon 175kUndated, location unknown. Drawing done 1958 in Ghent, Belgium by JB DeBudt, USS Eugene A. Greene (DD-711), USS Furse (DD-882), USS Dyess (DD-880) and USS Bordelon (DD-881).Robert J. Clark
Bordelon 99kUndated, location unknown.Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET
Bordelon 230kUndated, location unknown.Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET
Bordelon 102kUndated, location unknown.Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET
Bordelon 78kUndated, location unknown.Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET
Bordelon 41kMay 1946, Wangpoo River, Shanghai, China.Frank Doherty
Bordelon 180kApril 29 1947 at Brooklyn, NY.Ed Zajkowski
Bordelon 26kUSS Bordelon (DD-881) underway in 1948. U.S. Navy photo from USS Coral Sea (CVB-43) publication "The Natural" 1948, Vol. 1 No. 13.Robert Hurst
Bordelon 117kWestern Mediteranean June 1948.Marc Piché
Bordelon 123kSix U.S. Navy Grumman TBM-3E Avenger anti-submarine aircraft of Composite Squadron VC-22 Checkmates flying over the Mediterranean Sea. This squadron was Attack Squadron VA-2E until 4 August 1948. Below are the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea (CVB-43) and the Gearing-class destroyer USS Bordelon (DD-881). U.S. Navy. U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation photo No. 1996.253.1299.Robert Hurst
Bordelon 48kCirca 1950, location unknown.Robert Hurst
Bordelon 68kTrieste 1952.Frank Doherty
Bordelon 72kValletta, Malta March 28 1952.Marc Piché
Bordelon 122kSixth Fleet ships in Naples harbour, circa 1955. destroyers in left centre are USS Preston (DD-795) and USS Irwin (DD-794). Destroyer in the centre, slightly to the right, appears to be USS Bordelon (DDR-881). The other U.S.Navy ships present are mainly amphibious types. Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation. Collection of Admiral Robert B. Carney, USN (Photo No NH 99290).Robert Hurst
Bordelon 162kBORDELON DD-881 and EUGENE A. GREENE DD-711 at Brest, France circa 1955.Marc Piché
Greene 161kUSS Eugene A. Greene (DD-711), USS Bordelon (DD-881) and USS Ruchamkin (APD-89) in Best, France circa 1955. Paul's dad served aboard the Ruchamkin.Paul D. Albertine
Bordelon 161kUSS Mississinewa (AO-144) refueling the battleship USS New Jersey (BB-62) and the radar picket destroyer USS Bordelon (DDR-881). The photo was taken during New Jersey´s deployment to the Mediterrranean Sea from 7 September 1955 to 7 January 1956. U.S. Navy photo from the USS New Jersey (BB-62) 1955-56 cruise book.Robert Hurst
Bordelon 183kUSS Bordelon (DD-881), USS Dyess (DD-880) and USS Eugene A. Greene (DD-711) in Italian waters on October 1 1956.Carlo Martinelli
Bordelon 40kUSS Bordelon (DDR-881) at anchor circa 1957, location unknown. Photo courtesy of Capt. Aldo Fraccaroli.© Robert Hurst
Bordelon 203kIn Genoa February 20 1960.Carlo Martinelli
Bordelon 146kPearl Harbor, circa May 18 1960.© Richard Leonhardt
Bordelon 119kUSS Bordelon (DD-881) underway in 1964, location unknown. United States Navy, Official.Robert Hurst
Bordelon 53kUSS Bordelon (DD 881) shows the appearance of most FRAM-I destroyers in this 20 July 1964 photo: twin 5"/38 gun mounts fore and aft; triple torpedo tubes on the 01 level just before the redesigned bridge; a tripod foremast to support newer and heavier surface- and air-search radar antennas; an ASROC launcher and control cabin between the heightened stacks; a DASH hangar and landing pad; and a short mast, carrying the electronic warfare antennas, atop the hangar. Official US Navy photo.Fabio Peña/.Robert Hurst
Bordelon 101kCirca 1972, location unknown.Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET.
Bordelon 122kBordelon (DD-881) underway in the Gulf of Tonkin, 23-25 February 1973, as seen from Oriskany (CVA-34). Decatur (DDG-31) is behind Bordelon, and Turner Joy (DD-951) is at far right.
Photo from Michael Corsi, RM3, USN (Ret.), via Bob Canchola, BT, USN (Ret.), USS Oriskany (CVA 34), 1971-73.
Bob Canchola
Bordelon 22kTaken in the fall of 1976 after Bordelon and John F. Kennedy were involved in a collision during refueling. Note nearly everything higher then the top of the stack is knocked flat, Forward gun mount knocked askew and riding low in the waterWalter Bengtson Jr. on board Brumby FF-1044 at the time
Bordelon 10kTaken in the fall of 1976 after Bordelon and John F. Kennedy were involved in a collision during refueling. Note nearly everything higher then the top of the stack is knocked flat, Forward gun mount knocked askew and riding low in the waterWalter Bengtson Jr. on board Brumby FF-1044 at the time
Bordelon 62kShip's patchMike Smolinski
Bordelon 84kShip's patch.Mike Smolinski
Bordelon 94kShip's patch.Russ Moody
Bordelon 100k-120kUniform Ship's name shoulder patch.Al Grazevich
Bordelon 76kShip's Zippo circa 1960.John A. Altfeltis
Bordelon 81kDesRon 4 plaque, USS Gearing (DD-710), USS Eugene A. Greene (DD-711), USS Robert H. McCard (DD-822), USS Vogelgesang (DD-862), USS Harold J. Ellison (DD-864), USS Dyess (DD-880), USS Bordelon (DD-881) and USS Furse (DD-882). Courtesy of Foro 11a Escuadrilla de Escoltas (http://www.destructorchurruca.es.vg/).Francisco Javier Santos Vazquez

USS BORDELON DD-881 / DDR-881 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 Michael Joseph Luosey    Jun 5 1945 - Feb 8 1947

CDR Earl Peck Finney Jr.    Feb 8 1947 - 7 Jun 1948

CDR Carleton Romig Kear Jr.    7 Jun 1948 - Oct 25 1949

CDR John Edwin Johanson    Oct 25 1949 - Nov 21 1950

LCDR John D. Patterson    Nov 21 1950 - Jan 1951 (Acting)

CDR Kenneth Washburn Hines    Jan 1951 - Oct 1952

CDR James Maury Werth    Oct 1952 - Jun 1954

CDR Arthur Clarence Mullen    Jun 1954 - Jun 1956

CDR Robert Daniel Quinn    Jun 1956 - Mar 1958

CDR William Walter Chimiak    Mar 1958 - Dec 1959

CDR Edwin Tynee Davis    Dec 1959 - 1961

CDR Benjamin Carroll Rogers Jr.    1961 - Dec 1962

CDR Alexander Dingwall Thomson    Dec 1962 - Aug 1965

CDR James Gale Wilson    Aug 1965 - Jan 18 1967

CDR Frank Rhodes Cassilly    Jan 18 1967 - 1968

CDR Thomas Durell Shearer    1968 - 1970

CDR William DeHart    1970 - Dec 20 1971

CDR Cornelius James Carmody    Dec 20 1971 - Aug 1973

CDR David Eugene Morgan    Aug 1973 - Aug 1975

CDR George Eagleton Pierce    Aug 1975 - Jan 6 1977

LCDR George Jeremiah Ellis    Jan 6 1977 - Feb 1 1977


Crew Contact And Reunion Information

Contact Name: Sonny Stowers
Address: 6208 Walborough Court, Glen Allen, VA 23059
Phone: 804-356-3112
E-mail: Sonnystowers881@gmail.com
Next Reunion: October 12-16, 2017, Crowne Plaza Hotel and Convention Center. Charleston, SC


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 Bordelon (DD-881/DDR-881) website
Tin Can Sailors Website
Destroyer History Foundation
Destroyers Online Website
Official U.S.Navy Destroyer Website

Back To The Main Photo Index To The Destroyer Index Page


Comments and Suggestions about this page, E-mail DestroyerInfo
Problems and site related matters, E-mail Webmaster

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 15 June 2021