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85k | John Lorimer Worden was born on 12 March 1818 in Westchester County, N.Y. He was appointed midshipman in the Navy on 10 January 1834. He served his first three years in the sloop-of-war Erie on the Brazilian Station. Following that, he was briefly assigned to the sloop Cyane before reporting to the Naval School at Philadelphia for seven months of instruction. He returned to sea in July 1840 for two years with the Pacific Squadron. Between 1844 and 1846, Worden was stationed at the Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. During the Mexican War, he cruised the west coast, primarily in the store ship Southampton, but in other ships as well. In 1850, he returned to the Naval Observatory for another two-year tour of duty. The ensuing nine years were filled with sea duty which took Worden on several cruises in the Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas. Brought to Washington early in 1861, he received orders in April to carry secret dispatches, regarding the reinforcement of Fort Pickens, south to the warships at Pensacola. During the return journey north, Worden was arrested near Montgomery, Ala., and was held prisoner until exchanged about seven months later. Though still ill as a result of his imprisonment, Comdr. Worden accepted orders to command the new ironclad Monitor on 16 January 1862. He reported to her building site at Greenpoint on Long Island and supervised her completion. He placed the new warship in commission at the New York Navy Yard on 25 February and two days later sailed for Hampton Roads. However, steering failure forced the ironclad back to New York for repairs. On 6 March, she headed south again, this time under tow by Seth Low. On the afternoon of 8 March, Worden's command approached Cane Henry, Va., while inside Hampton Roads, the Confederacy's own ironclad, CSS Virginia, wreaked havoc with the Union Navy's wooden blockading fleet. During that engagement, the Southern warship sank the sloop Cumberland and severely damaged Congress and Minnesota before retiring behind Sewell's Point. Arriving on the scene too late to participate in the engagement, Worden and his command set about assisting the grounded Minnesota. At daybreak on the 9th, Virginia emerged once more from behind Sewell's Point to complete her reduction of the Federal fleet at Hampton Roads. As the Confederate ironclad approached Minnesota, Worden maneuvered Monitor put from the grounded ship's shadow to engage Virginia in the battle that revolutionized naval warfare. For four hours, the two iron-plated ships slugged it out as they maneuvered in the narrow channel of Hampton Roads, pouring shot and shell at one another to almost no visible effect. Three hours into the slug fest, Worden received facial wounds when a Confederate shell exploded just outside the pilot house. He relinquished command to his first officer, Samuel D. Green. About an hour later, Monitor withdrew from the battle temporarily and, upon her return to the scene, found that Virginia, too, had withdrawn. The first battle between steam-driven, armored ships had ended in a draw. After the battle, Worden moved ashore to convalesce from his wounds. During that recuperative period, he received the accolade of a grateful nation and the official thanks of Congress. Late in 1862, he took command of the ironclad monitor Montauk and placed her in commission at New York on 14 December 1862. Later in the month, Worden took his new ship south to join the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron off Port Royal, S.C. On 27 January 1863, he led his ship in the bombardment of Fort McAlister. A month later, newly promoted Capt. Worden took his ship into the Ogeechee River, found the Confederate privateer Rattlesnake (formerly CSS Nashville), and destroyed her with five well-placed shots. His last action came of 7 April 1863, when Montauk participated in an attack on Charleston, S.C. Not long after the Charleston attack, Capt. Worden received orders to shore duty in conjunction with the construction of ironclads at New York. That assignment lasted until the late 1860's. In 1869, he began a five-year tour as Superintendent of the Naval Academy during which he was promoted to rear admiral. During the late 1870's, he commanded the European Squadron, visiting ports in northern Europe and patrolling theeastern Mediterranean during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78. He returned ashore and concluded his naval career as a member of the Examining Board and as President of the Retiring Board. When he retired on 23 December 1886, Congress voted him full sea pay in his grade for life. Rear Admiral Worden resided in Washington, D.C., until his death from pneumonia on 19 October 1897. After funeral services at Washington's St. John's Episcopal Church, he was buried at Pawling, N.Y.Photo #: NH 101, Rear Admiral John L. Worden, USN photographed in full dress uniform by F.M. Zuller, Richfield Springs, New York, and the U.S. Naval Academy, April 1873. | Tony Cowart/Robert M. Cieri |
| 147k | Undated, location unknown. | Marc Piché |
| 257k | Undated, location unknown. | Ron Reeves |
| 59k | Undated postcard. | Tommy Trampp |
| 102k | Worden is christened by Mrs. John Halligan, wife of Admiral Halligan, Commandant, 13th Naval District,on October 27 1934. | S. Dale Hargave |
| 306k | Newspaper clipping from the launching on October 27 1934. | Ron Reeves |
| 76k | USS Worden (DD-352) underway in harbor, September 1935. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. | Fred Weiss |
| 118k | Destroyer Squadron Twenty (DesRon 20), five of the squadron's ships moored together, circa 1936. The destroyers are (from left to right): USS Dewey (DD-349), USS Farragut (DD-348), USS Worden (DD-352), USS Hull (DD-350) and USS Aylwin (DD-355). U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Fred Weiss |
| 59k | USS Monaghan (DD-354), USS Dale (DD-353) and USS Worden (DD-352) of DesRon 20 steaming in line abreast for a Movietone News camera, September 1936, location unknown. | Robert Hurst |
| 80k | Destroyer Squadron twenty (DesRon20) steam through a smokescreen laid by planes of Patrol Squadrons Seven, Nine and Eleven, during an exhibition staged for Movietone News off San Diego, California, 14 September 1936. the ships are, from bottom to top: USS Farragut (DD-348); USS Dewey (DD-349); USS Hull (DD-350); USS Macdonough (DD-351); USS Worden (DD-352); USS Dale (DD-353); USS Monaghan (DD-354) and USS Aylwin (DD-355). Courtesy Commander Robert L. Ghormley, Jr., USN, 1969. U.S. Naval Historical Centre photo # NH 67293. | Robert Hurst |
| 162k | September 14, 1936 photograph staged for Movietone News off San Diego, California. Destroyer Squadron 20 (DesRon 20) steams through a smokescreen laid by Patrol Squadrons Seven, Nine and Eleven. USS Aylwin (DD-355), USS Monaghan (DD-354), USS Dale (DD-353), and USS Worden (DD-352) are visible, while USS Macdonough (DD-351), USS Hull (DD-350), USS Dewey (DD-349) and USS Farragut (DD-348) are out of the photo, their presence indicated by their wakes. Overhead, two PH Flying Boats observe the formation. US Navy and Marine Corps Museum/Naval Aviation Museum, Photo No. 1996.229.032. | Mike Green |
| 103k | USS Dobbin (AD-2) photographed circa 1937, with several destroyers alongside. They include (from left to right): USS Phelps (DD-360), USS Worden (DD-352), USS Macdonough (DD-351), USS Dewey (DD-349) and USS Hull (DD-350). Note that some of these ships' hull numbers are painted close to the waterline, while others are about midway between the boot topping and the weather deck. Courtesy of BMGC Ralph E. Turpin, USN (Retired), 1963. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Fred Weiss |
| 107k | Fleet Maneuvers, May 1937 Three destroyers speed into position in the battle line, during annual U.S. Fleet maneuvers. They are, from left to right): USS Hull (DD-350), USS Worden (DD-352) and USS Macdonough (DD-351). Courtesy of the U.S. Naval Institute Photo Collection, Annapolis, Maryland. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Fred Weiss |
| 87k | USS Worden (DD-352) at anchor, circa late 1930s (USN Photo No NH 97952). | Robert Hurst |
| 182k | USS Worden (DD 352) off Mare Island on November 21, 1942. Photo from the collection of the Vallejo Naval and Museum. | Darryl Baker |
| 110k | USS Worden (DD-352) off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 21 November 1942. Note barrage balloons aloft in the distance. Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives. | Fred Weiss |
| 120k | USS Worden (DD-352) At the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 21 November 1942. USS St. Louis (CL-49) is in the background. Circles mark recent shipyard alterations to Worden. Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives. | Fred Weiss |
| 132k | Starboard bow plan view looking aft of Cimarron (AO-22) at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA., 26 November 1942. The destroyer berthed to starboard of Cimarron is Worden (DD-352). | Roel Bakels |
| 41k | Port broadside view of the Worden as seen shortly before her January 12, 1943 loss. Photo from the 1943-45 Naval Recognition Manual files. | Mike Green |
| 127k | Photo #: 80-G-75586: Loss of USS Worden (DD-352), Worden being abandoned, after going aground in Constantine Harbor during the occupation of Amchitka, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, on 12 January 1943. Note men in the water near the landing craft in the foreground, and steam pouring from Worden's stacks and midships area. Fourteen of her crewmen were lost in the icy waters in this incident. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. | Scott Dyben |
| 175k | Worden aground in Constantine Harbor, during the occupation of Amchitka, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, on 12 January 1943. USS Dewey (DD-349), which unsuccessfully tried to tow Worden off, is standing by in the left center. The grounded ship later broached, broke in two and sank. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Photo #: 80-G-75600. | Robert Hurst |
| 41k | The USS Worden (top) hard and fast on Amchitka's rocks. Her crew was rescued (center), but the ship lost. Racked by heavy seas, she broke in two. | Robert Hurst |
| 85k | A larger view of the above top image. | Mike Green |
| 153k | Worden aground in Constantine Harbor, during the occupation of Amchitka, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, on 12 January 1943. USS Dewey (DD-349) is standing by at right. After attempts to tow her off failed, the grounded ship broached, broke in two and sank. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Photo #: 80-G-75598. | Robert Hurst |
| 146k | Boats removing Worden's crew, after she went aground in Constantine Harbor during the occupation of Amchitka, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, on 12 January 1943. USS Dewey (DD-349) is standing by in the foreground. Ship in the distance, in the upper right, is USS Arthur Middleton (AP-55). Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Photo #: 80-G-75591. | Robert Hurst |
| 189k | Worden capsized and broken in two after she went aground in Constantine Harbor, during the occupation of Amchitka, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, on 12 January 1943. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Photo #: 80-G-75577. | Robert Hurst |