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Charles E. Vreeland was born on 10 March 1852 at Newark, N.J. He enlisted in the Navy as a naval apprentice early in 1866. After service in Sabine, he was
appointed a midshipman at the Naval Academy on 27 July 1866. On 7 June 1870, he graduated as a passed midshipman and reported aboard the screw sloop California. He was detached
from that ship and proceeded to serve in Severn, then Congress, cruising in the South Atlantic. He was later made a cruise to European waters in Brooklyn.
In July 1873, he completed his post-sea duty examination in October and returned to sea in Powhattan, receiving his commission as an ensign. Successive tours in Alert,
Ashuelot, and Ticonderoga followed; and he received promotions to master and then to lieutenant. In November 1881, he was posted to the Nautical Almanac Office. In
March 1884, Lt. Vreeland began a three-year tour in Hartford, then to the Bureau of Navigation for a two-year assignment. Upon leaving that duty, he took torpedo instruction at
Newport, R.I. Then, a brief assignment with the Office of Naval Intelligence preceded his reporting to the Coast Survey late in October. That lasted until orders sent him to Europe as naval
attache, first at Rome, then at Vienna, and finally in Berlin.
Lt. Vreeland returned home in 1896, and served in battleship Massachusettsuntil transferred to Helena at the end of June. He was ordered to Dolphin as
executive officer in April 1898, but he did not actually assume those duties until 24 August, serving in Helena through most of the brief Spanish-American War on blockade duty off
Cuba until July. After Dolphin, he was ordered to Concord. In March 1899, he became Lt. Comdr. Vreeland and, after completing assignments in Concord,
Monterey, and Baltimore on the Asiatic station, he returned home in March 1900. In April, he joined the Board of Inspection and Survey and was promoted to full commander
in August 1901. In August 1902, he took charge of fitting out of the "New Navy" monitor Arkansas (later to be renamed Ozark) at Newport News, Va. When she was placed in
commission on 28 October, he assumed command. After two years, he left Arkansas, and served ashore, performing various special duties for the Navy Department. He was a member of the
board studying proposed changes to the New York Navy Yard. He was next assigned special duty in the Office of the Ass't Secretary of the Navy. While assigned to the Navy Department in Washington,
he was promoted to captain. On 18 April 1907 he placed Kansas(BB-21) in commission at Camden, N.J. and commanded her for the next two years during the cruise of the "Great White Fleet"
around the world. Soon after the Fleet returned to Hampton Roads in February 1909, he commanded the Office of Naval Intelligence until 8 December 1909. Then promoted to rear admiral imminent, he
broke his flag in Virginia (BB-13) as Commander, 4th Division, Atlantic Fleet. On 19 April 1911, he reported ashore for further duty in Washington as Aide for Inspections, he approached the pinnacle of naval command. He became one of the four principal advisors of the Secretary of the Navy, George von L. Meyer, under the newly devised aide system for managing the Navy. During his tenure in that office, Radm. Vreeland represented the Navy Department at the coronation of King George V of England and headed up the so-called "Vreeland Board" which reinvestigated the Maine disaster of 1898. The controversial report of that board, now considered erroneous, concluded that an external explosion sank the warship.
On 12 December, Radm. Vreeland ended his tour of duty as Aide for Inspections and succeeded Radm Richard Wainwright as the Secretary's second Aide for Operations, the forerunner to today's office
of Chief of Naval Operations. He struggled to improve the defenses in the Philippines, agitated for increased naval construction, particularly of battle cruisers, and supported the development of
American naval aviation. During his tenure as Aide for Operations, naval aviation found a permanent home at Pensacola, Fla. On 11 February 1913, Rear Admiral Vreeland relinquished his duties as Aide
for Operations to Radm. Bradley A. Fiske, the third and last man to hold the office under that title. He finished out his naval career as a member of both the General and Joint Boards. On 10 March
1914, he was transferred to the retired list. On 27 September 1916, after a retirement plagued by illness, Rear Admiral Vreeland died at Atlantic City, N.J.
USS Vreeland (DE 1068) was the first ship to be named in his honor. (Photo from Adjutant General's Office (Spanish-American
War), State of New Jersey.) |
Bill Gonyo
Downey, Cal.
Assoc. Researcher
Navsource |
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06 June 1969: Westwego, La. - The future USS Vreeland (DE 1068) is gaily decorated for the launching ceremony at Avondale Shipyards, Inc.
(U.S. Navy National Archives photo #USN 1140972 from the Naval History and Heritage Command) |
Mike Smolinski
Clifton, N.J.
Archive Manager
DE / FF / LCS Archive
Navsource |
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16 June 1969: Westwego, La. - Mrs. Rebecca (Thompson) Whitten breaks the traditional bottle of champaign over the bow of the future USS Vreeland (DE 1068),
commencing the launch process for the new destroyer escort. |
S. Dale Hargrave
Newport News, Va. |
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16 June 1969: Westwego, La. - Two views of Vreeland being side-launched at Avondale Shipyards. |
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circa 1972: Charleston, S.C. - USS Vreeland (DE 1068) moored outboard of USS Macdonough (DLG 8) at the Charleston Naval Station.
(U.S. Navy photo from the Ted Stone Photo Collection, Universal Ship Cancellation Society) |
Mike Smolinski
Clifton, N.J.
Archive Manager
DE / FF / LCS Archive
Navsource |
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04 August 1973: at sea - USS Vreeland (DE 1068) underway in the Mediterranean Sea.
(U.S. Navy National Archives photo #KN-20983 from the Naval History and Heritage Command) |
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June 1974: Kiel, Germany - Vreeland moored while on a port visit.
(Taken by me) |
Gerhard L. Mueller-Debus
Frankfurt a.M., Germany |
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undated: at sea - USS Vreeland (DE 1068) underway prior to her 1981 overhaul that replaced the fantail Sea Sparrow launched with CIWS.
(U.S. Navy photo by PH3 E.M. Drahos from the Naval History and Heritage Command) |
Mike Smolinski
Clifton, N.J.
Archive Manager
DE / FF / LCS Archive
Navsource |
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USS Vreeland (DE 1068) shown previous to 1980-81 overhaul at Bath Ironworks. |
Craig Vance
Captain, USN |
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Vreeland shown after 1980-81 overhaul at Bath Ironworks. Hurricane bow, WLR-1 ESM, and blast shield for Tartar-in-the-Box have been installed. |
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undated, but after 1980-81 overhaul |
Bill Gonyo
Downey, Cal.
Assoc. Researcher
Navsource |
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01 January 1987: location unknown - A view of the frigate USS Aylwin (FF 1081), the
destroyer tender USS Shenandoah (AD 44) and the frigate USS Vreeland (FF 1068) at anchor. The
Shenandoah is performing repairs on Aylwin and Vreeland.
(U.S. Navy photo VIRIN #DN-SC-88-04641 by PH3 Don Koralewski from DefenseImagery.mil) |
Mike Smolinski
Clifton, N.J.
Archive Manager
DE / FF / LCS Archive
Navsource |
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31 October 1987: At sea - A port bow view of the frigate USS Vreeland (FF 1068) participating in an underway replenishment with the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.
(U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-ST-88-02185 by PH3 D. E. Houser from the Defense Visual Information Center) |
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19 November 1987: At sea - A port bow view of Vreeland underway.
(U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-88-01995 by PH2 Tracy Lee Didas from the Defense Visual Information Center) |
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19 November 1987: At sea - An elevated port bow view of Vreeland underway.
(U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-88-01994 by PH2 Tracy Lee Didas from the DVIC) |
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circa 1987 - 1988: Marseilles, France - Vreeland moored at Marseilles outboard of USS
Caloosahatchee (AO 98) and USS
Yosemite (AD 19).
(Photo by Philippe Gonzales) |
Philippe Gonzales |
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26 February 1988: At sea - Vreeland comes alongside the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS
Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69).
(U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-90-04328 by PH2 Tracy Lee Didas from the DVIC) |
Mike Smolinski
Clifton, N.J.
Archive Manager
DE / FF / LCS Archive
Navsource |
0602106813 |
171k |
01 March 1988: at sea - A starboard beam view of the frigates USS Vreeland (FF 1068) and USS
Paul (FF 1080) underway.
(U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-88-05374 by PH1 Bean from DefenseImagery.mil) |
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01 March 1988: at sea - A starboard beam view of the frigate USS Vreeland underway. The frigate USS Paul (FF 1080) and an unidentified Spruance
class destroyer are in the background.
(U.S. Navy photo #DN-SC-88-05375 by PH1 Bean from the National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, Md.) |
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01 July 1988: in the Mediterranean - A starboard beam view of Vreeland Med moored. The Vreeland is attached
to the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Battle Group, which is assigned to the Mediterranean on extended deployment.
(U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-89-00048 by PH2 Jones from the DVIC) |
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15 February 1991: James Kelvin, British leading diver with the Royal Navy's logistic landing ship RFA Sir Galahad (L-3005), converses with Operations
Specialist 2nd Class (SW) John Lewis from the frigate USS Vreeland (FF-1068) during a port call, their first since the beginning of Operation Desert Storm.
(U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-91-05309 by CWO2 Ed Bailey from the DVIC) |
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04 January 1992: Naval Station Mayport, Fla. - The guided missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55), left, and Vreeland
lie tied up at the naval station.
(U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-92-04774 by OS2 John Bouvia from the DVIC) |
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04 January 1992: Naval Station Mayport, Fla. - The guided missile cruiser USS
Leyte Gulf (CG 55), left, and Vreeland lie tied up at the naval station.
(U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-92-04776 by OS2 John Bouvia from the DVIC) |
