I’d like to present the USS Lloyd Thomas DD 764 in 1/125 scale.  The Lloyd Thomas was a Gearing class destroyer re-designated a DDE in the 1950’s for anti-submarine warfare.  Mt 52 was removed and a trainable hedgehog mount replaced it.  In the 1960s she was modernized with the FRAM IIB and again designated a DD.  FRAM II is what Most Sumner class cans and some Gearings went through FRAM II, no ASROC and they retained fixed 21-inch anti-ship torpedo tubes amidships.     I served on LT from 1966 – 1968.  Went to Hospital Corps and 24 years later retired a LCDR after Desert Storm. About 4 years ago I was looking for a large scale can like my ship to build, BaD Ships had some nice one but was intimidated by the hull planking and the fiberglass hulls were costly.  I decide to convert a Lindbergh Blue Devil Fletcher class.  Oh what a mistake.  There are no parts for 1/125 scale for the Gearing class. I took me almost two years to build this and I ran into a multitude of problems.... had to cut the hull in half and add 1 ½ inches, added plastic strips and Green Goop, stabilizers, a sonar dome and brass props and struts to make the hull presentable.  Then I built everything from scratch from the weather deck up with exception for a few Fletcher parts.  Air-conditioning vents, paint locker, 5-inch gun practice loader, FRAM stacks, etc, etc.  See some enclosed pictures of the project.  Had a heck of a time finding anything for the antennae for the 5-inch gun director.  Cut a small fishing bobber in half and it looked great.  I did that for almost two years.  Bad Ships is under new management and their hulls are now laser cut and placing all just sticks together.  Had a great talk with the owner Keith “Skipper” Miller and just order the Lloyd Thomas in 1/ 96 scale.  Can’t wait to get started and put remote control in her.  The 1/125 scale can was too top heavy., but it was great practice. Jim Gee