USS ROGERS DD-876

A Tin Can Sailors Destroyer History

USS ROGERS DD-876

The Tin Can Sailor, April 2011

The GEARING-class destroyer ROGERS (DD-876) was launched on 20 November 1944 by the Consolidated Steel Company of Orange, Texas, and commissioned on 26 March 1945. Following shakedown off Guantanamo Bay, the ROGERS was converted to a picket ship at the Navy Yard in Portsmouth, Virginia. After further training in the Atlantic and Caribbean, she got underway for the Pacific reaching Pearl Harbor on 4 August 1945. With the termination of hostilities, she left Pearl Harbor for Tokyo Bay arriving on 31 August. On 1 September she stood out of Tokyo Bay to join a fast carrier task group and begin  her routine duties as a member of the Seventh Fleet. Through the decade, she rotated West Coast and Far East duty on a regular schedule. The ship participated in the atomic bomb test in Eniwetok Atoll in 1948. In 1949 she assisted in evacuating American nationals from China. That same year, she was reclassified as a radar picket destroyer (DDR) after a height-finder radar and more communication equipment were added and her torpedo tubes removed.

During 1951 and 1952, the ROGERS served as a unit of Task Forces 77, 95, and 96 and participated in shore bombardment, blockading, and patrol missions in Korean waters. On 25 August 1951, the ROGERS, along with the USS HELENA (CA 75) and USS HARRY E. HUBBARD (DD 748), performed “bird dog” duties for a B-29 strike on the marshaling yards at Rashin, Korea. For the mission, twelve F2H‑2 aircraft and twelve F9F aircraft from the USS ESSEX (CV 9) escorted the 30 air force B‑ 29 medium bombers to their target. The mission was the first time in the war that navy aircraft escorted an air force bomber strike and the first time in aviation history that a navy fighter team had escorted an air force bomber mission. Five days later, the ROGERS rescued Lt. (jg) Dale B. Knox of the USS ESSEX who was forced to ditch his F4U Corsair while returning from a night heckler (interdiction) mission. During this period, she also served as lifeguard destroyer for President Truman’s flight to Wake Island for his conference with Gen. Douglas MacArthur in 1950 and for President‑elect Eisenhower on his return from the Far East in 1952.

After fighting stopped in Korea, the ROGERS alternated West Coast operations with more than a dozen WestPac deployments. In 1954, she helped in the evacuation of the Tachen Islands. In January 1962, following First Fleet operations off the West Coast, the destroyer  operated in the Far East with carrier groups, patrolled the Formosa Strait, and participated in a major Allied amphibious exercise. She returned to the First Fleet and, on the evening of 12 November, successfully recovered one of the TICONDEROGA’s pilots who had ejected from his plane into a dense fog off the coast of southern California.

In June 1963, after 18 years in the Pacific, the ROGERS left San Diego for the East Coast and FRAM I modernization at Charleston, South Carolina. That July, she was reclassified as DD‑876. In May 1964, she was back with the Pacific Fleet and two years later was operating off Vietnam. With a brief return to San Diego in August 1966, she was again in the western Pacific. November 1967 found her operating in the Tonkin Gulf, then, it was back to the West Coast from April 1968 until January 1969. En route to WestPac on 14 January 1969, she helped battle a fire aboard the carrier ENTERPRISE (CVAN 65). Exposed to flying shrapnel from exploding bombs, she came alongside the port quarter to train six fire hoses on the fire raging on the flight‑deck. The ship and crew were commended for their action. After spending some of her time in the Far East off Vietnam, she returned to San Diego in July 1969. Again on duty in WestPac on the night of 4 August 1970, the  ROGERS collided with  Singapore-bound tug SALLY B. in the South China Sea but reported no injuries. She continued alternating duty with the First Fleet and service in the Western Pacific into 1974. That year she changed her home port of Portland, Oregon’s Swan Island, where she became a part of DesRon 37, which included the  USS CARPENTER (DD‑825), USS EPPERSON (DD‑719), USS ORLECK (DD‑886), and USS WILTSIE (DD‑716). She operated out of Portland training reserves until 1980 when she was decommissioned and struck from the navy’s list on 1 October. The ROGERS was sold to South Korea on 25 July 1981 and finished her career in the Korean navy as the JEONG JU.

USS ROGERS DD-876 Ship History

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, April 2016

Rogers (DD-876) was laid down 3 June 1944 by Consolidated Steel Co., Orange, Tex.; launched 20 November 1944; sponsored by Mrs. J. E. Rogers, Sr.; and commissioned 26 March 1945, Comdr. C. B. Smiley in command.

Following shakedown off Guantanamo Bay, Rogers was converted to a picket ship at the Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Va. After further training in the Atlantic and Caribbean, Rogers transited the Panama Canal and touched at San Diego before reaching Pearl Harbor 4 August 1945.

With the termination of hostilities, Rogers departed Pearl Harbor 17 August for Tokyo Bay where she arrived 31 August via Eniwetok and Iwo Jima. On 1 September she stood out of Tokyo Bay to join a fast carrier task group and commence her routine duties as a member of the 7th Fleet. Through the decade she rotated to the Far East for duty with that fleet on a regular schedule, and in 1949 assisted in evacuating American nationals from China.

Rogers participated in the atomic bomb test in Eniwetok Atoll in 1948. On 18 March 1949, she was reclassified as a radar picket destroyer (DDR) after a height finder radar and more communication equipment had been added and her torpedo tubes had been removed.

During 1951 and 1952, Rogers served as a unit of Task Forces 77, 95, and 96 and participated in shore bombardment, blockading, and patrol missions in Korean waters. During this period Rogers also served as “lifeguard” destroyer for two Presidents: for President Truman’s flight to Wake Island for his conference with Gen. Douglas MacArthur in 1950 and for President-elect Eisenhower on his return from the Far East in 1952.

After fighting stopped in Korea, Rogers alternated west coast tours with WestPac deployment. In 1954, she helped in the evacuation of the Tachen Islands.

By 1960 Rogers had made over a dozen 6- to 9-month cruises to the Far East. After 1st Fleet operations off the west coast, Rogers again deployed in January 1962 to WestPac where she operated with carrier groups, on Formosa patrol, and participated in a major Allied amphibious exercise. Rogers returned to the 1st Fleet and on the evening of 12 November, successfully recovered one of Ticonderoga’s (CVA-14) pilots who has ejected from his plane into a dense fog off the coast of southern California.

In June 1963, after 18 years in the Pacific, Rogers departed San Diego for the east coast and FRAM I modernization at Charleston, S.C. On 30 July 1963 she was reclassified from DDR-876 to DD-876. In May 1964 she returned to the Pacific Fleet. Two years later she was operating off Vietnam. Returning to San Diego in August 1966, she operated with the 1st Fleet off the west coast of the United States until deploying again to the western Pacific in September 1967. In mid-November, she was operating in the Tonkin Gulf, and in April 1968 returned to Alameda, Calif.

Again operating off the west coast of the United States for the balance of the year, Rogers deployed to the Far East in January 1969. En route she earned the Meritorious Unit Commendation for action in Hawaiian waters on 14 January coming alongside the port quarter of Enterprise (CVA(N)-65) with six fire hoses trained on the raging flight-deck fire while exposed to flying shrapnel from exploding bombs. After spending some of her time in the Far East off Vietnam, she returned to San Diego 6 July.

After a year of operations with the First Fleet, Rogers sailed from San Diego for another Far East cruise. Following five months of service in the western Pacific, she returned to San Diego 16 December.

At the completion of another spring of west coast operations, Rogers headed back to WestPac, departing from San Diego 29 June 1972. She returned to San Diego 22 December and spent the next year on the Pacific coast of the United States engaged initially in normal operations. Later, in early April 1972, she entered Hunter’s Point Naval Shipyard for regular overhaul. Overhaul was completed by 28 August and she left Hunter’s Point for various trials and refresher training, which continued until mid-December. On the 18th, she sailed for Subic Bay, but had to return to San Diego three days later because of a medical emergency. She departed San Diego the same day, 21 December, and arrived in Subic Bay 29 January 1973. Returning to San Diego 12 June 1973, Rogers operated along the west coast into 1974.

Rogers decommissioned on 19 February 1981 and was struck from the navy list on 1 October 1980. Transferred to the Republic of Korea on 11 August 1981, the destroyer served as Jeong Ju (DD 925) until decommissioned 31 December 1999. The destroyer is reportedly now a museum ship at SapKoyohp National Sightseeing Resort, located at Dangjin-Gun, Chung Nam Province.

Rogers earned five battle stars for service in the Korean Conflict and three battle stars for Vietnam.