DD-984 - Tin Can Sailors

Hull Number: DD-984

Launch Date: 04/08/1978

Commissioned Date: 08/25/1979

Decommissioned Date: 03/27/1998

Call Sign: NFPD

Voice Call Sign: SPINNAKER

Class: SPRUANCE

SPRUANCE Class

Length Overall: 563’ 3"

Beam: 55’

Draft: 29'

Full Load Displacement: 8,040 tons

Armament:

Two 5″/54 caliber guns
Two 20mm Close-In Weapons Systems
One ASROC Launcher
Two 12.75″ triple anti-submarine torpedo tubes

Complement:

19 Officers
315 Enlisted

Propulsion:

4 General Electric LM2500 Gas Turbines: 80,000 horsepower

Highest speed on trials: 32.5 knots

Namesake: WILLIAM GROOM LEFTWICH, JR.

WILLIAM GROOM LEFTWICH, JR.

Wikipedia (as of 2024)

William Groom Leftwich Jr. (April 28, 1931 – November 18, 1970) was an officer of the United States Marine Corps who served during the Vietnam War. In 1970, he was killed in a helicopter crash during a combat mission in the Vietnam War.

William Leftwich was born on April 28, 1931, in Memphis, Tennessee, to William G. Leftwich, Sr. and Mattie Howard Scrape Leftwich. His father was a graduate of Sewanee, University of the South, a World War One veteran, and a stockbroker. Both his mother and father were from Aberdeen, Mississippi. A graduate of Central High School, he achieved the distinction of serving simultaneously as Class President, Governor of Boys State, Co-Captain of the football team, and commander of the JROTC unit. He was commissioned a second lieutenant on June 5, 1953, upon graduation from the United States Naval Academy. As Brigade Commander in his senior year at the Naval Academy, he was specially commended at graduation for exemplary officer-like qualities, which contributed “to the development of naval spirit and loyalty within the Brigade.”

Upon entering the Marine Corps, Leftwich completed The Basic School at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia in January 1954, and later served as a rifle platoon commander with the 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. During 1955–56, he served with the 3rd Marine Division on Okinawa. On his return to the United States, he was stationed at Camp Pendleton in California, where he was promoted to captain in July 1957. He then began a three-year assignment at the Naval Academy, serving as a company officer. An athlete himself, he also voluntarily performed collateral duty as assistant varsity tennis coach and battalion football coach.

In 1960, Leftwich rejoined the 2nd Marine Division, serving as a company commander until 1962 when he was named aide-de-camp to the Commanding General. In June 1963, he was assigned as aide to the Commander of Marine Corps Schools. He was promoted to major in July 1964. He later completed a course of study in the Vietnamese language prior to reporting for duty in Vietnam in January 1965 as Assistant Senior Advisor to the Vietnamese Marine Brigade.

Joining Task Force Alfa, Leftwich participated in 27 major operations against the Viet Cong in the central highlands of Vietnam, and spent more than 300 days in the field. He was wounded in the Battle of Hoai An on March 9, 1965, and awarded the Navy Cross and Purple Heart for extraordinary heroism. According to his citation, he “…played a major part in all phases of the successful relief of the village of Hoai An, which was under heavy enemy attack by two Viet Cong battalions… By his own personal example…, he led the attack… Despite injuries by enemy machine-gun bullets in the back, cheek and nose, he went to the aid of a mortally wounded comrade … and delayed his own evacuation until he could call for additional air strikes and brief the task force commander of the situation.”

Leftwich returned to the United States in January 1966, served as an instructor at The Basic School, then completed the Command and Staff College in June 1967 and was named to the Schools Honor List. Assigned to Headquarters Marine Corps, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel in November 1967 while serving as a systems analyst with the Manpower Management Information Branch, G-1 Division. He later became head of the Systems Analysis Section. In 1968, he was selected by the Under Secretary of the Navy to be his Special Assistant and Marine Corps Aide. He served in this capacity under Charles F. Baird and John W. Warner.

In April 1970, Leftwich began his second tour of duty in Vietnam, serving initially as the commander of 2nd Battalion 1st Marines. On September 13, he assumed duty as Commanding Officer of 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division.

Death

On November 18, 1970, during Operation Imperial Lake Leftwich was killed in a crash of an HMM-263 CH-46D helicopter during an emergency extraction of one of his reconnaissance teams. In accordance with his practice of accompanying every emergency extraction called for by his teams, he was serving as senior “extract officer” for such a mission on the day of his death. The team had incurred casualties and requested an emergency extraction from enemy-infested territory, in an area beginning to be enveloped by dense fog. The team was extracted under Leftwich’s personal supervision, then, as the helicopter began its ascent, it crashed into a mountainside in enemy territory, killing all aboard.^[1]

Disposition:

She was sunk as a target on 1 August 2003 at 22°48′47″N 160°34′00″W in the Pacific Ocean.

Ship History

USS LEFTWICH DD-984 Ship History

Wikipedia (as of 2024)

USS Leftwich (DD-984) was a Spruance-class destroyer built by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries at Pascagoula, Mississippi. She was named for Lieutenant Colonel William G. Leftwich, Jr.,^[1] USMC (1931–1970), commander of the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion who was killed in action during Operation Imperial Lake in Quảng Nam Province South Vietnam on 18 November 1970 in a helicopter crash during the extraction of one of his reconnaissance teams. For this action, Lieutenant Colonel Leftwich received the Silver Star. Lieutenant Colonel Leftwich’s medals and awards include: the Navy Cross, the Silver Star (posthumous), the Legion of Merit with Combat “V” and two gold stars, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal with one gold star, the Purple Heart with two gold stars, and various personal awards from the Republic of Vietnam.

Leftwich was laid down on 12 November 1976; and launched 8 April 1978; and commissioned 25 August 1979. The Commissioning speaker was the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Thomas B. Hayward, USN, who was a classmate of Bill Leftwich at the United States Naval Academy. Also in attendance at the Commissioning was H. Ross Perot, also a classmate of Lieutenant Colonel Leftwich. Both of Colonel Leftwich’s sons and his widow attended the commissioning as well.

Leftwich sailed from Pascagoula, MS the morning following the commissioning on 26 August 1979, en route via the Panama Canal for her homeport, Naval Station San Diego, from which she operated until March 1985.

On sailing, Hurricane David was threatening to make its way into the Gulf of Mexico, so shipping traffic on the transit to the Panama Canal was unusually light. Hurricane David did strike the Gulf coast, and was followed shortly after by Hurricane Frederic, which caused many ships at Ingalls Shipbuilding and Drydock to sortie into the hurricane.

The Leftwich made one of the fastest transits on record of the Panama Canal, making the passage without having to anchor. On sailing north in the Pacific Ocean, Leftwich found herself behind Hurricane Guillermo, which tracked along the western coast of Mexico, and then turned westward out into the Pacific, allowing the ship to arrive at her new homeport on schedule. While following the storm, Leftwich experienced 30 feet (9.1 m) waves.

In the few months after arrival in San Diego, CA, Leftwich conducted “Shakedown” training under the guidance of Fleet Training Group, Pacific, in the San Diego Operations Area (OPAREA). In January 1980, Leftwich returned to Litton Industries at Pascagoula, MS for Warranty repairs and a Post-Shakedown Availability, which included the installation of the NATO Sea Sparrow and Harpoon missile system.

On 29 November 1982 she collided with the submarine USS Thomas A. Edison (SSBN-610) approximately 40 miles (64 km) east of Subic Bay, Philippines. Both ships were conducting war games. Thomas A. Edison was at periscope depth when the collision occurred. Both ships suffered damage and returned to Subic Bay. Edison suffered damage to her sail, sail planes, and sonar dome. Leftwich suffered damage to her sonar dome, sonar dome “banjo” strut, and forward fuel storage tanks located in the forward hull. Two months later, Thomas A. Edison made a surface transit to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for decommissioning without the damage having been repaired.

In 1984, Leftwich suffered hull and sonar window damage due to high-speed operations in heavy seas during fleet exercises on her deployment to Indian Ocean/Western Pacific (WESTPAC 1984).

On 1 April 1985 Leftwich arrived at her new homeport of Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This remained her homeport for the rest of her career.

Leftwich, under the command of RADM (then Commander) Daniel Bowler, participated in Operation Nimble Archer on 19 October 1987. This was a response to Iran’s 16 October 1987 attack on the MV Sea Isle City, a reflagged Kuwaiti oil tanker at anchor off Kuwait, with a Silkworm missile.

Leftwich with Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 3 Detachment 5 embarked, arrived at Naval Station Pearl Harbor homeport. In 1990–91, under the command of Commander Patrick Garrett in support of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, the destroyer conducted more than 200 merchant ship interceptions and one boarding. She was one of the first ships to fire BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles during the conflict, and was the first combatant to conduct a wartime reload of Tomahawks for continued operations. With embarked helicopters and SEALs, she captured the first Iraqi territory repatriated in the war (an island off the coast of the al-Faw waterway), multiple enemy prisoners of war, and conducted 16 combat search and rescue cases. For her efforts in the Persian Gulf, The Leftwich and her crew were awarded the Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon and the Combat Action Ribbon.

During her career, Leftwich made eight deployments in the Western Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf. She participated in Operation Nimble Archer, Desert Shield, and Desert Storm as well as operations in support of UN sanctions against Iraq.

Leftwich was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 27 March 1998. She was sunk as a target on 1 August 2003 at

WikiMiniAtlas

22°48′47″N 160°34′00″W in the Pacific Ocean.

Awards, Medals, and Commendations for ship and/or crew: (needs more help) Sept 87 – Nov 87, Jan 97 – Mar 97, Apr 97 Three Armed Forces Expeditionary Medals, Jan 91 – Feb 91 Combat Action Ribbon, Jan 91 – Feb 91 Navy Unit Commendation, Jul 81- Sept 81 Navy Expeditionary Medal, Jan 88 – Jun 89 & Jan 91 – Dec 92 Two Battle Effectiveness Awards, National Defense Service Medal, Dec 90 – Mar 91 Southwest Asia Service Medal, 8 Sea Service Ribbons, Dec 97 – Dec 98 Chief of Naval Operations Letter of Commendation, Kuwait Liberation Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) 1990? Coast Guard Special Operations Ribbon (drug interdiction ops, relieved the Ingersoll)