View source for USS Edson

{{Short description|Forrest Sherman-class destroyer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}

{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=USS Edson (DD-946) underway off Long Beach, California (USA), circa in the mid-1960s.jpg
|Ship caption=USS ''Edson'' (DD-946)
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1987}}
|Ship name=''Edson''
|Ship namesake=[[Merritt A. Edson]]
|Ship ordered=
|Ship awarded=27 January 1956
|Ship builder=[[Bath Iron Works]], Bath ME
|Ship original cost=
|Ship yard number=
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down=3 December 1956
|Ship launched=4 January 1958
|Ship sponsor=Mrs. M. A. Edson (widow)
|Ship christened=
|Ship completed=
|Ship acquired=31 October 1958
|Ship commissioned=7 November 1958
|Ship recommissioned=
|Ship decommissioned=15 December 1988
|Ship maiden voyage= 
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship renamed=
|Ship reclassified=
|Ship refit=
|Ship struck=31 January 1989
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship homeport=Long Beach, California, Newport, Rhode Island (1977-1988)
|Ship identification=NJRE (radio call sign)
|Ship motto=
|Ship nickname="Fast Eddie", "The Grey Ghost of the Vietnamese Coast"
|Ship honours=
|Ship honors=[[Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal]], [[Navy Unit Commendation]], [[Vietnam Service Medal]], [[National Defense Medal]], [[Combat Action Medal]], [[Meritorious Unit Commendation]], [[Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation (with Operational "O" device)]]
|Ship captured=
|Ship status=[[Museum ship]] at [[Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum]], [[Bay City, Michigan]] since 2013
|Ship fate=
|Ship notes=
|Ship badge=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class={{sclass|Forrest Sherman|destroyer}}
|Ship displacement=*2,800&nbsp;tons standard.
*4,050&nbsp;tons full load
|Ship length=*{{convert|407|ft|m|abbr=on}} waterline,
*{{convert|418|ft|m|abbr=on}} overall.
|Ship beam={{convert|45|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft={{convert|22|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship power=
|Ship propulsion=4 × {{convert|1200|psi|MPa|abbr=on}} [[Babcock & Wilcox]] [[boiler]]s, [[Worthington turbine|Worthington]] steam [[turbine]]s; {{convert|70,000|shp|abbr=on}}; 2 × shafts.
|Ship sail plan=
|Ship speed={{convert|32.5|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship range={{convert|4,500|nmi|abbr=on|lk=in}} at {{convert|20|kn}}
|Ship endurance=
|Ship complement=17 officers, 218 enlisted
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=*3 × [[5"/54 caliber Mark 42 gun|5 in (127 mm)/54 calibre dual purpose Mk 42 guns]]; (3x1)
*4 × [[3"/50 caliber gun|3 in (76 mm)/50 calibre Mark 33 anti-aircraft guns]] (2x2);
*2 × mark 10/11 [[Hedgehog (weapon)|Hedgehog]]s;
*6 × 12.75 in (324 mm) [[Mark 32 Surface Vessel Torpedo Tubes|Mark 32 torpedo tubes]]
|Ship armor=
|Ship aircraft=
|Ship aircraft facilities=
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox NRHP
 |embed=yes
 | name =USS ''Edson''
 | nrhp_type = nhl
 | image = 
 | caption = 
 | area =
 | location =  [[Bay City, Michigan]]
 | designated_nrhp_type = 21 June 1990<ref name="nhlsum"/>
 | added = 21 June 1990<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2007a}}</ref>
 | refnum=90000333
}}
|}
'''USS ''Edson'' (DD-946)''' is a {{sclass|Forrest Sherman|destroyer}}, formerly of the [[United States Navy]], built by [[Bath Iron Works]] in [[Maine]] in 1958.  Her [[home port]] was [[Naval Station Long Beach|Long Beach]], California and she initially served in the Western Pacific/Far East, operating particularly in the [[Taiwan Strait]] and off the coast of [[Vietnam]].  Her exceptionally meritorious service in 1964 in the [[Gulf of Tonkin]] was recognized with the first of three Navy Unit Commendations.  During the following years she was shelled by [[North Vietnamese]] land forces, and apparently received [[friendly fire]] from the [[US Air Force]].

Following an onboard fire in 1974, ''Edson'' returned to the West Pacific and was later commended for her roles in the evacuation of [[Phnom Penh]] and [[Saigon]].

She was decommissioned in 1988, but the following year became a [[museum ship]] at the [[Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum]] in [[New York City|New York]].  Returning to Navy lay-up in 2004, it was agreed in 2012 that she should again become a museum ship, at [[Bay City, Michigan]].  A [[National Historic Landmark]], she is one of only two surviving ''Forrest Sherman''-class destroyers, the other being the {{USS|Turner Joy}}.<ref name="nhlhom">{{cite web|url={{NHLS url|90000333}}|title=NHL nomination for USS Edson|publisher=National Park Service|access-date=30 March 2017}}</ref>

==Commissioning and initial service==
USS ''Edson'' was named for Major General [[Merritt A. Edson|Merritt "Red Mike" Edson]] [[United States Marine Corps|USMC]] (1897–1955), who was awarded the  [[Medal of Honor]] (while serving as [[Commanding Officer]] of the [[First Marine Raider Battalion]] on [[Guadalcanal]]) and the [[Navy Cross (United States)|Navy Cross]] and [[Silver Star]] for other actions in [[World War II]].

''Edson'' was laid down on 3 December 1956 by Bath Iron Works Corporation and launched on 4 January 1958, sponsored by Mrs. M. A. Edson, widow of General Edson; and [[ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 7 November 1958.<ref name=DANFS>{{cite DANFS |url= https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/e/edson.html |title= USS Edson}}</ref>

''Edson'' called at [[Ciudad Trujillo]] and [[Caribbean]] ports while conducting shakedown training en route to [[Callao]], Peru, where she lay from 18 to 21 February 1959 delivering supplies for the U.S. Embassy in [[Lima, Peru]]. She reached Naval Station Long Beach, California, her home port, on 2 March, and through the remainder of the year perfected her readiness with exercises along the west coast. On 5 January 1960, she sailed from Long Beach for her first deployment in the Far East, during which she patrolled in the [[Taiwan Straits]] and took part in amphibious operations off [[Okinawa Prefecture|Okinawa]], and exercises of various types off [[Japan]]. On 29 April, she rescued three aviators from {{USS|Ranger|CV-61|6}}, whose A-3D aircraft crash landed in the ocean.  ''Edson'' returned to Long Beach on 31 May for an [[wikt:overhaul|overhaul]] which continued through October.  ''Edson'' spent the remainder of 1960 conducting training off [[San Diego, California|San Diego]].<ref name=DANFS />
[[File:Bow of the USS Edson.JPG|left|thumb|The bow of USS ''Edson'' at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard]]

==WESTPAC deployments==
In June 1961 ''Edson'', together with the other ships of DESDIV 231, sailed to [[Portland, Oregon]], to represent the U.S. Navy at the annual Rose Festival. On 11 August 1961, ''Edson'' sailed from Long Beach harbor to start her second WESTPAC deployment. She spent three months in operations with the attack carriers USS ''Ranger'' and USS ''Ticonderoga'' and spent the month of December patrolling the straits between [[Taiwan]] and the mainland of Communist China.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

On Friday, 13 March 1964, ''Edson'' departed for her third WESTPAC deployment. After the transit, ''Edson'' began duties with the Taiwan Patrol Force, CTF 72. The end of May and the months of June and July 1964 were filled with carrier operations, Gunfire Support Training in the [[Philippines]], and operation LICTAS, a joint [[SEATO]] operation off the coast of the Philippines. August found ''Edson'' in the Gulf of Tonkin on special operations. It was here she was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for exceptionally meritorious service in support of operations in the Gulf of Tonkin during the period 2–5 August 1964. On her fifth deployment in 1967, she received a hit from a North Vietnamese shore battery while providing a naval gunfire support mission.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

''Edson'' served as plane guard for [[aircraft carrier]]s on [[Yankee Station]] in the [[Tonkin Gulf]], participated in [[Operation Sea Dragon (Vietnam War)|Sea Dragon]] operations, patrolled on search and rescue duties, and carried out [[Naval Gunfire Support]] missions during the [[Vietnam War]]. On 17 June 1968 she apparently took [[friendly fire]] from the [[US Air Force]], along with several other U.S. and [[Australia]]n ships.<ref>{{cite web
 | url= http://www.gunplot.net/vietnam/hobartvietnam.html
 | title= HMAS HOBART — attacked by US Airforce June 1968 Vietnam
 | access-date= 25 September 2007
}}</ref>

On 12 December 1974, ''Edson'' suffered a fire in the after fireroom while training with {{USS|Coral Sea|CV-43|6}}. The fire was caused by the ignition of oil which was spraying from a rupture in a lube oil gauge line. The area was secured and fire extinguished with no personnel casualties.<ref>{{cite book|author1=William Arkin|title=Naval accidents, 1945–1988 (Neptune papers)|date=1989|publisher=Institute for Policy Studies|asin= B0006EY0C4 |url= http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press/reports/naval-nuclear-accidents |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060605194633/http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press/reports/naval-nuclear-accidents |archive-date= 2006-06-05}} </ref>

In January 1975, after repairs in Hawaii, ''Edson'' continued on to WESTPAC and in April she participated in [[Operation Eagle Pull]] (evacuation of Phnom Penh, Cambodia) and [[Operation Frequent Wind]] (evacuation of Saigon, Vietnam), earning two Meritorious Unit Commendations.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

''Edson'' was decommissioned on 15 December 1988,<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.nvr.navy.mil/SHIPDETAILS/SHIPSDETAIL_DD_946.HTML |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161024160828/http://www.nvr.navy.mil/SHIPDETAILS/SHIPSDETAIL_DD_946.HTML |url-status= dead |archive-date= 24 October 2016 |title= Edson (DD 946)|website= NVR |access-date= 26 June 2024 }}</ref> and towed to the [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]] Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility for storage. At the time of her decommissioning, she was the last all-gun destroyer in the United States Navy.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

==Museum==
{{stack|[[File:USS Edson Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum NY 2003.jpg|right|thumb|alt=Grey warship looking up from the box end taken from the quay-side against a blue sky|USS ''Edson'' in 2003]]}}
''Edson'' served as a museum ship at the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum in New York City from 30 June 1989 to 14 June 2004 when she was replaced by a [[Concorde]] airliner. The ship was declared a [[National Historic Landmark]] in 1990.<ref name="nhlsum">{{cite web
 | url= http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=2092&ResourceType=Structure
 | title= USS Edson (Destroyer) | date= 14 September 2007
 | work= National Historic Landmark summary listing
 | publisher=National Park Service
 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141220101058/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=2092&ResourceType=Structure
 | archive-date= 20 December 2014
}}</ref><ref name="nrhpinv">{{cite web
 | url= {{NHLS url|id=90000333}} |author=James P. Delgado
 | title= USS Edson (DD-946) | date= 8 January 1990
 | publisher= National Park Service
}}</ref><ref name="nrhpphotos">{{cite web
 | url= {{NHLS url|id=90000333|photos=y}}
 | title=USS ''Edson'' (DD-946)--Accompanying 6 photos, exterior and interior, from 1966 and 1989
 | series= National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination
 | date= 8 January 1990 | publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>

In 2004 the ship was towed to the [[Brooklyn Navy Yard]], where hull repairs were completed, and then towed back to the Philadelphia Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility for storage. The [[Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum]] at Bay City, Michigan, and the Wisconsin Naval Ship Association at [[Sheboygan, Wisconsin]], both submitted applications to the [[Naval Sea Systems Command]] to relocate ''Edson'' and reinstate her as a museum ship in their respective locations. The Bay City proposal was successful.

The Navy declared USS ''Edson'' seaworthy on 17 July 2012 <ref>{{cite web|title=Navy declares USS Edson sea-worthy, destroyer to begin voyage to Saginaw River tomorrow|date=17 July 2012 |url=http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2012/07/navy_declares_uss_edson_sea-wo.html|publisher=Michigan Live LLC}}</ref> and she was cleared to begin her journey to Michigan on 18 July with arrival at the museum site on 7 August 2012. After roughly a year at a temporary mooring at Wirt Stone docks, she was floated up the Saginaw river to her permanent mooring site, and on Tuesday, 7 May 2013 at 15:01 hours, USS ''Edson'' arrived at her permanent mooring site in Bangor Township, Michigan, at {{Coord|43|36|50|N|83|52|8|W|display=title, inline}}.

==See also==
*[[List of National Historic Landmarks in Michigan]]
*[[National Register of Historic Places listings in Bay County, Michigan]]
*[[The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)]] episode "[[The Thirty-Fathom Grave]]" in which the ship makes appearances

== References ==
* {{DANFS|https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/e/edson.html}}
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|USS Edson (DD-946)}}

* {{navsource|05/946}}
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd946txt.htm hazegray.org: USS ''Edson'']
* [http://winavalshipassociation.com/ Wisconsin Naval Ship Association Inc.]
* [http://ussedson.org Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum]
* [http://navysite.de/dd/dd946.htm NavySite]

{{Forrest Sherman class destroyer}}
{{National Register of Historic Places}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Edson (DD-946)}}
[[Category:Forrest Sherman-class destroyers]]
[[Category:Cold War destroyers of the United States]]
[[Category:Vietnam War destroyers of the United States]]
[[Category:Museum ships in Michigan]]
[[Category:National Historic Landmarks in Michigan]]
[[Category:Bay City, Michigan]]
[[Category:Ships on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan]]
[[Category:1958 ships]]
[[Category:Military and war museums in Michigan]]
[[Category:Naval museums in the United States]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Bay County, Michigan]]