STATUS:
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Awarded: July 21, 1959
Laid down: May 1, 1961
Launched: May 19, 1962
Commissioned: June 13, 1963
Decommissioned: October 20, 1990
Fate: Stricken May 31, 1991; sold for scrap April 15, 1994
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Gustavus Conyngham
was born in County Donegal, Ireland, in 1747 (His date of birth has also been
cited as "circa 1744"). He moved across the Atlantic in 1763 to become
a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and later entered the shipping
profession. In the fall of 1775 he arrived in Holland to seek supplies for
the rebellious American colonies. When this mission was thwarted by British
diplomacy, Conyngham went to France and, in March 1777, obtained a commission
as Captain in the Continental Navy. Given command of the lugger Surprise (or
Surprize), he began a fruitful commerce raiding career by capturing two
British merchant vessels in the North Sea early in May and taking them to
Dunkirk.
Though the French soon returned his prizes and seized Surprise, Conyngham was
made captain of the cutter Revenge, in which he was to capture or destroy
more than sixty enemy merchantmen and a few privateers during an remarkably
productive cruise through the waters around the British Isles, off Spain and
in the Caribbean Sea between July 1777 and February 1779. After returning to
the United States, he undertook another voyage, but was captured and
imprisoned in England. Captain Conyngham managed to escape after several
attempts and, after reaching France, was briefly an officer of the
Continental Frigate Alliance. Recaptured again while sailing back to the
Colonies in mid-March 1780, he remained a prisoner until exchanged in June
1781.
Following the end of the Revolutionary War, Conyngham resumed his commercial
shipping career. He also began a long and frustrating effort to gain
Congressional recognition for his contributions to the struggle for American
independence. Conyngham's later martial involvement included command of an
armed brig in the Quasi-War with France and assisting with the defense of
Philadelphia during the War of 1812. He died at Philadelphia on 27 November
1819.
The U.S. Navy has named three destroyers in honor of Gustavus Conyngham,
including: Conyngham (Destroyer # 58, later DD-58) of 1916-1934; Conyngham
(DD-371) of 1936-1948; and Conyngham (DDG-17) of 1963-1994.
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The third Conyngham was built by the New York
Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, N.J., launched 19 May 1962; sponsored by Mrs.
Carl B. Albert, wife of Representative Albert of Oklahoma, House Majority
Leader, commissioned 13 July 1963, Commander Edwin P. Smith USN, in command.
During her 27 years of commissioned service, DDG 17 lived up to her
motto,"Ready to Serve." Her presence exerted a powerful influence
during times of crisis and helped maintain peace as a component of NATO
seapower throughout the Cold War period. CONYNGHAM made 15 Mediterranean
deployments, 3 to the Persian Gulf 7 to Northern Europe, and 11 to the
Carribbean. She distinguised herself during crises in Cyprus( 1964, 1974);
provided air cover for planes evacuating Americans from an insurrection in
Amman Jordan (1970); took part in contingency operations during the
Arab-Israeli Yom-Kipper War (1973); was the escort combatant during the
evacution of Americans from Beirut Lebanon (1976); and conducted Black Sea
Freedom of Navigation operations (1979).
During the 1980's CONYNGHAM continued to support United States foreign policy
when she served off the coast of Lybia(1982); was awarded the Navy
Expeditionary Medal for providing naval gunfire support to Marines stationed
in, and off the coast of Beirut Lebanon(1983) and monitored maritime traffic
off the coast of Nicaragua(1983). She sailed with the USS AMERICA CV 66
Battle Group in support of U.S. intervention forces in Granada (1983). While
deployed to the Caribbean, CONYNGHAM was credited with four interdictions and
was awarded the Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation Medal (1986).
Known throughout her history as the "Gus Boat" after her namesake
Gustavus Conyngham, USS CONYNGHAM continued superior preformance as she
escorted U.S. flag merchant shipping through the Persian Gulf during the
Iran-Iraq War in 1987. During the deployment she sortied from Bahrain on
short notice and provided assistance to USS STARK FFG 31 after she was hit by
two anti-ship missiles launched by an Iraqi F1. CONYNGHAM was awarded the
Navy Unit Commendation for her efforts in saving the crippled ship.
Recently, CONYNGHAM continued the "Gus Can Do" tradition during her
deployments to the Fjords of Norway And Northern Europe (1988); she completed
her 15th Mediterranean deployment and received her 4th Battle Efficiency
"E" in 1989. On May 8 1990, while conducting pre-deployment
operations off the coast of Virginia, CONYNGHAM met its greatest challange. A
major fuel oil fire erupted from the stops Forward Fire Room into the ships
superstructure, isolating the crew forward and aft, requiring an all hands
effort to extinguish it. During the mass conflagration, the Operations
Officer was killed and 18 men were injured. 79 crewmembers were honored in an
awards cermony recognizing the crew's heroism and damage control efforts in
saving the ship and returning her safely to port. In preparing for
decommissioning, she has continued to support the Fleet through the salvage
of her combat systems, and engineering components.
Decommissioned 20 Oct 1990 and stricken 31 May 1991, she was sold for scrap
by DRMS, 15 Apr 1994 and broken up by J&L Metals, Wilmington, NC during
1995.
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