USS Henry B. Wilson DDG 7 / Rear Admiral Henry Braid Wilson / Charles F. Adams class Guided Missile Destroyer – US Navy

	s e a f o r c e s – online				Naval Forces Technology, History & Information
Guided Missile Destroyer
DDG 7 - USS Henry B. Wilson
		USS Henry B. Wilson (DDG 7)						US Navy photo
Type, Class:		Guided Missile Destroyer; Charles F. Adams - class; planned as DD 957; built as DDG 7;
Builder:		Defoe Shipbuilding Co., Bay City, Michigan, USA
STATUS:		Awarded: March 28, 1957 Laid down: February 28, 1958 Launched: April 22, 1959 Commissioned: August 11, 1960 Decommissioned: December 2, 1989 Fate: Decommissioned 2 October 1989 and stricken 26 January 1990, she was berthed at San Francisco, CA until sold for conversion into a power barge, 20 June 1994. NVR shows contract terminated 22 Mar 1999 (to be resold). Sunk as a target: August 15, 2003 (Pacific);
Homeport:		-
Namesake:		Named after and in honor of Rear Admiral Henry B. Wilson (1861 – 1954); > see history, below;
Ship’s Motto:		> NON VERBIS SED RE <
Technical Data: (Measures, Propulsion, Armament, Aviation, etc.)		see: INFO >> Guided Missile Destroyer / Charles F. Adams – Class
Pictures, photos & more ...
Henry Braid Wilson
Photo credits: US Navy, US Naval Historical Center
Namesake & History:
Rear Admiral Henry Braid Wilson (February 23, 1861 – January 30, 1954):
Henry Braid Wilson Jr. was born on Mount Vernon Street in Camden NJ on February 23, 1861 to Henry Braid Wilson Sr. and his wife Mary Ann. His father was a prominent citizen in Camden NJ, a successful businessman who served on City Council, on the the Commission of Public Instruction, the precursor of the city Board of Education, and as Postmaster for Camden at different times. Henry Wilson Jr. enrolled at the United States Naval Academy at the age of 15, and graduated in 1881. He soon began his illustrious Navy career, first as a training officer for apprentices, then serving in the West Indies, Bering Sea, Pacific Ocean and the Great Lakes. Wilson saw action in the Spanish-American War as a lieutenant, and was "highly commended for coolness and bravery," says a newspaper account. In 1916, he was assigned to the command of the USS Pennsylvania, flagship of the commander-in-chief of the Atlantic Fleet.  In April of 1917, when America entered World War I, he was made commander of the American fleet in French waters by the First World War. Admiral Wilson convoyed troops and supplies to France during the war without the loss of a single life.  For his "outstanding wartime services, Admiral Wilson was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor of France, Commander of the Order of St. Maurice and St. Lazarus of Italy and the Grand Official of the Military Order of Avia of Portugal," the newspaper account says. In 1919, Wilson was given command of the Atlantic Fleet.  In April 1919, Camden welcomed Admiral Henry B. Wilson to the city with receptions, motorcades, planked shad dinner, and a reception at the Third Regiment Armory. Prosecutor Charles A. Wolverton, later a 16 term Congressman from Camden, addressed the banquet gathering. "It was a Camden officer, in the person of Admiral Wilson, who taught the Kaiser and his war lords that there is no such word as 'impossible' to be found in all the historic records of the American Navy." Admiral Wilson served as the commandant of the United States Naval Academy from 1921 through 1925. His final rank was that of Rear Admiral. He retired, first to Caifornia, and then to New York.  In November of 1929 he again returned to Camden, for the Armistice Day celebration. It was then when the newly constructed Bridge Boulevard, which ran from the Delaware River Bridge to the Airport Circle in Pennsauken, was renamed the Admiral Wilson Boulevard. Admiral Wilson and his wife Ada were living in Philadelphia PA at the time of the 1930 census. He passed away on January 30, 1954.
USS Henry B. Wilson (DDG 7):
Originally projected as DD-957, redesignated DDG prior to construction. Henry B. Wilson (DDG-7) was laid down 28 February 1958, launched 22 April 1959 by Defoe Shipbuilding Co., Bay City, Mich.; sponsored by Mrs. Patrick J. Hurley, daughter of Admiral Wilson; and commissioned 17 December 1960, Comdr. L. D. Caney in command. One of a new class of destroyers built from the keel up to fire guided missiles, Henry B. Wilson was the first ship of her size to be side-launched and when launched was the largest warship ever constructed on the Great Lakes. Because of these unique circumstances, she was christened not with the traditional champagne but with a bottle filled with water from the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River, and the Atlantic Ocean. Following shakedown in the Caribbean she arrived in early May 1961 at her new home port, San Diego. During the months that followed Henry B. Wilson conducted tests and drills of her missile systems, fleet exercises, and type training. The guided missile destroyer sailed 6 January 1962 for duty in the Western Pacific, the first ship in that region to be armed with Tartar missiles. Stopping at Pearl Harbor and Yokosuka, she carried out antisubmarine exercises until returning to the United States 19 July 1962. Training off the California coast, punctuated with several missile firings, occupied Henry B Wilson until 17 October 1963, when she sailed with carrier Kitty Hawk for duty with 7th Fleet in the Western Pacific. During the next 5 months she operated as part of America's mobil peacekeeping fleet between Japan and the Philippines. After returning to San Diego 16 April 1964, she resumed ASW and fire support operations. Herry B. Wilson sailed on her third deployment to the Far East 4 June 1965. Arriving Subic Bay, Luzon, 21 June, she became flagship for Destroyer Squadron 21, then began rescue and air defense picket duty in the Gulf of Tonkin 31 July, along with shore bombardment support. As escort for Midway ( CV-41), she departed Subic Bay 7 November and arrived San Diego the 24th. After a year's operation off the West Coast, Henry B. Wilson departed San Diego for the Far East 5 November 1966. She resume picket duty off Vietnam 23 December. During the first 3 months of 1967 she cruised the South China Sea and Gulf of Tonkin, performing search and rescue missions and pounding enemy coastal positions in support of ground operations. She returned to San Diego early in May. Into mid-1967 she continued to maintain the peak readiness of her crew and equipment for whatever task the defense of the Nation and the free world might demand. Decommissioned 2 October 1989 and stricken 26 January 1990, she was berthed at San Francisco CA until sold for conversion into a power barge, 20 June 1994. NVR shows contract terminated 22 Mar 1999 (to be resold). ex-DDG 6 spent the next years berthed at Benecia, CA, as part of the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet before she was towed to Mare Island in preparation for her SINKEX. Finally sunk as a target; Date: 15. August 2003 Location: 031° 33' 00.0" North, 119° 53' 00.0" West Depth: 1336 fathoms 129 Miles off San Diego
… and patches …
>> seaforces.org