DD-950 Site: Ship Info

Created By:		Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging on December 20 1956.

Stricken:		February 7^th, 1990

Keel Laid:		December 20^th, 1956

Launched:		September 24^th, 1957

Class:		Forrest Sherman

Commissioned:		February 5^th, 1959.

Overall Length:		418 Feet & 6 inches

Maximum Navigational Draft:		22 Feet

Beam:		45 Feet

Displacement:		4,000 Tons

Propulsion:		Steam Turbines

Speed:		In excess of 30 knots

Decommissioned:		February 28^th, 1970

Recommissioned:		January 15^th, 1971

Sunk:		Sunk as a target ship off the coast of Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands on May 12^th, 1997. Elaboration: The "FIGHTIN' TOTEMS" flew two P-3's to Barbers Point and participated in a CTF-12 SINKEX combined operation consisting of various naval surface and air assets off the coast of Kauai. The SINKEX involved two P-3s from VP-69, helo detachments, VPs-1, 4 & 47, and a four-ship Canadian Task Group. The excercise involved firing and delivering assorted missiles and bombs "on target" which was a de-commissioned U.S. Naval Destroyer, EX-USS EDWARDS (DD-950). VP-69's aircrew, piloted by Mission Commander LCDR Mike Sheedy, Co-Piloted by LCDR Mike Stinson, and led by Tactical Coordinator LCDR Joe Engman, fired a live air to surface missile (HARPOON) at the target, which resulted in a perfect center hull hit.

Recorded Events:		Pacific 10/19/74: The USS Richard S. Edwards (DD-950) experiences one-foot deep flooding in the fire room while in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The water is pumped out. Pacific 11/24/75: An ASROC motor prematurely ignites seriously burning one man while the USS Richard S. Edwards (DD-950) is en-route to the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Barking Sands, Kauai, from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. A manufacturing defect in one of the rocketmotor components is determined to be the accident's cause. Not until mid-September did American leaders authorize another Desoto Patrol into the gulf. On the 17th and 18th, Morton (DD-948) and Richard S. Edwards (DD-950) cruised along a track no closer than 20 miles to the North Vietnamese mainland without incident. On the night of September 18, 1964 however, both destroyers opened fire on what their crews believed were attacking high-speed surface vessels. While a subsequent naval investigation concluded that at least one unidentified, hostile-acting fast craft was in the area, the validity of an attack was called into question by the lack of firm evidence. Following this incident, never again were Desoto Patrols conducted in the Gulf of Tonkin. Thus, from a military standpoint, the naval actions in August initiated a temporary downturn rather than an escalation in the Southeast Asian crisis. In May have 1966, the Edward's was caught in the Tonkin Gulf by the ravages of Typhoon Kitt. This storm caused extensive property damage; all lifelines, whaleboat, Captain's gig, bridge windows, both stacks and the portside waterbreak. When the portside waterbreak collapsed, SN Louis Garcia was standing behind it. Due to the heavy weather and SN Garcia's injuries, nothing more could be done for him and he died on May 26, 1966. The Edwards limped into Subic Bay for repairs. Commander James Owens dedicated the Westpac 66 Cruise Book to SN Garcia.