C. Turner Joy

C. Turner Joy. USS C. Turner Joy (DD-951) was a Forrest Sherman-class destroyer of the United States Navy, named for Admiral Charles Turner Joy. Commissioned in 1959, the ship served prominently during the Cold War, with its most historically significant action occurring during the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964, a pivotal event that led to increased U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. After a career spanning over three decades, the destroyer was decommissioned in 1982 and is now preserved as a museum ship in Bremerton, Washington.

History

The keel for the future C. Turner Joy was laid down at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington in 1957. Following its commissioning ceremony in 1959, the destroyer joined the U.S. Pacific Fleet, conducting extensive training exercises and goodwill visits to ports across the Pacific Ocean. Its early service included deployments with the Seventh Fleet to the Western Pacific, operating near Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines. The ship and its crew participated in numerous fleet exercises designed to counter potential threats from the Soviet Navy and its allies during the height of the Cold War.

Gulf of Tonkin incident

On the night of August 4, 1964, C. Turner Joy, operating in company with the destroyer USS ''Maddox'', reported being under attack by North Vietnamese torpedo boats in the Gulf of Tonkin. This reported engagement, following an earlier clash involving Maddox on August 2, formed the basis of the Gulf of Tonkin incident. The crew reported radar and sonar contacts, sightings of torpedo wakes, and engaged in evasive maneuvers and defensive gunfire. President Lyndon B. Johnson cited these events when he asked the U.S. Congress for authority to increase military action, leading to the passage of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. This resolution served as the principal legal authorization for the escalation of the Vietnam War. Subsequent analysis and declassified documents have led many historians to conclude that the second attack on August 4 likely did not occur, stemming from confused sensor readings and anxious crew expectations during a stormy night.

Decommissioning and museum ship

Following the Vietnam War, C. Turner Joy continued its service with the Pacific Fleet, undergoing modernization and participating in further exercises throughout the 1970s. The destroyer was finally decommissioned at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in 1982 and was struck from the Naval Vessel Register the following year. Saved from the scrap yard, the ship was acquired by the Bremerton Historic Ships Association. After an extensive restoration, it was opened to the public as a museum ship in 1991, berthed permanently at the Bremerton Boardwalk adjacent to the Puget Sound Naval Museum. The ship serves as a memorial to Cold War naval service and a primary historical artifact related to the Gulf of Tonkin incident.

Specifications

As a member of the Forrest Sherman class, C. Turner Joy displaced approximately 4,050 tons at full load. Its propulsion plant consisted of four Babcock & Wilcox boilers feeding steam to two General Electric turbines, generating 70,000 shaft horsepower and enabling a top speed of over 32 knots. Its original armament included two 5"/54 caliber Mark 42 guns in single mounts, six 3"/50 caliber guns, and two Mark 32 torpedo tube mounts for anti-submarine torpedoes. Later in its career, the ship was modified under the Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization program, which included the removal of its 3-inch guns and the addition of a ASROC launcher and a DASH drone helicopter system.

Awards and recognition

Throughout its naval service, the crew of C. Turner Joy earned several unit awards and campaign medals. These included the Navy Unit Commendation for its actions during the Gulf of Tonkin incident. The ship and its sailors also received the Vietnam Service Medal with multiple campaign stars, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for other Cold War operations. Its preservation as a museum ship has been recognized by organizations like the Washington State Heritage Register, and it remains a focal point for veterans' events and naval history education in the Pacific Northwest.

Category:Forrest Sherman-class destroyers Category:Museum ships in Washington (state) Category:Cold War destroyers of the United States Category:Ships built in Washington (state)