History of the USS MULLINNIX DD-944

The FORREST SHERMANS

AND Then There Were ONLY 2...

L to R: USS Charles F Adams DDG-2, USS Forrest Sherman DD-931, and USS Edson DD-946 - May 2007
Courtesy MM3 Dale Schultz

Other than the USS Barry DD-933 (a Memorial ship at the Washington Navy Yard) and the USS Turner Joy DD-951 (a Memorial ship in Bremerton, Washington), there are only two (2) Forrest Sherman destroyers afloat today. They lay side-by-side, a memorial to a bygone era, in an ex-Navy shipyard (Philly) in the NE corner of our nation. Silently waiting for their next duty station. One has dodged the cutter's torches a number of times and may, just may, find a home in Maryland. The other, became a museum shortly after her decommissioning (15 Dec 1988) in our nation's largest city (New York). However, as luck would have it, she was replaced in 2004 by a French-designed supersonic jet that was deemed too expensive, too noisy, and simply absolute as a trans-Atlantic mode of transportation. Doesn’t seem right does it?

The USS Edson DD-946 still sports museum-quality paint and appears to be ready to engage an enemy. The Forrest Sherman DD-931 on the other hand, is faded to the color of the sea that she floats in. With her 5-in barrels cut of like Oklahoma shotguns and rust blooming like an explosion of spring flowers after a 2-in Nebraska rain, she is in dire need of the gentle arms of her Association.

And if it couldn’t get any sadder, these two proud ships lay next to the USS Charles F Adams DDG-2. Intended as a follow-on to the Forrest Sherman class destroyers the ship was originally designated as DD-952. Outwardly similar to the Sherman class, Charles F. Adams was the first U.S. Navy ship designed from the keel up to launch anti-aircraft missiles. With her steel, rather than aluminum superstructure, the years of been devastating. Since her decommissioning on 20 November 1992, giant rust worm-holes has literally eaten through her bulkheads. Simply put, she may not stay afloat much longer. As the last of her class AND the Mother-ship of that class, she deserves to be saved along with the Forrest Sherman and Edson.

Thanks to Muxmen Dale Schultz, we have a visual record of these mighty warships – the likes of which we'll never see again.

Pictures courtesy of MM3 Dale Schultz
Click on each picture to enlarge