“The Top Gun of the Vietnam War” Served 3 Nations & Now Lets You Explore Its Battle-Scarred Decks

The USS Orleck (DD-886)

The USS Orleck knows how to keep things interesting. Born too late for World War II, she made up for it with decades of service across three navies, four countries, and countless storms.

Here’s the story of a destroyer that turned bad timing into an epic saga.

The Fighting Ship That Cheated Death

The USS Orleck took shape at Consolidated Steel in Orange, Texas, where workers began building her in November 1944. The Navy named her after Lieutenant Joseph Orleck, who died commanding the USS Nauset during the 1943 invasion of Salerno, Italy.

She was commissioned on September 15, 1945, just days after World War II ended. This powerful Gearing-class destroyer stretched 390 feet long, weighed 3,460 tons fully loaded, and could sprint at nearly 37 knots with her twin General Electric turbines.

For the next 53 years, she would fly two nations’ flags – 37 years as an American warship and another 16 as the Turkish TCG Yücetepe.

Korean War Baptism of Fire

In February 1951, Orleck sailed to Korean waters for her first combat mission, joining United Nations forces off Korea’s east coast. For months, she switched between protecting aircraft carriers with Task Force 77 and bombarding enemy positions with Task Force 95.

Her three twin 5-inch gun mounts pounded coastal targets with devastating accuracy. After training destroyer crews in San Diego, she returned to Korea in June 1952, arriving at Sasebo, Japan before rejoining Task Force 95 for blockade missions.

Her speed, agility, and crack gun crews would soon earn her a special place in naval history books.

Founder of the Train Busters Club

On July 15, 1952, while patrolling near Yang-do Island, Captain Yates hid Orleck in a coastal cove, running dark and silent through the night. When a North Korean supply train appeared between mountain tunnels, her gunners opened fire, demolishing the locomotive and cars in a stunning display of precision shooting.

Captain H.E. Baker, commander of Task Force 95, praised the achievement and created the “Train Busters Club” with Orleck as its first member, challenging other ships to match her.

The crew spotted train wheels creating sparks on mountain tracks, then timed their shots perfectly to hit a moving target miles inland in darkness – a remarkable feat that other ships soon copied.

A Second Train Smashed to Pieces

Just ten days after their first train kill, Captain Yates and his crew struck again, positioning Orleck in another hidden spot to ambush a second North Korean supply train. Each sailor received a “Royal Order of Train Smashers” certificate signed by Captain Kincaid on July 27, 1952, celebrating their astonishing gunnery skills.

Before leaving Korean waters, Orleck earned four battle stars spanning four major Korean War campaigns between 1951 and 1953. The ship’s train-busting tactics spread throughout the UN fleet, eventually leading to the destruction of 28 North Korean trains, cutting vital supply lines to enemy forces.

Cold War Guardian in the Pacific

After Korea, Orleck patrolled Western Pacific waters, often shadowing Soviet spy ships disguised as fishing trawlers but actually gathering intelligence on American naval operations. In May 1960, she joined Destroyer Squadron 3, becoming part of the first squadron based in Japan since before World War II, operating from Yokosuka.

From this forward position, she stood ready to respond to Cold War flashpoints, regularly patrolling the Taiwan Strait to prevent potential Chinese aggression.

In March 1948, she took part in nuclear tests at Eniwetok Atoll, where the Navy studied how well warships could withstand atomic blasts – a little-known chapter in her story.

Rebirth as a Modern Warship

In August 1962, Orleck returned for a major Fleet Rehabilitation And Modernization (FRAM I) upgrade at Long Beach Naval Shipyard, a transformation lasting until November 1963.

Workers replaced her World War II-era equipment with cutting-edge systems, including ASROC anti-submarine rockets and the revolutionary DASH drone helicopter – America’s first operational combat drone.

The Navy spent millions on the overhaul but saved compared to building new destroyers. Originally meant to extend her life by 8 years, the upgrades kept her sailing for nearly 20 more.

Though her profile changed dramatically with a helicopter pad and modified superstructure, she kept her heart and soul – her original hull number and impressive speed that made her such an effective fighting ship.

Space Age Hero

On June 7, 1965, Orleck helped recover the Gemini IV space capsule after its historic four-day mission featuring America’s first spacewalk.

The nation had watched astronauts James McDivitt and Edward White orbit Earth 66 times, with White spending 21 minutes floating in space, advancing America’s push toward the moon.

When the capsule splashed down in the Atlantic, Orleck stood ready to assist with recovery operations.

Vietnam’s Top Gun Destroyer

When the Vietnam War intensified, Orleck deployed to combat operations in June 1964, escorting aircraft carriers in the Gulf of Tonkin and patrolling the Taiwan Strait.

In 1965, she began providing shore bombardment during Operations Starlight and Piranha, followed by support for the “Dagger Thrust” amphibious operations.

Her guns fired more rounds supporting ground troops than any other destroyer – over 11,000 shells in a single campaign, generating such heat that her gun mounts needed replacement.

This exceptional performance earned her the title “Top Gun of the Seventh Fleet” and eventually 14 battle stars for Vietnam service, making her one of the most decorated warships of the conflict.

The Grey Ghost of the Vietnam Coast

Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces learned to fear Orleck’s silhouette as she patrolled coastal waters, earning the nickname “The Grey Ghost of the Vietnam Coast.”

She would blend into coastal shadows before suddenly appearing to deliver precision fire support to American and allied troops, often turning the tide of ground battles.

Her bombardment proved so effective at Vung Tau that American forces nicknamed the prominent hill “Orleck Mountain” after the ship that had silenced enemy positions there.

Between 1964 and 1973, she made 29 separate combat deployments to Vietnamese waters, participating in 14 of the 17 recognized Vietnam campaigns.

Guardian of Yankee Station

Between bombardment missions, Orleck protected aircraft carriers at “Yankee Station” in the Gulf of Tonkin, standing ready to rescue pilots who might crash during takeoffs or landings. She joined Operation Sea Dragon, intercepting North Vietnamese ships carrying weapons and supplies down the coast to Communist forces in South Vietnam.

During the massive 1968 Tet Offensive, she shifted to gunfire support near Vung Tau, providing crucial artillery support to ground forces facing the Communist assault.

By war’s end, she had earned the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, and Vietnam Service Medal along with her 14 battle stars.

Hollywood Star on Water

Between combat tours, Orleck found fame in Hollywood, playing a Japanese destroyer in the 1950 film “American Guerrilla in the Philippines” starring Tyrone Power and directed by Fritz Lang.

The movie, filmed just before the Korean War began, used American warships as stand-ins for Japanese vessels, despite some viewers noting American destroyers looked nothing like Imperial Japanese ships.

Years later, she appeared in the ABC mini-series “Winds of War” with Robert Mitchum, depicting World War II naval battles despite being commissioned just after that war ended.

Her clean lines and well-maintained appearance made her perfect for filmmakers seeking real naval vessels for historical productions, adding Hollywood credentials to her combat record.

Final American Years

By the 1970s, most similar destroyers had retired, but Orleck sailed on, becoming the last active FRAM destroyer in the Pacific Fleet. Under Commander Stephen Wise in 1970, she continued Vietnam operations while winning the Golden Anchor Award for her outstanding sailor retention program.

During her later years, she survived a powerful typhoon that nearly sank her, continuing her mission and cementing her reputation as “the ship that wouldn’t die.”

She finished her American career training Naval Reserve sailors in Tacoma, Washington before her October 1, 1982 decommissioning ceremony, when Captain Helmut Torok accepted her commissioning pennant for the final time.

New Life Under the Turkish Flag

After 37 years with the American Navy, Orleck transferred to Turkey and became TCG Yücetepe, continuing to serve a key NATO ally.

For 16 more years, she protected NATO’s southern flank during the Cold War and reportedly fought during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, adding another conflict to her record.

Turkish sailors maintained her with the same pride as their American counterparts until her final decommissioning on April 1, 1998, at Golcuk Naval Base, where her crew bid an emotional farewell.

Bob Orleck, nephew of her namesake, worked with Turkish naval officers including Commander Cem Gurdeniz to bring her back to the United States as a museum preserving both nations’ naval heritage.

Exploring the USS Orleck Today

Today, the USS Orleck stands as the centerpiece of Jacksonville Naval Museum in Florida, where visitors can walk her decks and imagine her five decades of naval service.

The museum features exciting interactive displays, including the Mount 52 Experience in the aft gun turret, where lights, sound effects, and video recreate a 1968 Vietnam combat mission with startling realism.

Other highlights include the Russian Submarine Encounter holographic display in the Combat Information Center, showing a Cold War confrontation; restored crew sleeping quarters; a rebuilt Vietnam-era DASH drone helicopter; and an amazing 8-foot radio-controlled model with moving gun turrets.

Visitors can also see military rifles, model aircraft carriers, a display honoring Lieutenant Joseph Orleck, and a tactical plotting board where they can try tracking aircraft the way Navy officers once did.

Visiting the USS Orleck

The USS Orleck is docked at 610 E Bay St in Jacksonville at the old shipyard Pier 1, just minutes from downtown. You can tour Wednesday through Friday (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.), Saturday (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.), and Sunday (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

The ship is closed Mondays, Tuesdays, and during Jaguars home games. Tickets range from $3-$15 depending on age and military status. Children under 5, active duty in uniform get in free.

Veterans and seniors pay $13, youth 6-17 pay $7. Plan about 90 minutes for a self-guided tour covering gun mounts, bridge, engine spaces, and crew areas.

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