This Destroyer Entered World History Books After a Disputed Battle with Vietnamese Torpedo Boats in 1964

The USS Turner Joy (DD-951)

The USS Turner Joy (DD-951) was the final Forrest Sherman-class destroyer built for the US Navy. In August 1964, she found herself at the center of world events off Vietnam’s coast. That night in dark waters would change everything.

Today, this battle tested destroyer rests in Washington, still carrying the weight of history in its steel bones.

Here’s the tale of a warship that changed the course of America’s longest war.

Flagship Duties in the Pacific

From day one, Turner Joy served as flagship for both Destroyer Squadron 13 and Destroyer Division 131. Her crew consisted of 17 officers and 275 sailors, operating from Long Beach, California alongside the carrier USS Hornet in anti-submarine warfare.

In July 1960, she patrolled the Taiwan Strait during tense times when China shelled Quemoy and Matsu islands during President Eisenhower’s Taiwan visit.

Before Vietnam, she completed goodwill cruises to Latin America, stood air-sea rescue duty for presidential flights, and ran countless fleet exercises that seasoned her crew.

Heading to Vietnamese Waters

On March 13, 1964, Turner Joy left Long Beach for what would become her most famous Far East deployment. After routine operations with the Kitty Hawk carrier group, by late July she joined the USS Ticonderoga task group running “watch dog” patrols off Vietnam.

These DESOTO missions gathered intelligence on North Vietnamese communications, often sailing close to territorial waters to monitor military activities.

When USS Maddox reported torpedo boat attacks on August 2, Turner Joy rushed to help, arriving after the brief fight had ended.

The Attack That (Allegedly) Never Was

On August 4, 1964, both ships were sailing through rough seas and poor visibility when their radar screens lit up with what looked like fast-moving vessels closing in.

Turner Joy’s crew spotted what they believed were one or two torpedo wakes in the water, prompting the ship to speed up, zigzag to evade, and open fire with her 5-inch guns.

During the three-hour battle, Turner Joy fired 220 five-inch shells at radar blips that kept appearing and disappearing on their screens.

The ships reported sinking at least two enemy boats and damaging others, though search planes found no debris, oil slicks, or other evidence the next day.

The Controversy Aftermath

Captain John Herrick later questioned the incident, suggesting “freak weather effects on radar and overeager sonar men” might explain the many contacts they tracked.

The Gulf of Tonkin is famous for creating false radar echoes called “Tonkin Ghosts,” which combined with high tension after the August 2 attack may have led to misreading sensor data.

In 1995, Vietnam’s former Defense Minister Vo Nguyen Giap admitted to the August 2 attack but denied any August 4 engagement, though Turner Joy sailors stayed convinced they fought real enemies.

This controversy continues, with declassified documents pointing to intelligence errors, while some veterans and historians still argue a real attack happened that night.

How Naval Gunfire Won Battles

After returning to Long Beach on October 2, 1964, Turner Joy underwent a three-month overhaul before deploying again to Vietnam in July 1965. On September 23, she entered the Gulf of Thailand to provide some of the first naval gunfire support along Vietnam’s western coast.

During operations near Chu Lai on September 25, her guns knocked out enemy positions and helped stop a Viet Cong attack, though tragedy struck when a 5-inch shell exploded while being cleared, killing three sailors and wounding three others.

This accident damaged a gun mount and forced her temporary withdrawal to Subic Bay for repairs before she returned to the fight.

Nine Battle Stars for Vietnam

Between 1964 and 1973, Turner Joy earned nine battle stars while providing naval gunfire support across all four tactical zones of South Vietnam.

She patrolled North Vietnam’s coast during Operation Sea Dragon, hunting enemy supply boats while dodging shore batteries and torpedo boat threats.

In April 1967, North Vietnamese shore guns hit the ship, causing minor damage but no casualties among her determined crew. By 1971, despite years of hard service, she was still on the gunline, now using Forward Looking Infrared Radar to find and hit targets day or night.

The War’s Final Naval Shot

The Paris Peace Accords set a ceasefire for 8:00 AM local time on January 28, 1973. Just before the deadline, Turner Joy was supporting US Marines under attack along the western DMZ.

At 7:59:15, she fired at a North Vietnamese ammo bunker 16 kilometers inland, with the shell taking 45 seconds to hit its target just before 8:00. This final round bookended America’s Vietnam involvement—the ship that witnessed the war’s beginning also fired the Navy’s last shot.

Sailing Through the Cold War

After Vietnam, Turner Joy continued Pacific Fleet service, deploying to the Western Pacific and as far as the Arabian Sea. During 1975-76, she trained with British, Iranian, and Pakistani navies, showing America’s growing military interest in the Middle East.

In 1978, she received a major overhaul at Long Beach Naval Shipyard to fix chronic propulsion problems that plagued ships in her class.

By 1980, though older than many fleet destroyers, she remained active in both 3rd and 7th Fleets, patrolling from California to the South China Sea.

From Warship to Museum

After 23 years and over a million nautical miles, USS Turner Joy was decommissioned on November 22, 1982, at Naval Station San Diego. While sister ships became target practice or scrap metal, Turner Joy found new life when the Bremerton Historic Ships Association saved her in 1988.

After extensive restoration to her Vietnam War appearance, she opened as a museum ship in 1992 in Bremerton, Washington. Today she’s one of just two preserved Forrest Sherman-class destroyers, giving visitors a rare look at these important Cold War naval vessels.

Walking Through Naval History

Today’s museum offers self-guided tours through nearly every compartment of this beautifully maintained destroyer, from bridge to engine rooms. A special POW/MIA Memorial room honors American service members captured or missing during the Vietnam War.

The ship hosts educational STEM programs created by the Naval Academy for students in grades 3-8, using the vessel to teach science, technology, engineering, and math.

Some visitors report strange occurrences aboard ship, especially near the aft gun turret where three sailors died in 1965, leading to ghost tours that have recorded unexplained voices and other phenomena.

Plan Your Destroyer Adventure

The ship sits at 300 Washington Beach Avenue in Bremerton, just a five-minute walk from the ferry terminal, making it an easy day trip from Seattle.

Open year-round except major holidays, hours run 10 AM to 5 PM daily from March through October, and 10 AM to 4 PM Wednesday through Sunday from November through February.

Special programs include scout group overnights, event space rentals, and discounted admission for active military personnel, their dependents, and Tin Can Sailors members.

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