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USS HENDERSON (DD-785)


Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign - NKRI

Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign (circa 1968) - LIFE BLOOD

CLASS - GEARING As Built.
Displacement 3460 Tons (Full), Dimensions, 390' 6"(oa) x 40' 10" x 14' 4" (Max)
Armament 6 x 5"/38AA (3x2), 12 x 40mm AA, 11 x 20mm AA, 10 x 21" tt.(2x5).
Machinery, 60,000 SHP; General Electric Geared Turbines, 2 screws
Speed, 36.8 Knots, Range 4500 NM@ 20 Knots, Crew 336.
Operational and Building Data
Laid down by Todd Shipyards, Seattle. October 27 1944.
Launched May 28 1945 and commissioned August 4 1945.
Completed FRAM upgrade April 1962.
Decommissioned and Stricken September 30 1980.
To Pakistan October 1 1980, renamed Tughril.
Renamed Nazim and transferred to MSA in 1998.
Fate Decommissioned by Pakistan in 2001.

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Size Image Description Contributed
By
Henderson 137kLofton R. Henderson (b. 24 May 1903, Lorain, Ohio - 4 June 1942) was a naval aviator in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. He was the commanding officer of VMSB-241 at the Battle of Midway and is recognized as the first Marine aviator to die during that battle while leading his squadron to attack the Japanese carrier forces. Henderson graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1926. Prior to World War II, he served in China, and various Caribbean stations, and on aircraft carriers Langley (CV-1), Ranger (CV-4), and Saratoga (CV-3). Major Henderson was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism at the historic Battle of Midway, one of the decisive battles of history in which the leadership of the fleet commander and the valor of a handful of pilots changed the course of the war. While his plane was leading 16 Marine Corps planes in a glide bombing attack on the aircraft carrier Hiryu, the left wing burst into flames as he began his final approach. Henderson continued the attack and perished as his plane dived toward the enemy carrier. Henderson Field on Guadalcanal was named in his honor.Bill Gonyo/CDR Robert E. Karas
Henderson 154kUndated, location unknown.-
Henderson 109kUndated postcard.Mike Smolinski
Henderson 51kUndated postcard.Mike Smolinski
Henderson 68kUndated, at Long Beach, CA.Richard Miller, BMCS, USNR (Ret.)
Henderson 129kUndated, location unknown. From ALL HANDS magazine dated August 1953.Ed Zajkowski
Henderson 142kAugust 1945, location unknown.Ed Zajkowski
Henderson 78kNovember 21 1946, location unknown.Ed Zajkowski
Henderson
0578542
1007kUSS Henderson (DD-785) passing under the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco Bay, circa 1946. Photo from the files of the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum.Darryl Baker
Henderson 68kSydney, Australia March 1947.Marc Piché
Henderson 137kUSS Leyte (CV-32) and the Gearing-class destroyer USS Henderson (DD-785) being refuelled off Korea between October 1950 and January 1951. USN photo. U.S. Navy Naval Aviation News October 1951.Robert Hurst
Henderson 63kFrom the January 1952 ALL HANDS magazine.Stanley Svec
Henderson 115kSan Diego, CA March 1953.Marc Piché
Henderson 100kMay 1960 in Hong Kong Harbor.LTJG Bill Anderson
Henderson 112kMare Island March 20 1962.Tracy White
Henderson 140kMare Island March 20 1962.Tracy White
Henderson 209kTench-class submarine USS Spinax (SS-489) underway during exercises, in 1964. The destroyer USS Henderson (DD-785) is visible in the background and a Sikorsky SH-3A Sea King of Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron HS-6 "Indians" is flying above Spinax. HS-6 was assigned to Carrier Anti-Submarine Air Group 53 (CVSG-53) aboard the aircraft carrier USS Kearsarge (CVS-33) for a deployment to the Western Pacific and Vietnam from 19 June to 16 December 1964. U.S. Navy photo from the USS Kearsarge (CVS-33) 1964 cruise book.Robert Hurst
Henderson
0578543
332kUSS Henderson (DD-785) approaching USS Ponchatoula (AO-148) from astern during a UNREP in the Western Pacific, 1965.
Photographed by RD3 Rick Lane aboard Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31).
Bob Canchola
Henderson 18kGearing-class destroyer USS Henderson (DD-785) underway in the Gulf of Tonkin, in 1971. Official U.S. Navy photograph from the USS Cochrane (DDG-21) 1971 Cruise Book.Robert Hurst
Henderson 159kRefueling at Midway in 1971.Richard Albright
Henderson 123kFishing at Midway in 1971.Richard Albright
Henderson 239kSunday BBQ in the South China Sea, 1971.Richard Albright
Henderson 178kSwim call in the South China Sea, 1971. Photo shows 1970 but should be 1971.Richard Albright
Henderson 165kResting in front of the Fire Control radar in the South China Sea, 1971.Richard Albright
Henderson 88kView from the USS Saratoga CV-60 of the Henderson alongside the USS Sacramento AOE-1 in 1972.John C. Driskill
Henderson 346kAn SH-3A Sea King of Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron (HS) 84 pictured during refueling from the USS Henderson (DD-785) during Pacific Ocean operations on 17 August 1975.
National Naval Aviation Museum, Photo No. NNAM.2011.113.414
Mike Green
Henderson 48kShip's patch.Mike Smolinski
Henderson 53kShip's patch.Mike Smolinski
Henderson 103kShip's patch.CDR Robert E. Karas
Henderson 152kShip's patch.CDR Robert E. Karas
Henderson 206kShip's patch with the ship.CDR Robert E. Karas
Henderson 47kShip's Zippo.Tommy Trampp
On Pakistani Service
Henderson 99kUndated, the Pakistani destroyer MSS Nizam (ex-Tughril), ex-USS Henderson, DD-785) at Karachi dockyard, getting some repair work done. She was operated by the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency usually patrolling the EEZ. Photo taken by Shayan Shaukat.Robert Hurst
Henderson 143kAs the Pakistani 167, October 1988.Marc Piché
Henderson 168kAs above.Marc Piché
Henderson 100kAs above.Marc Piché

USS HENDERSON DD-785 History
View This Vessels DANFS History entry located at the Naval History & Heritage Command website

Commanding Officers
Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves


CDR Halford A. Knoertzer    Aug 4 1945 - Oct 11 1946

CDR Claude Fenn Bailey    Oct 11 1946 - Jun 12 1948

CDR Thomas William Samuel    Jun 12 1946 - Apr 1 1950

CDR William Sidney Stewart    Apr 1 1950 - Jul 28 1951

CDR John Craig Matthews    Jul 28 1951 - Apr 16 1953

CDR Harlan Good Kirkpatrick    Apr 16 1953 - Jan 22 1955

CDR James Keith Williams    Jan 22 1955 - Nov 20 1956

CDR Benjamin Theodore Douglas    Nov 20 1956 - Apr 8 1958

CDR David Harrington Bagley    Apr 8 1958 - Jul 22 1959 (Later ADM)

CDR Robert Field Merrill    Jul 22 1959 - Jun 26 1961

CDR Joseph Baer Jr.    Jun 26 1961 - Feb 3 1962

CDR Julian Ezra Rawls    Feb 3 1962 - Jul 13 1963

CDR Donald Trisler Poe    Jul 13 1963 - Jan 22 1965 (Later RADM)

CDR Edward James Brown    Jan 22 1965 - Aug 24 1966

CDR James Sidle Elfelt    Aug 24 1966 - Nov 7 1967 (Later RADM)

CDR Paul Vincent Borlaug    Nov 7 1967 - Aug 6 1969

CDR Robert Allen Mesler    Aug 6 1969 - Jul 23 1970

CDR Robert Hayes Sullivan    Jul 23 1970 - Oct 22 1971

CDR Robert Edward Karas    Oct 22 1971 - Jun 29 1973

CDR William Mitchell Crowe Jr.    Jun 29 1973 - Jun 29 1976

CDR Glenn Evans Shrader    Jun 29 1976 - Oct 7 1978

CDR John Robert Siemer    Oct 7 1978 - Sep 30 1980


Crew Contact And Reunion Information

Contact Name: Bob Karas
Address:
Phone:
E-mail: Navyk@juno.com


Note About Contacts.

The contact listed, Was the contact at the time for this ship when located. If another person now is the contact, E-mail me and I will update this entry. These contacts are compiled from various sources over a long period of time and may or may not be correct. Every effort has been made to list the newest contact if more than one contact was found.


Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Tin Can Sailors Website
Destroyer History Foundation
Destroyers Online Website
Official U.S.Navy Destroyer Website

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This page was created by Fred Willishaw (ex ARG-4, AS-11 & DD-692) and is maintained by David L. Wright
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Last Updated 17 March 2024