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| No Photo Available | John Young ( 1740-1781) was a captain in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War, commander of the Saratoga which was lost at sea. He began his seafaring career at an early age in the colonial merchant marine and, at the start of the American Revolution, was commissioned 23rd on the list of captains in the Continental Navy. On 20 September 1776, the Continental Congress directed Young to take the sloop-of-war Independence to Martinique to protect American mercantile shipping in the West Indies. Collaterally, Independence was to raid British shipping whenever the opportunity arose. On 5 July 1777, Young was ordered to Nantes, France, and subsequently arrived at Lorient with two prizes. On 17 February 1778, while in French waters, he sailed through the French Fleet, saluting that nation's government with a 13-gun salute. In return he received a nine-gun salute, one of the earliest salutes rendered by the French government to the fledgling American government. At the time, John Paul Jones was on board Independence. Young returned to America in the spring of 1778 and successively commanded two Pennsylvania privateers, Buckskin and Impertinent, before he was given command of the sloop-of-war Saratoga - then fitting out at Philadelphia--in May 1780. Young took her to sea on 13 August 1780 and, in the course of the ship's first cruise, captured one prize before she returned to port for repairs and alterations. Subsequent cruises were more successful, as Young commanded Saratoga on three more sweeps at sea in which he took a total of eight more prizes. Young proved himself a daring and resourceful commander. On one occasion, he took Saratoga between two British ships and captured both. Largely as a result of his dedication and emphasis on training, Saratoga compiled a distinguished, but altogether brief, record before her untimely and unexplained loss. Saratoga set sail from Cap Francais, in what is now the Dominican Republic, on 15 March 1781. After taking a prize three days later, the sloop-of-war became separated from her later that day when a strong gale swept through the area, the high winds nearly swamping the prize commanded by Midshipman Penfield. After the storm passed by, Saratoga was nowhere to be seen, having vanished without a trace. The United States Navy named two ships, USS Young (DD-312), and USS John Young (DD-973) in his honor. | Bill Gonyo | ||
| 41k | Undated, location unknown. | - | |
| 78k | Undated, location unknown. | Jerry Hays | |
| 130k | Circa 1978, location unknown. Photo © Litton Ingalls. | Robert M. Cieri | |
| 56k | Singapore April 1981. | Marc Piché | |
| 71k | USS John Young (DD-973) in the Pacific on Ocean, 1 May 1981 immediately after firing its two 5-inch/54-caliber guns during a gunnery exercise. | Fred Weiss | |
| 83k | Pacific Ocean, May 1 1981: The Spruance class destroyer USS John Young (DD-973) immediately after firing its two 5-inch/54-caliber guns during a gunnery exercise. | Fred Weiss | |
| 121k | Pacific Ocean, May 1981. | Bill Gonyo | |
| 63k | Seattle July 1981. | Marc Piché | |
| 69k | Seattle July 1981. | Marc Piché | |
| 93k | DN-SC-86-00522. A radar technician aboard the Spruance class destroyer USS JOHN YOUNG (DD 973) tests logistics and support equipment for the ship's Mk-23 target acquisition system radar, January 1 1983. | Bill Gonyo | |
| 75k | Sydney, Australia March 1985. | Marc Piché | |
| 68k | Vancouver, BC August 7 1986. | Marc Piché | |
| 73k | Sydney, Australia March 1988. | Marc Piché | |
| 81k | Sydney, Australia March 1994. | Marc Piché | |
| 76k | Sydney, Australia April 1994. | Marc Piché | |
| 32k | Sydney, Australia April 1994. | Marc Piché | |
| 83k | 980209-N-4142G-004. US Navy Chief Gunners Mate M (Missiles) (GMMC) Jackie Staton inspects Tomahawk missile launch tubes aboard the destroyer USS JOHN YOUNG (DD 973). The JOHN YOUNG is deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch, 9 February 1998. Photo by PH2 Felix Garza. | Bill Gonyo | |
| 122k | DN-SD-00-03356, 980209-N-4142G-001. Gunners Mate 3rd Class Walter Vanderhorst loads projectiles into the 5-inch gun aboard the Spruance-class destroyer USS JOHN YOUNG (DD 973). The John Young is deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch. Photo by PH2 Felix Garza, February 1 1998. | Bill Gonyo | |
| 67k | Fremantle, Australia April 14 1998. | Marc Piché | |
| 72k | Longview, WA June 14 1999. | Marc Piché | |
| 98k | Longview, WA June 14 1999. | Marc Piché | |
| 59k | Portland, Oregon, June 11 2001. | Marc Piché | |
| 13k | This photo and the next 5 show the sinking of the John Young by a Mk-48 torpedo fired from the USS Pasadena (SSN 752) during SINKEX. The exercise took place in Hawaiian waters 13 April 04. | Tony Cowart | |
| 10k | As above. | Tony Cowart | |
| 9k | As above. | Tony Cowart | |
| 6k | As above. | Tony Cowart | |
| 12k | As above. | Tony Cowart | |
| 7k | As above. | Tony Cowart | |
| 78k | A series of 5 photos of the USS John Young (DD-973) being sunk during SINKEX as viewed through the periscope of the USS Pasadena (SSN-752). | Tom Bateman | |
| 91k | As above. | Tom Bateman | |
| 64k | As above. | Tom Bateman | |
| 74k | As above. | Tom Bateman | |
| 72k | As above. | Tom Bateman | |
| 77k | Ship's patch | Mike Smolinski | |
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