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Navsource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive


Ship's patches courtesy of Mike Smolinski

USS O'Callahan (DE1051)


Flag Hoist / Radio Call Sign:
N - Z - K - I
Tactical Voice Radio Call: "Raintunnel"
Motto: Faithful and Brave      Nickname: Irish Song


Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row: Combat Action Ribbon
Second Row: Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation - Navy Battle "E" (2) - National Defense Service Medal w/star
Third Row: Vietnam Service Medal w/ 3 stars - Sea Service Deployment Ribbon w/ 4 stars - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal


Specifications:
Class: Garcia
Type: SCB No. 199A / 1961 - 1963
Number in Class: 10
Displacement: 2,620 tons (std), 3,400 tons (full)
Length: 390' 0" (wl), 414' 6" (oa)
Beam: 44' 0" (extreme)
Draft: 24' 0" (draft limit)
Propulsion: 2 Foster Wheeler 1200-psi boilers; 1 Westinghouse geared turbine; 35,000 shp; 1 shaft
Speed: 27 kts
Range: 4,000 nm @ 20 knots
Complement: 13 / 234
Guns: 2 - 5"/38 Mk30 Gun (2x1) (350 rounds)
ASW Weapons: 1 - Mk16 ASROC launcher (1x8) (16 missiles), 6 - 12.75" (324mm) Mk 32 torpedo tubes (2x3) / Mk 46 torpedos (18)
Radars: AN/SPS-10 (surface), AN/SPS-40 (air)
Sonars: AN/SQS-26AXR in DE 1040 - 1045, AN/SQS-26BX in DE 1047 - 1051
Fire Control Systems: Mk56 Mod 43 Gun FCS, Mk114 Mod 8/11 ASW FCS
Helicopter: 1 - SH-2 LAMPS Helicopter
O'Callahan (DE1051) Building and Operational Data:
  • 19 February 1964: Keel laid at the Defoe Shipbuilding Co., Bay City, Mich.
  • 20 October 1965: Launched and christened, sponsored by Sister Rose Marie O’Callahan of the Philippines Maryknoll College, sister of Chaplain O’Callahan and the first nun to sponsor a U.S. Navy ship
  • 13 July 1968: Commissioned at the Boston Naval Shipyard, Charlestown, Mass., Cmdr Robert L. Brown in command
  • 27 August 1968: O'Callahan arrives at her first homeport, San Diego, Cal.
  • 30 June 1975: Reclassified Frigate (FF1051)
  • 20 December 1988: Decommissioned at San Diego, Cal.
  • 8 February 1989: Leased to Pakistan, renamed PNS Aslat (F-267)
  • 14 November 1993: Stricken from the NVR
  • 11 December 1993: Returned to U.S. possession at Singapore
  • 29 March 1994: Sold to Trusha Investments Pte. Ltd. c/o Jacques Pierot, Jr. & Sons Inc., New York City, N.Y. for $602,100
    Click On Image
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    Size Image Description Contributed
    By And/Or Copyright
    O' Callahan 69k Joseph Timothy O'Callahan was born on 14 May 1905 at Boston, Mass. and joined the Jesuit Order of the Roman Catholic Church in 1922. After graduation from preparatory school, he subsequently received degrees from several institutions of higher learning. Ordained in 1934, he was a Professor of Mathematics, Philosophy and Physics at Boston College between 1929-37, Professor of Philosophy at the Jesuit Seminary of Weston College in 1937-38 and Director of the Mathematics Department at Holy Cross College, Worcester, Mass. in 1938-40.

    Father O'Callahan was commissioned as a Lieutenant (Junior Grade) in the Naval Reserve Chaplain Corps in August 1940. He was assigned to the Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Fla. in 1940-42, to the aircraft carrier Ranger in 1942-44 and to the Naval Air Stations at Alameda, Cal. and Pearl Harbor, Hi. into early 1945. Lcdr O'Callahan joined the the aircraft carrier Franklin in early March 1945. A few weeks later, when his ship was badly damaged by a Japanese air attack, he distinguished himself comforting the injured and leading damage control and ammunition jettisoning parties. The ship's Commanding Officer described O'Callahan as "the bravest man I ever saw". For his heroism on board Franklin, Lcdr O'Callahan was awarded the Medal of Honor.

    Promoted to the rank of Commander in July 1945, O'Callahan served at the Navy Department and at the Naval Training Station, Newport, R.I. until October 1945, when he reported on board the new aircraft carrier Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1946, he served as Escort Chaplain as the body of the late Philippines President Manuel Quezon was carried from the United States to Manila. Released from active duty in November 1946, Commander O'Callahan returned to Holy Cross College as Professor of Philosophy. Upon his retirement from the Naval Reserve in November 1953, he was advanced to the rank of Captain on the basis of his combat awards. Joseph O'Callahan died at Worcester, Mass. on 18 March 1964.

    USS O'Callahan (DE1051) was the first ship named in his honor.    (U.S. Navy photo #80-G-K-5003-B from the US Naval Historical Center)
    Navsource
    O' Callahan 53k date / location unknown -
    O' Callahan 92k date / location unknown Wendell R. McLaughlin, Jr.
    O' Callahan 60k August 1968: At sea off the Virginia Coast - en route to her homeport of San Diego, Cal. after being commissioned on 13 July 1968 in Boston, Mass.. This photo shows the USS O'Callahan (DE1051) in her original configuration, without the sliding hangar bay that was installed later, post 1972. Bill Scroggins GMG1
    O'Callahan 171k 1970: Subic Bay PI - O'Callahan, taken as she passed USS Niagara Falls (AFS3) while entering port. William P. Jones, M.D.
    former Medical Officer
    USS Niagara Falls AFS3
    O'Callahan 89k 1974 at Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    (Photos © Karsten Petersen)
    Karsten Petersen,
    Middelfart, Denmark
    O'Callahan 89k
    O'Callahan 153k 15 October 1982: At sea - Aerial port bow view of O'Callahan underway. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SN-85-07601 by PHAN Mellendorf from the Defense Visual Information Center) Navsource
    O'Callahan 199k 30 August 1988: San Diego, Cal. - Sailors man the rails of O'Callahan, the first ship in the Navy to honor Captain Joseph Timothy O'Callahan, as she passes Naval Air Station North Island as she returns to her homeport. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DNSC-04-09153 by PH2 Self from the DVIC) Bill Gonyo
    **Brooke / O'Callahan** 148k 8 February 1989: NavSta San Diego, Cal. - The Pakistani navy ships PNS Aslat (F-265), left, and PNS Khaibar (D-163) lay tied up at a pier following their commissioning. The Aslat and Khaibar, formerly the frigate O'Callahan and the guided missile frigate USS Brooke (FFG 1), respectively, are being leased to the government of Pakistan for five years. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DNST9003785 by PH1 Michael D.P. Flynn from the DVIC) Navsource

    O'Callahan Memorabilia
    Ship's Plaque
    O'Callahan
    Courtesy of
    Mike Smolinski
    Ship's Plaque
    O'Callahan
    Courtesy of
    Mike Smolinski
    O'Callahan Lighter
    O'Callahan
    Courtesy of
    Mike Smolinski
    O'Callahan Mug
    O'Callahan
    Courtesy of
    Mike Smolinski
    Decommissioning
    Booklet
    O'Callahan

    Courtesy of
    Robert M. Cieri

    View the USS O'Callahan (DE1051) DANFS history entry
    located on the Naval History and Heritage Command web site.

    O'Callahan's Commanding Officers
    Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves
    13 July 1968 - 12 December 1969      Cmdr. Robert L. Brown
    12 December 1969 - 13 May 1971   Cmdr. John Alfred Coiner
    13 May 1971 - 21 July 1972   Cmdr. Marvin Gilford Smith Jr.
    21 July 1972 - 18 January 1974   Cmdr. William Carl Dunham
    18 January 1974 - 06 October 1975   Cmdr. Fred Wilkin Bailey
    06 October 1975 - 11 October 1977   Cmdr. Clarence E. McRight Jr.
    11 October 1977 - 19 October 1979   Cmdr. Joseph Charles Strasser (later became Radm.)
    19 October 1979 - 10 October 1981   Cmdr. Robert Terrell Bunnell
    10 October 1981 - 15 July 1983   Cmdr. Frederick M. Frick
    15 July 1983 - 16 August 1985   Cmdr. Mark Chester Skoog
    16 August 1985 - 15 August 1987   Cmdr. Leslie Wilsdon Hewett
    15 August 1987 - 20 December 1988   Cmdr. Gary Werner Schnurrpusch

    Crew Contact And Reunion Information

    6th Reunion:
    4 - 8 August 2010 at the Opryland Best Western Suites, Nashville, Tenn.

    Contact Name: Joe Allen
    Telephone: (608) 289-1035
    E-mail: rascal68 at centurytel.net

    Note About Contacts

    Contact information is compiled from various sources over a period of time and may, or may not, be correct. Every effort has been
    made to list the newest contact. However, our entry is only as good as the latest information that's been sent to us. We list only
    a contact for the ship if one has been sent to us. We do NOT have crew lists or rosters available. Please see the Frequently Asked
    Questions section on Navsource's Main Page for that information.


    Additional Resources

    USS O'Callahan Association Web Site
    Destroyer Escort Sailors Association
    USS O'Callahan Page on Tin Can Sailors Shipmate Registry
    USS O'Callahan Page on Military.Com

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    Page Last Updated 5 September 2009