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Navsource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive

Ship's patches courtesy of Mike Smolinski

USS Valdez (DE 1096)

Flag Hoist / Radio Call Sign:
N - I - D - C

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row: Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (2)
Second Row: National Defense Service Medal w/ 1 star - Sea Service Deployment Ribbon - CG Special Operations Service Ribbon

Specifications:
Class: Knox
Type: SCB No. 64 / 199C
Displacement: 3020 tons (std), 4065 tons (full)
Length: 415' (wl), 438' (oa)
Beam: 46' 9" (extreme)
Draft: 15' 0" (draft limit)
Propulsion: 2 Combustion Engineering 1200psi boilers; 1 Westinghouse geared turbine; 35,000 shp; 1 shaft
Speed: 27 kts
Range: 4,500 nm @ 20 knots
Armament: 1 x 5"/54 Mk 42 (600 rds), 1 Mk16 ASROC launcher (16 missiles), 4-12.75" (324mm) Mk 32 (4x1 fixed) tubes / Mk 46 torpedos (6)
Complement: 13 / 211
Radars: AN/SPS-10 (surface), AN/SPS-40 (air), AN/SPS-58 threat warning in some ships
Sonars: AN/SQS-26CX, AN/SQS-35 IVDS in FF-1052, 1056, 1063-1071, 1073-1076, 1078-1097
Fire Control Systems: Mk68 Gun FCS, Mk114 Underwater Battery FCS

Valdez (DE 1096) Building and Operational Data:

30 June 1972; Keel laid at the Avondale Shipyards, Westwego LA

24 March 1973; Launched and christened, sponsored by Mrs. Manuelita Valdez, the mother of Hospitalman Third Class Valdez

27 July 1974; Commissioned at Charleston SC, Cdr. Joe D. Peden in command

30 June 1975; Reclassified Frigate (FF 1096)

14 August 1982; Assigned to Naval Reserve Force, Atlantic, at Newport RI

15 December 1991; Decommissioned

11 January 1995; Stricken

29 April 1998; Leased to Taiwan, renamed ROCS Ki Yang (FF-939), arrived Taiwan 4 October 1999, Commissioned 18 October 1999, still in service

Size	Image Description	Contributed By And/Or Copyright
94k	date / location unknown	Dave Oliveria
89k	date / location unknown	Kyle Grace
191k	date / location unknown (size and coloring variation of 0602109603, the above photo)	John Klar
63k	date / location unknown	Robert Hurst
149k	date / location unknown	John Klar
121k	date / location unknown	John Klar
15k	11 January 1976: on a port visit to Mahe Island, Seychelles	Douglas H. Cable STG2
63k	1 April 1977: At Barcelona, Spain, as she appeared early in her career , with no weapons on her fantail (she was never fitted with Sea Sparrow BPDMS and had not yet received Phalanx CIWS) and the original bow; on the other hand, she had been modified to operate the LAMPS-I manned helicopter. The class' distinctive "mack" supported the main air- and surface-search radar antennas, as well as radome-enclosed ESM receivers.	Fabio Peña
239k	16 May 1980: USS Valdez off the Virginia coast. (Photo courtesy of © Atlantic Fleet Sales)	Bill Gonyo
157k	24 June 1982: In the Mediterranean - A port bow view of Valdez underway. The Valdez, part of Task Group 6, is taking part in the transfer of Americans and third nation personnel from Juniyah, Lebanon, to Larnaca, Cyprus. (US Navy photo, DVID #DNSN8208216 from the Defense Visual Information Center)	Navsource
198k	25 April 1987: Norfolk VA - Two yard patrol craft and A port view of the frigate USS Valdez (FF 1096) moored at a pier. The amphibious assault ship USS Guadalcanal (LPH 7) is behind Valdez. (US Navy photo DVID #DN-ST-87-06373 by Don S. Montgomery (USN, ret.) from the DVIC)
154k	19 August 1991: Newport RI - Two yard patrol craft and Valdez ride out the high winds and heavy seas as Hurricane Bob passes through the area. The yard patrol craft YP-697 is at right. (US Navy photo, DVID #DNSN9204160 from the DVIC)
192k	October 1993: Philadelphia NSY - *Valdez* and *Patterson* (FF 1061) at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility. Photo taken from the deck of *Salem* (CA 139). (Photo by Ed Zajkowski)	Ed Zajkowski

Valdez Memorabilia
Welcome Aboard Pamphlet - early 1980's Courtesy of William F. Fessenden

View the USS Valdez (DE 1096), DANFS history entry
located on the US Naval Historical Center web site.

Valdez's Commanding Officers
Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves

27 Jul 1974 - 05 Jun 1976		Cmdr. Joe Dean Peden
05 Jun 1976 - 27 Jul 1978		Cmdr. Kenneth C., Jacobsen
27 Jul 1978 - 22 Aug 1980		Cmdr. Harry James Franklin Korrell Jr.
22 Aug 1980 - 02 Oct 1982		Cmdr. Michael Francis Landers
02 Oct 1982 - 14 Jul 1984		Cmdr. John Thomas Zohlen
14 Jul 1984 - 06 Sep 1986		Cmdr. Lawrence T. Wagenseil
06 Sep 1986 - 14 Dec 1988		Cmdr. Richard A. Erwin
14 Dec 1988 - 08 Dec 1990		Cmdr. William Augustine Nurthen
08 Dec 1990 - 27 Nov 1991		Cmdr. David K. Meier
27 Nov 1991 - 16 Dec 1991		Cmdr. Mark Morgan Borchers

Crew Contact And Reunion Information

None

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

Destroyer Escort Sailors Association
USS Valdez Page on Destroyers Online
USS Valdez Page on Military.Com
USS Valdez Page on Navysite

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Page Last Updated 24 January 2009