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NavSource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive

Ship's patches courtesy of Mike Smolinski

USS Thomas J. Gary (DE-326)

Flag Hoist / Radio Call Sign:
N - T - J - G
Tactical Voice Radio Call: "Trout Fishing"

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row: Navy Unit Commendation w/ 1 star - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - Navy Expeditionary Medal
Second Row: American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row: National Defense Service Medal - Antarctic Service Medal w/ 1 star - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

Class: Edsall      Type: FMR (geared diesel, Fairbanks-Morse reverse gear drive, 3" guns)
Displacement: 1,200 tons (std) 1,590 tons (full)   Dimensions: 306' (oa), 300' (wl) x 36' 10" x 12' 3" (max)
Armament: 3 x 3"/50 Mk22 (1x3), 1 twin 40mm Mk1 AA, 8 x 20mm Mk 4 AA, 3 x 21" Mk15 TT (3x1),
1 Hedgehog Projector Mk10 (144 rounds), 8 Mk6 depth charge projectors, 2 Mk9 depth charge tracks
Machinery: 4 Fairbanks-Morse Mod. 38d81/8 geared diesel engines, 4 diesel-generators, 6000 shp, 2 screws
Speed: 21 knots   Range: 9,100 nm @ 12 knots   Crew: 8 / 201

Operational and Building Data
Laid down by Consolidated Steel, Orange TX on 15 June 1943, Launched 21 August 1943
Commissioned 27 November 1943, Decommissioned 7 March 1947
Reclassified and converted DER-326, 1 November 1956
Recommissioned 2 August 1957, Decommissioned 22 September 1973
Stricken 30 September 1973

Fate: to Tunisia 22 October 22 1973, renamed President Bourguiba, later renamed Indakh,
Suffered a major engineroom fire on April 16 1992 and is no longer operational,
Now serves as Fleet headquarters and accommodation ship, berthed at Bizerte

Size	Image Description	Contributed By And/Or Copyright
52k	undated wartime image	David Buell
47k	undated	Gene Spinelli, ETR-2, USNR
165k	underway during the Cuban Blockade	T. Mark Graham, in honor of his Dad, Ltjg Thomas Kent Graham
39k	Sept - Dec 1966, Perseverance Harbor, Campbell Island, south of New Zealand	© Gene Spinelli, ETR-2, USNR
101k	Underway. Otago Harbor, Dunedin, New Zealand. Sometime between Oct. 1965 and Feb. 1966	Gene Spinelli ETR2/USNR. From collection of Archie Cunningham RD2/USN.
66k	1983: Valletta Malta - departing Grand Harbour	Robert Hurst

Additional Memorabilia
Ship's Plaque Courtesy of Mike Smolinski

View the USS Thomas J. Gary (DE-326), DANFS history entry
located on the US Naval Historical Center web site.

Crew Contact And Reunion Information

Contact Name: Ron Day
Address: 5608 County Rt. 10 / Heuvelton NY 13654
Phone: use e-mail
E-mail: Ron Day

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 Thomas J. Gary Website
DER Group on MSN
Destroyer Escort Sailors Association

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This Page Is Created And Maintained by Mike Smolinski
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Page Last Updated 29 January 2008