Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Contributed By And/Or Copyright
	57k	Commander George Philip was born in Fort Pierre, South Dakota on 14 April 1912. He attended South Dakota School of Mines in Rapid City before his appointment to the U. S. Naval Academy. After completion of the course of instruction at the Naval Academy, he was commissioned an Ensign on 6 June 1935. Ensign Philip continued to progress in grade until his promotion to Commander on 4 September 1944. During this period he served under a variety of commands including: USS Mississippi (1935-37), USS California (1937-38), USS Ellet (1938-40), USS O'Bannon (1942-43), and Operational Training Command, Pacific Fleet, San Diego, California (1943-44). He then served as Commanding Officer of USS Twiggs (1944-46). Commander Philip established a skilled fighting reputation while simultaneously serving as the Executive Officer, Navigator and Combat Intelligence Officer of the famed O'Bannon. For his conspicuous gallantry during the crucial stages of the Solomon Island Campaign, Philip was awarded the Silver Star Medal and O'Bannon received the Presidential Unit Citation. Commander Philip was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism while commanding Twiggs during an 84-day period of combat near Okinawa. He died following a dusk attack by a Japanese kamikaze aircraft on 16 June 1945. On 12 March 1946, Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal stated, during the presentation of the Navy Cross to his widow: "His courage, fortitude and initiative in the performance of a difficult and hazardous duty characterized Commander Philip as a brilliant leader and seaman, reflecting the highest credit upon himself and the United States Naval Service, he gallantly gave his life in the service of his country." In addition to the Navy Cross, Silver Star Medal, and the Presidential Unit Citation, Commander Philip received the American Defense Service Medal, and the Purple Heart. USS George Philip (FFG 12) (1980-2003) was the first ship to be named in his honor.		Bill Gonyo
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	199k	5 May 1982: at sea - An aerial starboard bow view of the George Philip, foreground, and Wadsworth (FFG 9) underway during sea trials. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SN-83-07301 by Bath Iron Works, from the Defense Visual Information Center)		Navsource
	161k	5 May 1982: at sea - An aerial starboard beam view of the George Philip underway during sea trials. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SN-83-07307 by Bath Iron Works, from the Defense Visual Information Center)
	134k	20 June 1984: San Diego Harbor - Port side view of the George Philip preparing to pass beneath the Coronado Bridge. (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-85-01742 by PHC O'Connor, from the Defense Visual Information Center)
	158k	1 December 1993: San Diego, Cal. - GSE1 Wilton Law checks the clearance between the blades on a gas turbine engine on board the Naval Reserve Force guided missile frigate USS George Philip during routine maintenance. (U.S. Navy photo #DN-ST-95-00252by PH2 Eric A. Clement, from the Navy Newstand)		Bill Gonyo
	300k	29 June 1997: George Philip underway off the coast of Camp Pendleton, California in support of Exercise Kernel Blitz '97. The George Philip's home port was Naval Station, San Diego, California. (U.S. Navy photo #970629-N-0485L-008 from the Navy Newstand)
	76k	14 February 2002: At sea - A Standard SM-1 surface-to-air missile is launched from the ship’s forward missile rail during training exercises off the California coast. (U.S. Navy photo #020214-N-4319P-001 by PH2 Kenneth Pace, from the Navy Newstand)		Navsource
	144k	5 May 2002: Maura Port, Brunei - U.S. Navy sailors onboard the Oliver Hazard Perry class guided missile frigate USS George Philip (FFG 12) heave the messenger bolo pier side as the ship prepares to moor at Maura Port, Brunei for the annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Exercise. The Mark 13 rail missile launcher is visible on deck. CARAT is the Navy's premier bilateral exercise series that takes place in six Southeast Asian nations. This marks the eighth CARAT exercise, which aims to enhance regional cooperation and increase interoperability. (U.S. Navy photo VIRIN #020505-N-1289R-009 by JO1 Dwayne Rider, from Defense Imagery.Mil)
	97k	11 September 2002: Cairns, Australia - SM3 Sean Polidore of Franklin, La., raises the "Navy Jack" in lieu of the "Union Jack" aboard George Philip during the ship's morning flag raising ceremony. The guided-missile frigate, on a routine deployment in the 7th Fleet area of operations, is 14 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time (U.S.), which gives the Sailors aboard the ship the honor of being the first to raise the "Navy Jack." Under direction of the Secretary of the Navy, Gordon R. England, all U.S. Navy ships will fly the Navy Jack in place of the Union Jack for the duration of the war on terrorism. The Navy Jack is a flag consisting of a rattlesnake superimposed across thirteen horizontal alternating red and white stripes, with the motto, Don’t Tread on Me. Previously, only the oldest active commissioned ship, USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), was authorized to fly the "Navy Jack." The temporary substitution of the "Navy Jack" serves as a historic reminder of the United States' and U.S. Navy's origin, as well as the will of its people to persevere and triumph. (U.S. Navy photo #020911-N-0000H-001 by HMC Gary Mihalko, from the Navy Newstand)
	345k	11 July 2011: Bremerton, Wash. - The mothballed guided missile frigates George Philip and Sides (FFG 14) anchored in Sinclair Inlet, off the Kitsap Naval Base. This was shot from Mark's home in Port Orchard, Wash.		Mark Nissen

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

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The Destroyer History Foundation
Tin Can Sailors Shipmate Registry - USS George Philip
USS George Philip Page on Military.Com

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Page Last Updated 24 December 2011