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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Alpha - Tango - Oscar
 NATO
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Secratary of the Navy Letter of Commendation
Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation
Second Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (3) - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (5) - Navy Expeditionary Medal (1-Iran/Indian Ocean)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Vietnam Service Medal (1) - Southwest Asia Service Medal (2)
Fourth Row - Humanitarian Service Medal (1-Cyclone Disaster Relief Viti Levu, Fiji Islands) - Sea Service Deployment Ribbon - Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)
Samuel Gompers Class Destroyer Tender:
  • Laid down, 9 July 1964, at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA.
  • Launched, 14 May 1966
  • Commissioned USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37), 15 July 1967
  • During the Vietnam War USS Samuel Gompers participated in the following campaign:
    Vietnam War Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Vietnam Ceasefire, 9 to 16 and 22 to 30 April 1972

  • Decommissioned, 27 October 1995, at Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, VA.
  • Laid up at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Portsmouth, VA.
  • Moved in November 1995 to the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 7 April 1999
  • Custody transferred to the Maritime Administration, for disposal, 7 April 1999
  • Final Disposition, disposed of as a target, 21 July 2003 in the VACAPES OPAREA 31°.17.2 N x 7°.35.16 W.
  • USS Samuel Gompers earned one campaign star for Vietnam War service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 13.458 t.(lt), 20,132 t.(fl)
    Length 643'
    Beam 85'
    Draft 30' (limiting)
    Speed 20+ kts.
    Complement 1,056
    Armament one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount
    Propulsion
    one geared turbine
    two boilers 600psi
    single propeller 20,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    Samuel Gompers 413k Mrs. Joseph Holmes breaks the traditional bottle of champagne across the bow of USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37) as she christens the ship, 14 May 1966, at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA. Dale Hargrave
    Samuel Gompers 147k USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37) underway off the coast of Oahu, 24 November 1968
    Photo by PH3 Bruce M Laurich, USN
    US Navy photo NH # 96875 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Samuel Gompers 124k USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37) circa May 1969, possibly Subic Bay P.I., ships alongside include
    USS Higbee (DD-806),
    USS Douglas H. Fox (DD-779),
    USS Robison (DDG-12),     and
    USS Leary (DD-879)
    Photo by PH3 Stephen L Fowk, USN
    US Navy photo # USN 1139041 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Samuel Gompers 147k USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37) with an unidentified submarine alongside, date and location unknown.US Navy photo Federation of American Scientists web site
    Samuel Gompers 115k USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37) moored pierside at Naval Station San Diego, with USS Kinkaid (DD-965) and, USS Berkeley (DDG-15) alongside, date unknown. Photo by Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Samuel Gompers 112k USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37) passing Point Loma while out bound to sea from San Diego, date unknown. Photo by Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Samuel Gompers 75k USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37) tending destroyers in an Asian port, date and location unknown..
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, January 1970    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Samuel Gompers 117k USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37) moored pierside, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, October 1970    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Samuel Gompers 50k USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37) underway, date and location unknown.
    ©Marine Photos, San Diego, CA.    		 Mike Smolinski
    Samuel Gompers 118k USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37) underway, date and location unknown. Robert Hurst
    Samuel Gompers 197k USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37) "Navy Times" Ship in the Spotlight, feature, publication date unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Samuel Gompers 82k USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37) passing Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. She is heading for NAS Alameda. The photos were taken from Aquatic Park in San Francisco in August 1980. Robert M. Cieri
    Samuel Gompers 87k
    Samuel Gompers 87k USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37) passing the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park at Hyde Street Pier. The historic ships are (from left to right):
    Steam Tug Hercules,
    Paddlewheel Tug Eppleton Hall,
    Steam Ferryboat Eureka,
    Lumber Schooner C.A. Thayer and
    Scow Schooner Alma.
    Samuel Gompers is heading for her homeport at NAS Alameda. The photos were taken from Aquatic Park in San Francisco in August 1980.    		 Robert M. Cieri
    Samuel Gompers 74k USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37) moored pierside at NAS Alameda, August 1980. Robert M. Cieri
    Samuel Gompers 70k USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37) moored pierside at NAS Alameda, August 1980. Robert M. Cieri
    Samuel Gompers 70k USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37) moored pierside at NAS Alameda with Arkansas (CGN-41), August 1980. Robert M. Cieri
    Samuel Gompers 55k USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37) and USS Dixon (AS-37) side by side at Diego Garcia. After a 60-day deployment Dixon turned over the job of Indian Ocean fleet repairs to Samuel Gompers, May 1981.
    US Navy photo by PH3 Book.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Samuel Gompers 1188k An aerial port bow view of USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37) underway, heading to Naval Station San Diego, 1 August 1982.
    US Navy photo # DN-SC-82-10216 PACIFIC OCEAN (1 August 1982) from the collections of the Defense Imagery web site.    		 Robert M. Cieri
    Samuel Gompers 1336k USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37) moored at NAS Alameda, CA., 4 October 1985.
    US Navy photo # DN-SC-86-03183 NAS ALAMEDA (4 October 1985) by PHAN Solseth, from the collections of the Defense Imagery web site.    		 Robert M. Cieri

    For more photos and information about USS Samuel Gompers, see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
  • USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37) at Facebook
  • Miscellaneous and Memorabilia
  • Commanding Officers
    • Crew Contact And Reunion Information Web Sites
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 9 November 2012