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USS WILLIAM C. LAWE (DD-763)


Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign - NTSA

Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign (circa 1968) - POLICE DOG

CLASS - GEARING As Built.
Displacement 3460 Tons (Full), Dimensions, 390' 6"(oa) x 40' 10" x 14' 4" (Max)
Armament 6 x 5"/38AA (3x2), 12 x 40mm AA, 11 x 20mm AA, 10 x 21" tt.(2x5).
Machinery, 60,000 SHP; General Electric Geared Turbines, 2 screws
Speed, 36.8 Knots, Range 4500 NM@ 20 Knots, Crew 336.
Operational and Building Data
Laid down by Bethlehem Steel, San Francisco. March 12 1944.
Launched May 21 1945 and commissioned December 18 1946.
Completed FRAM upgrade November 1961.
Decommissioned and stricken Oct 1 1983.
Fate Disposed of as a target, effective date Jul 14 1999.

Click On Image
For Full Size Image
Size Image Description Contributed
By
Lawe 68k Biography of William Clare Lawe written by his wife Mrs. Nancy L. Lawe along with a photo of her christening the USS William C. Lawe (DD-763).
Lawe Lawe
Bob Bush
Lawe 106kUndated, location unknown.-
Lawe 60kUndated postcard.Mike Smolinski
Lawe 90kMarkab (AD-21) with destroyers Dashiel (DD-659), Isherwood (DD-520), Power (DD-839) and William C. Lawe (DD-763) alongside at Yokosuka, Japan, date unknown.Mark Roberts, Destroyersonline.com
Lawe 129kUndated, Genoa, Italy.Carlo Martinelli
Lawe 146kUndated, location unknown.Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET.
Lawe 114kUndated, location unknown.Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET.
Lawe 143kUndated, location unknown.Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET.
Lawe 103kUndated, location unknown.Richard Miller BMCS USNR RET.
Lawe 138kDecember 26 1946 at Bethlehem Steel, San Francisco.Ed Zajkowski
Lawe 206kJanuary 14 1947, location unknown.Ed Zajkowski
Lawe 215kThe USS Valley Forge (CV-45) along with the USS William C. Lawe (DD-763), USS William M. Wood (DD-715), USS Lloyd Thomas (DD-764) and the USS Keppler (DD-765) during their 1948 World Cruise at Pearl Harbor.Bob Bush
Lawe 215kCirca 1949-1951, location unknown, signed by her commanding officer Commander Thomas Howle Suddath. Bill Gonyo
Lawe 126kCirca 1955, location unknown.Bob Bush
Lawe 119k3"/50 guns added during overhaul at Boston Navy yard in 1955.Bob Bush
Lawe 100kK-Guns circa 1955.Bob Bush
Lawe 88kRelaxing on deck circa 1955.Bob Bush
Lawe 172kThe Lawe in Genoa on August 29 1956.Carlo Martinelli
Lawe 204kThe Lawe in Genoa on August 29 1956.Carlo Martinelli
Lawe 113kUSS Charles P. Cecil (DD-835), USS Wiliam C. Lawe (DD-763) and USS Stickell (DD-888) in Livorno, Italy 1962.Marc Piché
Lawe 100kUSS Charles P. Cecil (DD-835), USS Wiliam C. Lawe (DD-763) and USS Stickell (DD-888) in Livorno, Italy 1962.Marc Piché
Lawe 152k1964 Midshipman's Cruise passing through the Kiel Canal.Harry M. Funkhouser
Lawe 90kNorfolk, July 1964© Richard Leonhardt
Lawe 90kU.S.S. Mississinewa (AO-144) finished refueling the Lawe, 1965 in the Med.William Swisher
Lawe 130kComing alongside the USS Yosemite (AD-19) during Operation Springboard exercises in the Atlantic, 1968. Photo taken by Dan Owens from aboard Yosemite, copyright to him.© Dan Owens
Lawe 82kUSS Fulton (AS-11) and USS Sierra (AD-18) stern to stern at San Juan, Puerto Rico, May 1967 with the USS Davis (DD-937), unknown, USS Harwood (DD-861), USS William C. Lawe (DD-763) and USS Stribling (DD-867) alongside the Sierra.Sheridan Carey
Lawe 68kA McDonnell F-4B Phantom II armed with an AIM-7 Sparrow missile from Fighter Squadron VF-33 Tarsiers on the catapult of the aircraft carrier USS America (CVA-66). VF-33 was assigned to Carrier Air Wing 6 aboard the America for a deployment to the Mediterranean Sea from 10 January to 20 September 1967. In the background are the U.S. Navy Gearing-class destroyer USS William C. Lawe (DD-763) and the Soviet Kashin-class guided missile destroyer 381. U.S. Navy photo from the USS America (CVA-66) 1967 cruise book.Robert Hurst
Lawe 102kLeft to right: USS America (CVA-66), USS Enterprise (CVAN-65), and USS Ranger (CVA-61), with USS Oriskany (CVA-34) steaming astern of the Big E, and five destroyers and destroyer escorts in the lead. Vietnam cease-fire, Sunday, 28 January 1973. Escorts are, left to right: USS Bronstein (DE-1037), USS Corry (DD-817), USS William C. Lawe (DD-763), USS Fanning (DE-1076), and USS Cone (DD-866). (Photo and escorts id thanks to Enterprise WestPac 1972–73 Cruise Book, via Bob Canchola.)USS Oriskany Alumni Facebook Group, via Bob Canchola, BT, USS Oriskany 1971–1973
Lawe 204kNovember 1975, Gulf of Mexico. Photo by PHC A. W. Giberson.Ed Zajkowski
Lawe 241kNovember 1975 at Pensacola, FL, QMSA J. Mobsby, Ltjg Wm. Hondy and SN Surridge man their duty stations. Photo by PHAN H. G. Hillstrom, NPC 1164722.Ed Zajkowski
Lawe 127kNovember 1975 at Pensacola, FL, line handlers. Photo by PH3 G. H. Burgess, NPC K 112264.Ed Zajkowski
Lawe 115kNovember 1975 photo by PHC A. W. Giberson.Ed Zajkowski
Lawe 183kNovember 1975 photo by PH1 G. W. Burgess.Ed Zajkowski
Lawe 88kThe Lawe during a VertRep from the USS Detroit (AOE-4) in 1978, taken from the USS Myles C. Fox (DD-829).Brian C. Ice, OS2
Lawe 74kAs above.Brian C. Ice, OS2
Lawe 71kAs above.Brian C. Ice, OS2
Lawe 233kCirca 1978, location unknown.Bob Bush
Lawe 72kSt. Lawrence River August 28 1981.Marc Piché
Lawe 75kSt. Lawrence River August 11 1978.Marc Piché
Lawe 63kMontreal August 10 1978.Marc Piché
Lawe 74kSt. Lawrence River August 28 1981.Marc Piché
Lawe 95kVisit to Montreal June 19, 1982.Marc Piché
Lawe 108kAs above,Marc Piché
Lawe 99kAs above,Marc Piché
Lawe 59kMontreal August 31 1982.Marc Piché
Lawe 365kSea Cadets aboard YP-587 welcome the Lawe to Detroit, June 1982. Detroit News press photograph.Dave Wright
Lawe 150kPortsmouth, VA and the ship's first reunion in 1989.Bob Bush
Lawe 42kAnother view of the Lawe in 1989.Bob Bush
Lawe 327kDN-ST-95-01865. James River, VA, October 5 1993, an aerial overhead view of unit 6E of the US Navy James River Reserve Fleet. It includes two transport ships (left), three Charles F. Adams and four Farragut class guided missile destroyers and the Gearing class destroyer USS William C. Lawe (DD-763, fourth from the right). The Lawe had been stricken from the naval register and was to be sunk as a target (on 14 July 1999). The other destroyers was sold for scrap. US Navy photo by MC3 Calvin Larsen. If you can identify any of the other ships in this image please let us know.Robert M. Cieri
Lawe 131kThe Lawe in the James River Reserve Fleet, VA about 1998.Bob Bush
Lawe 151kA series of 23 images taken during the 1st week of June 1995 at the MARAD Fleet at Fort Eustis, VA by groups from the preserved ships USS Jospeh P. Kennedy, Jr (DD-850) and the USS Kidd (DD-661) who stripped the USS William C. Lawe (DD-763) and recovered many usable items for restoration and maintenance of their historic ships. Among the nearby ships in some of these images is the USS Jospehus Daniels (CG-27). Some of the images toward the end show damage from a missile test prior to this stripping work.Ed Zajkowski
Lawe 91kAs above.Ed Zajkowski
Lawe 158kAs above.Ed Zajkowski
Lawe 183kAs above.Ed Zajkowski
Lawe 110kAs above.Ed Zajkowski
Lawe 155kAs above.Ed Zajkowski
Lawe 147kAs above.Ed Zajkowski
Lawe 101kAs above.Ed Zajkowski
Lawe 125kAs above.Ed Zajkowski
Lawe 86kAs above.Ed Zajkowski
Lawe 128kAs above.Ed Zajkowski
Lawe 94kAs above.Ed Zajkowski
Lawe 157kAs above.Ed Zajkowski
Lawe 147kAs above.Ed Zajkowski
Lawe 187kAs above. Ed taking a break.Ed Zajkowski
Lawe 131kAs above.Ed Zajkowski
Lawe 200kAs above.Ed Zajkowski
Lawe 115kAs above.Ed Zajkowski
Lawe 121kAs above.Ed Zajkowski
Lawe 155kAs above.Ed Zajkowski
Lawe 141kAs above.Ed Zajkowski
Lawe 51kShip's patch.Mike Smolinski
Lawe 152kShip's patch circa 1955.Bob Bush

USS WILLIAM C. LAWE DD-763 History
View This Vessels DANFS History Entry
(Located On The hazegray Web Site, This Is The Main Archive For The DANFS Online Project.)

Commanding Officers
Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves


CDR George Russell Lee    Dec 18 1946 - Aug 18 1948

CDR Horacio (Rivets) Rivero Jr.    Aug 18 1948 - Mar 25 1949 (Later ADM)

CDR Robert Gordon Bidwell    Mar 25 1949 - Oct 1949

CDR Thomas Howle Suddath    Oct 1949 - Oct 1951

CDR John Paul Aymond    Oct 1951 - Nov 1952

CDR John Frye Morse    Nov 1952 - Oct 1954 (Later RADM)

CDR Chester Gordon Hall Jr.    Oct 1954 - Oct 1956

CDR Robert Vincent Lange    Oct 1956 - Aug 1958

CDR Elton Levi Sumrall    Aug 1958 - Dec 1960

CDR Richard Roy Davison    Dec 1960 - Sep 1961

CDR George Leon Dickey Jr.    Sep 1961 - Jul 1963

CDR Harmon Rube Joy    Jul 1963 - Aug 1965

CDR Willis A. Hardy    Aug 1965 - Jul 1967

CDR James Hunter Lytle    Jul 1967 - Aug 1969

CDR Emil Michael Papio    Aug 1969 - Jul 1971

CDR Albert Marion Hayes Jr.    Jul 1971 - Aug 1973

CDR Rodney Claire (Rocky) Wing    Aug 1973 - Jul 1974

CDR Theodore Lloyd Shope    Jul 1974 - Oct 5 1976

CDR John Joseph Goggins Jr.    Oct 5 1976 - Oct 18 1978

CDR Robert Alexander Flournoy    Oct 18 1978 - Jun 1980

CDR Paul V. Murphy    Jun 1980 - Oct 1982

CDR Nicholas Vincent McKenna    Oct 1982 - Oct 1 1983


Crew Contact And Reunion Information

Contact Name: Owen Turner
Address: 51 Miriam Road, Waltham, MA 02451
Phone: (617)959-1716
E-mail: usslawe@msn.com
Next Reunion: October 15-18, 2010

Note About Contacts.

The contact listed, Was the contact at the time for this ship when located. If another person now is the contact, E-mail me and I will update this entry. These contacts are compiled from various sources over a long period of time and may or may not be correct. Every effort has been made to list the newest contact if more than one contact was found.


Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Tin Can Sailors Website
Destroyer History Foundation
Destroyers Online Website
Official U.S.Navy Destroyer Website

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This page was created by Fred Willishaw (ex ARG-4, AS-11 & DD-692) and is maintained by David L. Wright
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Last Updated 15 October 2018