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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

"Vigilance"

Specifications:
Class: Edsall
Type: FMR (geared diesel, Fairbanks-Morse reverse gear drive, 3" guns)
Displacement: 1200 tons (light), 1590 tons (full)
Length: 300' (wl), 306' (oa)
Beam: 36' 10" (extreme)
Draft: 20' 6" (draft limit)
Propulsion: 4 Fairbanks-Morse Mod. 38d81/8 geared diesel engines, 4 diesel-generators, 6000 shp, 2 screws
Speed: 21 kts
Range: 9,100 nm @ 12 knots
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
Complement: 8 / 201

Thomas J. Gary (DE 326) Building and Operational Data:

15 June 1943: Keel laid by the Consolidated Steel Corporation, Orange, Tex.

21 August 1943: Launched and christened, sponsored by Mrs. Willie Mae Gary, mother of Seaman 2d Class Gary

27 November 1943: Commissioned as USS Gary, Lcdr. William H. Harrison, USNR, in command

01 January 1945: Name changed to Thomas J. Gary

07 March 1947: Decommissioned at Green Cove Springs, Fla. after 3 years and 3⅓ months of service

24 July 1956: Delivered to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for conversion to DER

01 November 1956: Reclassified DER 326

02 August 1957: Recommissioned at the Philaadelphia Naval Shipyard, Lcdr. W. H. Childress in command, assigned to Escort Squadron 16 at Newport, R.I. as a unit of the Atlantic Barrier, North American Air Defense Command

13 Sep. 1965 - 21 May 1966: Participated in Operation "Deepfreeze" as a support unit, during which she traveled "Around The World"

24 Aug. 1966 - 24 May 1967: Participated in Operation "Deepfreeze" as logistics headquarters operating from Dunedin, New Zealand; again traveling "Around The World"

01 July 1967: Homeport assignment changed to Key West, Fla. as a unit of Destroyer Division 601

22 October 1973: Decommissioned at the Quai d'Honneur, Bizerte, Tunisia; struck from the NVR with a total of 19 years and 6 months of service; commissioned by the Tunisian Navy as President Bourgiba

16 April 1992: Suffered a major engineroom fire, no longer operational. Now serves as Fleet headquarters and accommodation ship, berthed at Bizerte

1992-1993: Scrapped in Tunisia, her mast is preserved at the Bizerte Naval Station

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By And/Or Copyright
0632601	52k	Thomas Jones Gary, the son of Thomas and Willie May Gary, was born on 16 September 1922 in Texas City, Tex. He enlisted in the Navy at Houston, Tex. on 30 September 1940. After recruit training, he reported aboard USS *California* (BB 44). On Sunday, 07 December 1941, Japanese carrier-based aircraft launched a surprise attack on the U.S. Navy base and ships at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In the early minutes of the attack, the Tennessee-class battleship *California* was hit by two torpedoes, which pierced the ship's port side, and a bomb, which struck the ship's upper deck. The ship sustained significant damage during the initial attack and roughly 100 sailors and Marines were lost immediately. During the raid, the battleship suffered torpedo and bomb hits which caused extensive fires and flooding. After he had rescued three or four wounded men from closed and burning compartments in the ship, Seaman Gary continued his efforts to save others until he lost his own life. His remains were not recovered. *California* sank slowly in the days following the attack, but was eventually re-floated, repaired, and returned to duty. S2c Gary was posthumously commended by the Secretary of the Navy for his courageous action and disregard for personal safety in assisting his endangered crewmates. Seaman Second Class Gary is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. USS *Thomas J. Gary* (DE 326) (1943-1947, 1957-1973) was the first ship to be named in his honor. (Photo from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency* web site)*	Mike Smolinski Clifton, N.J. Navsource DE / FF / LCS Archive Manager
0632607	52k	undated wartime image	David Buell
0632602	47k	undated postwar image	Gene Spinelli ETR 2, USNR
0632613	50k	02 August 1957: Philadelphia, Pa. - Starboard bow view of the newly recommissioned USS *Thomas J. Gary* (DER 326) moored at Pier 6 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. The decommissioned battleship USS *South Dakota* (BB 57) is in the background. (U.S. Navy Photo; from the Philadelphia News Bulletin, "George D. McDowell Collection")	Mike Green Port Angeles, Wash.
0632608	133k	undated: A photo of the radar picket escort ship USS *Thomas J. Gary* (DER 326) underway, location unknown. Note the Hedgehog in the superfiring position forward. She also has an enclosed bridge and long amidships deckhouse. (U.S. Navy Photo; from "The World Encyclopedia of Destroyers and Frigates" by Bernard Ireland)	Bob Hurst Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England, United Kingdom
0632603	165k	*Thomas J. Gary* underway during the Cuban Blockade.	T. Mark Graham in honor of his Dad, Lt.(jg) Thomas Kent Graham
0632610	112k	1960: Ponta Delgada, Azores - *Thomas J. Gary* approaching the pier while visiting the Azores.	Carlos Manuel Estrela
0632611	115k	1960: Ponta Delgada, Azores - A closeup view of *Thomas J. Gary*'s bridge superstructure.	Carlos Manuel Estrela
0632604	39k	Sep. - Dec. 1966: *Thomas J. Gary* in Perseverance Harbor, Campbell Island, south of New Zealand. (Photo © Gene Spinelli)	Gene Spinelli ETR 2, USNR
0632605	101k	*Thomas J. Gary* underway in Otago Harbor, Dunedin, New Zealand. Photo taken sometime between Oct. 1965 and Feb. 1966. (From collection of Archie Cunningham RD2, USN)	Gene Spinelli ETR 2, USNR
0632612	245k	27 July 1973: Key West, Fla. - USS *Thomas J. Gary* at sea off the Naval Station at Key West. (Photo #MM00005809 from the Ida Woodward Barron Collection, courtesy of the Florida Keys Public Libraries)	Bob Hurst Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England, United Kingdom
0632606	66k	1983: Valletta, Malta - *President Bourguiba* departing Grand Harbour.	Bob Hurst Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England, United Kingdom
0632609	382k	undated: An overhead view of the Tunisian Naval Station at Bizerte and the letter that accompanied it regarding the final disposition of *Thomas J. Gary*.	Frederick Smallwood Captain, USN (ret.) former Engineering Officer USS *Thomas J. Gary*

Thomas J. Gary Memorabilia
Ship's Plaque (painted) Courtesy of Gene Spinelli	Ship's Plaque (unpainted) Courtesy of Mike Smolinski	Engineering Dep't Patch Courtesy of Mike Smolinski

Thomas J. Gary History
View the USS Thomas J. Gary (DE 326) DANFS history entry located on the Naval History and Heritage Command web site.

Thomas J. Gary's Commanding Officers
Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler

Dates of Command	Commanding Officers
1.) 27 Nov. 1943 – 10 Jul. 1944	Lcdr. William Henry Harrison, USNR
2.) 10 Jul. 1944 – 04 Jul. 1945	Lcdr. Robert Ayer, USNR
3.) 04 Jul. 1945 – Nov. 1945	Lcdr. Richard H. Smith, USNR
4.) Nov. 1945 – Jun 1946	Lcdr. Russell Sydnor Crenshaw Jr., USN (USNA ‘41) (Richmond, Va.)
5.) Jun. 1946 – 07 Mar. 1947	Lcdr. George Peter Sotos, USNR (Chicago, Ill.)
6.) 02 Aug. 1957 – 11 Sep. 1959	Lcdr. William Howard Childress
7.) 11 Sep. 1959 – 04 Aug. 1960	Lcdr. Toria Joel Bratten Jr. (USNA ‘45) (Woodbury, Tenn.)
8.) 04 Aug. 1960 – 23 Jun. 1961	Lcdr. James Whitney Martin
9.) 23 Jun. 1961 – 15 Feb. 1963	Lcdr. / Cmdr. John Stephen Turner
10.) 15 Feb. 1963 – 09 Jul. 1964	Lcdr. / Cmdr. James William Strobel
11.) 09 Jul. 1964 – 08 Aug. 1966	Lcdr. Richard (Snuffy) Carl Smith (USNA '52) (Allentown, Pa.)
12.) 08 Aug. 1966 – 23 May 1968	Lcdr. John James Kingston Jr. (prior enl. / OCS '55) (Brookline, Mass.)
13.) 23 May 1968 – 07 May 1969	Lcdr. Robert Burns Cress
14.) 07 May 1969 – .. .... 1971	Lcdr. Bobbie Lee Sample
15.) .. .... 1971 – 01 Sep. 1972	Cmdr. David Walter Somers Jr.
16.) 01 Sep. 1972 – 22 Oct. 1973	Cmdr. Charles Edward Ryan (USNA '66)

Crew Contact And Reunion Information

Last Known Reunion
35th Reunion, 2019
Savannah, Ga.

Contact Name: Ron Day
Address: 5608 County Rt. 10
City/State: Heuvelton NY 13654
Phone: (315) 344-8823
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 Web Site
Tin Can Sailors
The U.S. Navy Memorial
Destroyer Escort Sailors Association
The Destroyer Escort Historical Museum
The Destroyer History Foundation
Tin Can Sailors Shipmate Registry - USS Thomas J. Gary

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