RICHMOND K TURNER CG 20

Ship Name and Designation History

This section lists the names and designations that the ship had during its lifetime. The list is in chronological order.

Leahy Class Guided Missile Cruiser Keel Laid 9 January 1961 - Launched 6 April 1963 USS RICHMOND K. TURNER DLG-20 Commissioned 13 June 1964 - Decommissioned 5 May 1971 Recommissioned 27 May 1972 USS RICHMOND K. TURNER CG-20 Redesignated (CG) 1 July 1975 Decommissioned 13 April 1995 Struck from Naval Register 13 April 1995 Sunk as target 9 August 1998

Naval Covers

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1. USS Richmond K. Turner DLG-20 / CG-20 Covers Page 1     (1964-1995)

 

Postmarks

This section lists examples of the postmarks used by the ship. There should be a separate set of postmarks for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Within each set, the postmarks should be listed in order of their classification type. If more than one postmark has the same classification, then they should be further sorted by date of earliest known usage.

A postmark should not be included unless accompanied by a close-up image and/or an image of a cover showing that postmark. Date ranges MUST be based ONLY ON COVERS IN THE MUSEUM and are expected to change as more covers are added.
 
>>> If you have a better example for any of the postmarks, please feel free to replace the existing example.

 

Postmark Type --- Killer Bar Text	Postmark Date	Thumbnail Link To Postmark Image	Thumbnail Link To Cover Image

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1st Commissioning 13 June 1964 to 5 May 1971

 

Locy Type FDC 2(n+) (USS)

1964-06-13

DLG-20. First Day in Commission

 

Locy Type 2(n+) (USS)

1968-07-05

DLG-20

 

Locy Type 9ef(n+u) (USS omitted)

1968-07-05

DLG-20

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2nd Commissioning 27 May 1972 to 13 April 1995

 

Locy Type FDR 2(n+) (USS)

1972-05-27

First Day of Recommissioning. Rubber stamp cachet.

 

Locy Type 2(n+) (USS)

1975-06-30

Last Day as DLG-20. Cachet by the Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type 2t(n+u) (USS,"CG")

1979-06-20

CG-20

 

Locy Type 2-1(n+) (USS, "R.K.") (1980)

1982-11-24

CG-20

 

Locy Type 2-1(n+) (USS, "R.K.")

1987-11-24

CG-20

 

Locy Type 2-1(n+) (USS, "R.K.") (1990)

1991-03-22

CG-20

 

Locy Type 2-1(n+) (USS, "R.K.") (1992)

1992-10-27

CG-20

 

Locy Type 2-1(n+) (USS, "R.K.") (1995)

1995-02-13

CG-20

 

Locy Type 2-1p(n+) (USS, "R.K.") (1990)

1990-07-04

Independence Day. Cachet by Gary R. Rogak

 

Locy Type 9ef(n+u)(USS) (1972)

1974-02-25

Greetings from Norfolk. Cachet by Tazewell G. Nicholson

 

Locy Type 9eft(n+u)(USS, "CG") (1976)

1976-11-14

Ships cachet

 

Locy Type 9-1(n+u) (USS, "R.K.") (1980)

1987-11-24

CG-20

 

Locy Type 9-1(n+u) (USS, "R.K.") (1991)

1995-02-13

CG-20

 

Locy Type F USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. CD-7

1980-06-04

CG-20. Op Sail '80

 

Locy Type LDC 2-1(n+)(USS, "R.K.")

1995-04-13

CG-20. Last Day in Commission. Courtesy of the Bob Govern collection.

 

Locy Type LDC 9-1(n+u) (USS,"R.K.")

1995-04-13

CG-20. Last Day in Commission. Courtesy of the Bob Govern collection.

 

Other Information

USS RICHMOND K. TURNER earned the Combat Action Ribbon, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award Ribbon, the Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon (3 awards), the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon (2 awards), the Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (5 awards), the Navy Expeditionary Medal, the National Defense Service Medal (2 awards), the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (5 awards), the Vietnam Service Medal (w/ 6 Campaign stars), the Southwest Asia Service Medal (w/ 3 Campaign stars), the Armed Forces Service Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, the Republic of Vietnam Civil Action 1st Class Unit Citation Ribbon, the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation Ribbon, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) and the Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) during her Naval career.

NAMESAKE - Admiral Richmond K. Turner, USN (27 May 1885 - 12 February 1961)
Turner attended high school in Stockton, Calif., before his appointment to the Naval Academy. Graduating with distinction in June 1908, fifth in a class of 201, he served the 2 years at sea then required by law, before being commissioned Ensign in June 1910
After graduation in 1908, he served consecutively in USS MILWAUKEE C-21, USS PREBLE DD-12, and USS WEST VIRGINIA ACR-5 until June 1912, when he joined USS STEWART DD-13, assuming command a year later.
The World War I years found him on board the battleships USS PENNSYLVANIA BB-38, USS MICHIGAN BB-27, and USS MISSISSIPPI BB-23. After serving as Commanding Officer of the Destroyer USS MERVINE DD-322, he reported for flight training at the Naval Air Station, Pensacola, where he was designated Naval Aviator 30 August 1927. Upon completion of more than 4½ years of shore duty, Turner returned to sea as Executive Officer of the Aircraft Carrier USS SARATOGA CV-3 and subsequently Commanding Officer of the Heavy Cruiser USS ASTORIA CA-34. In October 1940 he became Director of the War Plans Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, and in December 1941, in the rank of Rear Admiral, assumed additional duty as Assistant Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet. On 18 June 1942 he became Commander, Amphibious Force, South Pacific, and from that time participated in most of the major amphibious engagements of the Pacific theater. Among Admiral Turner's most noteworthy achievements during the Pacific campaign were the Guadalcanal-Tulagi invasion, the New Georgia campaign, the Tarawa assault, the occupation of the Marshall Islands, and the seizure and occupation of Saipan.
So successful were Admiral Turner's amphibious operations throughout the Pacific theater, that he came to be known to the Japanese as the "Alligator," the symbol of fast and inexorable amphibious striking power. Besides the Navy Cross, he received the Distinguished Service Medal with three gold stars, the Navy Commendation Ribbon, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Philippine Liberation Ribbon. He was also made a Companion of the Order of the Bath by Great Britain.
Admiral Turner was transferred to the retired list of the Navy in the rank of Admiral on 1 July 1947. He died in Monterey, Calif., on 12 February 1961.

The ships sponsor was Mrs. Claude V. Ricketts.

 

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