DECATUR DDG 31
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.
Keel Laid September 13 1954 - Launched December 15 1955 |
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This section lists active links to the pages displaying covers associated with the ship. There should be a separate set of pages for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Covers should be presented in chronological order (or as best as can be determined).
Since a ship may have many covers, they may be split among many pages so it doesn't take forever for the pages to load. Each page link should be accompanied by a date range for covers on that page.
- Covers Page 1 (1956)
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.
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Postmark Type |
Postmark Date |
Thumbnail Link To Postmark Image |
Thumbnail Link To Cover Image |
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Post Office Established December 7 1956 - Disestablished June 15 1965
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Locy Type |
1956-12-07 |
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As DD-936
First Day in Commission
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Locy Type |
1956-12-07 |
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As DD-936
Commissioning, cachet by Tazewell G. Nicholson.
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Locy Type |
1963-05-17 |
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As DD-936
Post Office Reestablished April 29 1967 - Disestablished June 30 1983
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Locy Type |
1973-03-27 |
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As DDG-31
Ship's cachet, serviced by Wolfgang Hechler
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Locy Type |
1977-04-29 |
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As DDG-31
Ship's cachet, 10th Anniversary of Commissioning, serviced by Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS
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Locy Type |
1977-10-13 |
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As DDG-31
Ship's cachet, Navy Day in San Diego CA, serviced by Wolfgang Hechler
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Locy Type |
1980-02-11 |
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As DDG-31
Ship's cachet, serviced by Wolfgang Hechler
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Locy Type |
1973-03-27 |
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As DDG-31
Ship's cachet, serviced by Wolfgang Hechler
Other Information
NAMESAKE - Stephen Decatur (January 5 1779 - March 22 1820) Decatur was warranted a Midshipman at the age of 19 and made his first cruise in the Frigate UNITED STATES. In command of the Schooner ENTERPRISE at the outbreak of the Tripolitan War, he captured the Bomb Ketch MASTICO on December 23 1803. He used this ship, renamed INTREPID, in his daring raid to burn the captured Frigate PHILADELPHIA in the harbor of Tripoli, February 16 1804. He also distinguished himself during the attacks on Tripoli in command of a gunboat division. Promoted to Captain he was assigned command of CONSTITUTION, and later, in November 1804, CONGRESS. He negotiated with the Bey of Tunis at the close of the Tripolitan War, and returned to the United States in September 1805 with the Tunisian envoy. During the War of 1812 he commanded UNITED STATES, capturing HMS MACEDONONIAN in one of the greatest single-ship actions of naval history. He took command of PRESIDENT at New York and attempting to slip through the blockade fell in with a British squadron of five heavy ships. After 2 hours of furious combat the frigate HMS ENDYMION was silenced but PRESIDENT had suffered such extensive damage that it was impossible to execute an escape. The twice-wounded Decatur reluctantly surrendered, but was paroled, landing at New London February 22 1815. Returning to the Mediterranean in 1815, Decatur in Guerriere, negotiated a treaty with the Dey of Algiers which ended tribute and exacted full payment for injuries to Americans, then concluded similar agreements with the Bey of Tunis and the Bashaw of Tripoli. From November 1815 until killed by Commodore James Barron in a duel March 22 1820, Decatur served on the Board of Navy Commissioners
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