LEFTWICH DD 984

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.

Spruance Class Destroyer Keel Laid November 12 1976 - Launched April 8 1978 USS LEFTWICH DD-984 Commissioned August 25 1979 - Decommissioned March 27 1998 Struck from Naval Register March 27 1998 Sunk as target August 1 2003

Naval Covers

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).

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1. USS Leftwich DD-984 Covers Page 1    (1979-98)

 

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 Close-Up Image	Thumbnail Link To Full Cover Image

 

Locy Type FDC F USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. CD-6

1979-08-25

Commissioning, cachet by the USS San Diego Chapter No. 27, USCS

 

Locy Type 2-1(n+) USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. L-31a

1979-11-05

Note:

 

Locy Type 2-1n (DD-934)

1986-06-09

Note:

 

Locy Type 9-1nu (DD-934)

1986-07-31

Note:

 

Locy Type F USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. CD-6

1979-09-13

Note:

 

Other Information

NAMESAKE - Lieutenant Colonel William Groom Leftwich, Jr., USMC (April 28 1931 – November 18 1970).
Major Leftwich participated in 27 major operations against the Viet Cong in the central highlands of Vietnam, and spent more than 300 days in the field. He was wounded in the Battle of Hoai An March 9 1965 and, besides the Purple Heart, was awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism.
In April 1970, he began his second tour of duty in Vietnam, serving initially as an infantry battalion commander with 2d Battalion, 1st Marines. On September 13 1970 he assumed the duties as Commanding Officer of 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division (Reinforced).
On November 18 1970, LtCol Leftwich was killed in a helicopter crash during an emergency extraction of one of his reconnaissance teams. In accordance with his practice of accompanying every emergency extraction called for by his reconnaissance teams, he was serving as senior “extract officer” for such a mission on the day of his death. The team had incurred casualties and requested an emergency extraction from enemy-infested territory, in an area beginning to be enveloped by defense fog. The team was extracted under LtCol Leftwich’s personal supervision, then, as the helicopter began its ascent, it crashed into a mountainside in enemy territory, killing all aboard.
LtCol Leftwich was posthumously awarded the Silver Star.

 

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