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USS Gridley (DDG 101)


GRIDLEY on March 10, 2008, in San Diego, Calif. Photo by Thoralf Doehring

USS GRIDLEY is the 51st ship in the ARLEIGH BURKE - class of Aegis guided missile destroyers and the fourth ship in the Navy to bear the name.

General Characteristics:Awarded: March 6, 1998
Keel laid: July 30, 2004
Launched: December 28, 2005
Commissioned: February 10, 2007
Builder: Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine
Propulsion system: four General Electric LM 2500 gas turbine engines
Propellers: two
Length: 508,5 feet (155 meters)
Beam: 67 feet (20.4 meters)
Draft: 30,5 feet (9.3 meters)
Displacement: approx. 9,200 tons full load
Speed: 32 knots
Aircraft: two SH-60 (LAMPS 3) helicopters
Armament: one Mk-45 5"/62 caliber lightweight gun, two Mk-41 VLS for Standard missiles and Tomahawk ASM/LAM, one 20mm Phalanx CIWS, two Mk-32 triple torpedo tubes for Mk-50 and Mk-46 torpedoes, two Mk 38 Mod 2 25mm machine gun systems
Homeport: Everett, Wash.
Crew: approx. 320


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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS GRIDLEY. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.


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USS GRIDLEY Cruise Books:


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About the Ship's Coat of Arms:

The Shield:

The sun and the light blue allude to the tropical waters of the Philippines, where the first important battle of the Spanish-American War took place. The wavy fess suggests the ocean surface, combined with the pheons represent the five of the six ships that sailed into Manila Bay, destroying the entire Spanish fleet. The Gold pheon honors the sixth vessel, USS OLYMPIA, that led the Squadron in line of battle against the Spanish. USS OLYMPIA was the flagship of the Asiatic Squadron and commanded by Captain Gridley. Red commemorates sacrifice and Captain Gridley’s wartime service. The trident symbolizes naval prowess and the ship’s modern technology of air, surface and sub-surface warfare.

The Crest:

The AEGIS shield highlights USS GRIDLEY’s weapon system and the destroyer class to which the ship belongs. The terrestrial globe indicates USS GRIDLEY’s capability to deploy worldwide. The globe is positioned on the Pacific theater, the area of Captain Gridley’s later naval career. The sea lions symbolize valor at sea; the gold sea lion refers to Captain Gridley’s leadership and wisdom that won the love of his crew, illustrated by the gray sea lion. The collar to dexter suggests Captain Gridley’s rank and the sinister collar signifies the colors traditionally associated with the Navy, Dark Blue and Gold, representing the sea and excellence.

The Motto:

Red, white and blue are the national colors. The motto translates to 'FIRE WHEN READY' the command that opened the battle of Manila Bay. The date '1898' is the year of events in Manila Bay and '2006' is the year USS GRIDLEY was delivered to the United States Navy.


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About the Ship's Name:

Charles Vernon Gridley was born 24 November 1844 in Logansport, Ind., and was appointed to the Naval Academy in 1860. Reporting for duty with his class in September 1863, Gridley joind the sloop-of-war ONEIDA with the West Gulf Blockading Squadron and distinguished himself with Farragut at the Battle of Mobile Bay 5 August 1864. Promoted to Lieutenant in 1867 and Commander in 1882, he spent the next 30 years at various stations around the world, including a tour as instructor at the Naval Academy. Captain Gridley took command of OLYMPIA, Admiral Dewey's famous flagship, 27 April 1898, a post which he held despite failing health during the Battle of Manila Bay 1 May 1898. It was that morning that Dewey gave his famous command: "You may fire when you are ready, Gridley," immortalizing the doughty captain. After the destruction of the Spanish squadron and the capture of Manila, Gridley was obliged to leave his command because of his health, and died en route to the United States at Kobe, Japan, 25 May 1898.


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The photo below was taken by Thomas Heinrich and shows the GRIDLEY at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on March 21, 2009.



The photos below were taken by me and show the GRIDLEY undergoing maintenance at San Diego, Calif., on March 23, 2010.



The photos below were taken by me and show the GRIDLEY at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on March 15, 2012.



The photos below were taken by me and show the GRIDLEY at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on May 8, 2012.



The photos below were taken by Henry Schnutz and show the GRIDLEY undergoing a Selected Restricted Availability (SRA) at Huntington Ingalls Industries Continental Maritime of San Diego shipyard on August 27, 2013.



The photo below was taken by Lydia Perz and shows the GRIDLEY at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on May 3, 2014.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the GRIDLEY at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on October 2, 2015.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the GRIDLEY at Bravo Pier at Naval Air Station North Island during ammunition onload on April 18, 2016. The last two photos show her six hours later at Naval Base San Diego, Calif.



The photo below was taken by Michael Jenning and shows the GRIDLEY at Naval Station Everett, Wash., on October 13, 2017.



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