USS Merrill (DD 976)

A page for those of us who proudly served aboard the USS Merrill (DD 976).

USS MERRILL was the 14th SPRUANCE class destroyer and the first ship of her class decommissioned. USS MERRILL served as the Navy's test platform for the Tomahawk Cruise Missile program.

The destroyer was homeported in San Diego, Calif. Decommissioned on March 26, 1998, MERRILL was stricken from the Navy list the same day. During the following years, the ship was berthed at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF), Pearl Harbor, HI. On August 1, 2003, the MERRILL was finally disposed of as a target northwest of Hawaii. The exact location was 022° 43' 53.0" North, 160° 29' 23.0" West.

Vice Admiral Aaron S. Merrill (1890-1961) was an outstanding Cruiser-Destroyer and Task Force Commander during World War II. A native Mississippian, Admiral "Tip" Merrill achieved extraordinary success during the first U.S. offensive operations against the enemy in the South Pacific. Most notable of his naval successes was the epic Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, a brilliantly executed night action in which Merrill's "small boys" and cruisers defeated a more powerful enemy naval group sent to drive the newly entrenched American land and sea forces from the Solomon Islands region.

His bold leadership, daring tactics, and indomitable fighting spirit during this battle and other naval actions contributed greatly to the success in the recapture of the Solomon Islands and won him the Navy Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal, and the Legion of Merit with two Gold Stars.

Commanding Officers:
March 11, 1978 - June 8, 1980 Commander George N. Gee, USN
June 8, 1980 - December 12, 1981 Commander Gaylord O. Paulson, USN
December 12, 1981 - November 19, 1983 Commander John M. McHenry, USN
November 19, 1983 - February 5, 1986 Commander Martin H. Newman, USN
February 5, 1986 - April 1, 1988 Commander Roger L. Miller, USN
April 1, 1988 - May 25, 1990 Commander C. Craig Covington, USN
May 25, 1990 - June 19, 1992 Commander Jose L. Betancourt, Jr., USN
June 19, 1992 - March 25, 1994 Commander Steven J. Busch, USN
March 25, 1994 - January 11, 1996 Commander Richard R. Arnold, USN
January 11, 1996 - September 7, 1997 Commander Timothy V. McCully, USN
September 7, 1997 - March 26, 1998 Commander Peter J. Healey, USN

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