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USS Basilone DDE/DD 824
A Gearing Class Destroyer
The Greyhounds of the Fleet
Commissioned 26 July 1949 - Decommissioned 1 November 1977

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DDE 824
DDE 824
DD 824
DD 824

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May 17, 2023

USS Basilone 2023 Reunion

This year’s USS Basilone reunion will be held in conjunction with the Tin Can Sailors National Reunion to be held in Baltimore, MD.  The reunion will be held from Saturday, September 23, 2023 to Thursday, September 28, 2023.  If you plan on attending you can download the reunion information packet from the below link or call Tin Can Sailors at (800) 223-5535 to request a reunion information packet.

Reunion Info   

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March 29, 2023  Geoffrey Bender FTG2, Jan 1970 - Jun 1974

Below is a link to a page on the Basilone website with remembrances from HM2 Steve Milligan.  He attended to our shipmates who were taken to St. Albans Naval Hospital after the boiler explosion, February 5, 1973.

St Albans Naval Hospital, February 5, 1973

 

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March 11, 2023  Geoffrey Bender FTG2, Jan 1970 - Jun 1974

USS John Basilone DDG-122 Update

I received an email from CDR Carne Livingston, CO of the USS John Basilone, DDG-122 with an update of the ship’s progress.

I was assigned a new XO, and CDR Matt Brooks has been onboard since just after Christmas.

The ship is still progressing through the construction and testing process.  In November the test team was able to declare “Milestone met” and we officially met Aegis Light Off (ALO) and started the testing process that will run up through the end of the summer 2023.  Right now, we have approximately 35 sailors in Bath, ME, and approximately 170 at our detachment in Norfolk, VA.  The crew continues to focus on training through completion of schools as well as opportunities to spend time onboard ships in the waterfront where they can work on qualifications and increase both their proficiency and confidence.

We are expecting to be ready to head to sea 3 sets of sea trials in the fall of 2023 and as long as the schedule remains, we will begin the process of crew certification after sea trials in preparation to sail away in March 2024.  We do not yet have a confirmed commissioning site or date, but we are tentatively looking at April 2024 and our top locations are in the New York and New Jersey area.  More to follow.

 

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February 23, 2023

To All Basilone Shipmates:

2023 Basilone Association dues are due.  This is just a gentle reminder that if you have not paid your 2023 dues, please consider doing so.  If you are not sure, please email me at [email protected] and I can look it up for you.

Please make checks payable to - US Basilone Association

The mailing address is:

US Basilone Association
5640 Whistling Cove Rd
Gainesville, GA 30504

Thanks

USS Basilone Association Treasurer

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January 19, 2023

New Page on Website - Need Help with the VA?

There is a new page on the USS Basilone website.  “Need Help with the VA?’.  This page is to provide the crew of the USS Basilone DDE/DD-824 and other veterans with information to assist them in understanding their benefits under the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019, the PACT Act of 2022, and information on Agent Orange providing them with information on organizations who can assist in filing a claim with Veterans Affairs Administration.  Below is link to new page:

Need Help with the VA?

Also, there is a link to a second new page “VA Experiences”, so you can leave a comment on your experiences or see the experiences of other crew members with the VA.

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September 21, 2022

Click on the link below to watch the video message from CDR Carne Livingston, Commanding Officer of the USS John Basilone DDG-122

USS John Basilone DDG-122, CO’s Video Message September 14, 2022 – USS Basilone DDE/DD 824

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USS John Basilone DDG-122

Click on the link below to view videos and photographs of the SECNAV’s announcement, the construction, Keel Laying Ceremony, Launching, Mast Stepping Ceremony and Christening Ceremony of the USS John Basilone DDG-122.

USS John Basilone DDG-122 – USS Basilone DDE/DD 824 

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The USS Basilone Association welcomes all crew members, their family and friends to the official site of the USS Basilone DDE 824, DD 824. The Basilone is a post WWII Gearing Class Destroyer that in its lifetime was home to all the men that served on her.

This site was created to bring all of Basilone’s former crew together where old friendships could be rekindled. The Association has been running Reunions since 1994 and the creation of this site was a natural continuance to bringing Basilone’s crew together and a way to remember crewmembers that are no longer with us. During the gallant life of the Basilone she had many miles and the tales are still being told all over the US.

The Photo Center is the place you can rest assured will put a smile on your face. Hard to believe we actually looked like that. We have vintage and photos from past reunions. If you have photos you want to add to the Photo Center, contact the webmaster to add your photos to the Photo Center.

The Ship’s History section tells not only the complete history of the USS Basilone but also about John Basilone the Marine Medal of Honor recipient the USS Basilone is named after.  And as Basilone sailed the world’s oceans they were not always a safe place to be.  In the Basilone Tragedies section of Ship’s History we talk about the events that occurred on the Basilone and remember the men who lost their lives.

In Memoriam is the page we list all the Basilone Crew that are no longer with us.

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