Navy’s Newest Destroyer Do To Arrive in Seal Beach

By Surface Forces Public Affairs

The Navy’s newest Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer, USS Dewey (DDG 105), will arrive at Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station, Friday, Feb. 26.  The ship’s crew will be taking part in community relations projects over the coming week prior to its formal commissioning ceremony, to be held at the base on March 6.

The new destroyer honors Adm. George Dewey (1837-1917) who commanded the Asiatic Station from the cruiser Olympia. Shortly after the onset of the Spanish-American War, Dewey led his squadron of warships into Manila Bay on April 30, 1898. The next morning, his squadron destroyed the Spanish fleet in only two hours without a single American loss.

A widely popular hero of his day, Dewey was commissioned admiral of the Navy, a rank created for him in March 1903.

Two previous ships have proudly carried his name.  The first was a destroyer (DD 349) that survived the attack on Pearl Harbor and went on to receive 13 battle stars for World War II service.  The second was a destroyer commissioned as a guided-missile frigate (DLG 14) before being reclassified as a guided-missile destroyer (DDG 45).

This will be the very first Naval vessel to be commissioned in Orange County.