USS Wainwright CG-28
1975 - 1993
 

On 30 June, Wainwright  DLG-28 was re-designated a guided missile cruiser, CG-28. 7-8/75; Med ops, one-day stop at Rota. 8/75; arrived Charleston for stand down. 9-??/75; 2d Fleet operations, inspections, and upkeep.

1976: spring; special operations and underway training, Charleston. 7/76; IN PORT New York, the International Naval Review and Operation "Sail," both in honor of the United States' Bicentennial birthday. Wainwright had the signal honor of being the focal point of both events serving as flagship for the naval review and as reviewing ship for Operation "Sail." During her service in those two capacities, she entertained Vice President Nelson D. Rockefeller, Secretary of State Kissinger, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, Admiral James L. Holloway, III, Chief of Naval Operations, and Admiral Shanahan, Commander, 2d Fleet, departed New York for Charleston, special operations and training cruises. Routine tests, inspections, evaluations, and certifications saw her through the Bicentennial year and the first three months of 1977.

1977: 3/77; third deployment to the Mediterranean. She joined the 6th Fleet officially upon arrival in Rota on 12 April and actually entered the Mediterranean the following day. Port Visits and an almost incessant schedule of training exercises-ASW drills, AAW practice, missile shoots, multinational and bilateral exercises - occupied her once again. During the last two months of 1977, typical 2d Fleet operations out of Charleston filled her schedule. Presented the Marjorie Sterett Battleship Fund Award. Battle Efficiency "E".

1978: 1/78; spent grooming for a multi threat training exercise, "READEX 1-78," which too place in February in the southern Florida and Caribbean operating areas. 2/78; Returned to Charleston, entered the Charleston Navy Shipyard on 23 February for the commencement of scheduled 13-month overhaul which concluded in March 1979.

1979: 3/79; Overhaul ended. Wainwright outfitted with the advanced Harpoon anti-shipping missile system. Deployment to the Caribbean. Pacific ocean ops during the Nicaraguan Revolution. November 27 Wainwright departs for Med cruise and black sea ops.

1980: Wainwright returns from Med cruise and Black Sea ops on May 6th. From August to November Wainwright was deployed on a North Atlantic cruise.

1981: 2/81; Med deployment. 7/81; returned to Charleston

1982: 6/82; deployed to Med as a key participant in Lebanon Contingency Operations. Escort duty during the P.L.O. evacuation from Beirut. Transited Suez canal, Indian Ocean ops for 1 month. 11/82; arrived Charleston Wainwright received the prestigious Arleigh Burke Award for fleet excellence.

1983: 3/83; entered Charleston Naval Shipyard for regular overhaul. Systems upgrade to SM2-ER Extended Range missile, 1st ship in the fleet. 12/83: Shipyard period completed.

1984: MED CRUISE 1-84 9/84; Departed Charleston for Med cruise. Exercises typical, operated in the Black Sea, Aegean Sea, Tyrrhenian Sea, Ionian Sea, and others. Port calls included Toulon France, Catania Sicily, Naples Italy. Haifa Israel, Barcelona, Spain, Villefranche France. Miles steamed; 39,399. 5/85; Arrived Charleston

1986: Med cruise 2A-86. USS Josephus Daniels Major Engine room Casualty; Wainwright moved up in rotation. 6/86: Departed Charleston Arrived Med for 8th Med Deployment. Operation Sea wind with the Egyptian navy. Typical Operations & exercises. Ports visited; Gaeta Italy, Palma de Majorca, Naples Italy, Marseilles France, Toarmina Sicily, Genoa Italy, 10/86; Arrived Charleston Wainwright awarded prestigious 6t Fleet TOP HAND.

1987: 9/87; Wainwright operates in NATO exercise OCEAN SAFARI 87, North Atlantic, with ships of the Navies of Canada, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, as part of Striking Force Atlantic Fleet NATO.

1988: 1/88; Departed Charleston as lead ship of Middle East Force 1-88. 2/88: entered Persian Gulf with Samuel. B. Roberts, Jack Williams, Simpson. Wainwright served as command ship. Samuel B. Roberts hits a mine. 4/88; Operation Praying Mantis, Wainwright, Simpson & Bagley destroy SIRRI gas-oil separation platform with naval gunfire. Same ships sank Iranian gunboat JOSHAN with missile and gunfire attacks after unsuccessful missile attack on Wainwright. Then Wainwright fired long range missiles on an Iranian F-4 Phantom for a kill. Wainwright awarded C.A.R., J.M.U.A., A.F.E.M. 6/88: Arrived home at Charleston "BATTLE TESTED - BATTLE PROVEN"

1989: 4-6/89; Operation Checkmate, Caribbean sea law enforcement operations. 9/89; in port Charleston for hurricane Hugo rebuilding and repairs. 10/89; Departed Charleston for Med 1-90. Supported Presidential Summit at Sea, at Malta, President Bush & Soviet President Gorbachev. 12/89; Helo crash. Port calls; Dubrovnik Yugoslavia, Monaco/Nice France, Rome Italy, Naples Italy, Valencia Spain, Palma de Majorca Spain, Toulon France, Barcelona, Spain 4/90; arrived home at Charleston

1990: In port Charleston 8/90; regular overhaul, with New Threat Upgrade installation at Metro Machine Shipyard, Norfolk, Va., 13 months.

1991; Metro Machine shipyard overhaul continues. 9/91; shipyard overhaul completed, operation testing.

1992: Wainwright assigned to USS John F. Kennedy Battle Group under the navy's new command structure realignment. 10/92; Med deployment. Adriatic Sea support for NATO Operation Provide Hope. Wainwright serves as AAW commander for a multi-national battle group.

1993: Spring; Wainwright is awarded the Battle "E. Also awarded her second Arleigh Burke Award. Named winner in the Capt. Edward Ney Memorial Award. 11/93; Decommissioned at Charleston with Vadm. Paul Reason COMSURFLANT as guest speaker. DESRON four Commodore Gnerlich informs those attending that at the time of her decommissioning Wainwright is the most decorated surface ship in the Atlantic fleet. Wainwright has earned the title of "World Class Cruiser". Wainwright tugged to Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.

1993 - 2002.. Wainwright remained in mothball in Philadelphia until June. On June 12th, 2002 the ex-USS Wainwright DLG/CG-28 was sunk after having been used as a live fire target. Wainwright was struck by two Harpoon missiles on the previous day. She remained afloat overnight and was finally dispatched by two torpedoes. Wainwright rests at approximately 36 47 32N 071 37 44 W. This location is approximately 254 miles from land.

Best Friends
YNCM SUITER, EWCS LEVAN, EMC CREED, STGC GREENWOOD

Best Moment
SOME PEOPLE WILL REMEMBER ME FOR MY SEWING MACHINE WORK. I HEMMED A LOT OF PANTS. SEWED ON A LOT OF PATCHES. WHEN MY PLASTIC BOBBIN BROKE MR2 MAUPIN MADE ONE OUT OF BRASS. STILL HAVE IT. Before going on the Mediterranean Deployment we had decided that I would try to purchase European Crystal for our use. Lead crystal is not easy to find here. As we steamed from port to port I started looking for crystal. In Taranto Italy I found two shops on the same street that dealt in Crystal. One on a commercial bases and the other was all had blown and cut. After much deliberation and negotiations with the two proprietors I had reached a price that we could afford and I bought both sets. August 5th, two Sets of Crystal, 136 pieces. This meant packing 136 pieces of crystal in boxes and getting it aboard ship, finding a place for it to be stored until we arrive back in the States. This I accomplished with the help of the Sonar Technicians and one of their storerooms. All 136 pieces made it home in one piece. August 13th we got underway to Augusta Bay.

Worst Moment
COMING DOWN WITH A VERY SERIOUS CASE OF KIDNEY STONES. IT PUT ME IN THE HOSPITAL IN CHARLESTON, SC FOR SURGERY TO REMOVE ONE THAT WAS VERY LARGE. AFTER 30 DAYS CONVALESCENT LEAVE I WAS BACK ABOARD.

Chain of Command

Other Memories
July 17th we had Swim Call! Where?s the bottom? We were anchored in 60 fathoms of water (360 feet). The weather was out of this world and the Mediterranean Sea was very blue and very warm and very inviting. In order to hold swim call we had to put a small boat in the water with armed men because of sharks. We put nets over the side so we could climb up once in the water. There were two men who dove in to the water and nearly drown and had to be pulled in by the lifeguards. When asked what had happened both said they thought the water was not that deep and that they thought they could touch the bottom like in a swimming pool. After a great day of swimming we were again underway at 1930 hours.