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Contact Info
Home Town West Orange
Last Address 9020 Crooked Shell Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89143
Robert P. Brennan, a decorated Naval Chief Petty Officer, was born March 14, 1935 to Joseph and Mary Brennan in West Orange New Jersey. The youngest of 10 children, Robert joined the Navy at just 17 years old in 1952 and spent 21 years serving his country. He traveled the world with multiple tours in Vietnam as well as tours to Greece and the Philippines. Robert loved the sea and one of his favorite places was the Strait of Gibralter below Spain.
During his Naval career, Robert received multiple recognitions, awards and commendations for his service and in 1969 was named one of the “Outstanding Young Men in America.”
Following his distinguished military career, Robert continued his passion for military service by working at the USS South Dakota Battleship Memorial and Sioux Falls VA Medical Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for more than 20 years. The USS South Dakota held a special place in his heart, as his mother helped build this U.S. Naval Battleship during World War II. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Disabled American Veterans (DAV) groups in South Dakota as well as the NAVY Chiefs Association.
Robert moved to Las Vegas following his second retirement, where he spent time with his family and cheered for his favorite team, the Green Bay Packers.
Robert is survived by his wife Judith Ann, son Charles (Mary), grandchildren Michael, Alexis, Jesse and Jett of Las Vegas and brother Vincent (Mary Lou), who is also a retired Naval officer, of Fallbrook California.
Services were held in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on January 26, 2011. The family asks that donations be made Payable to the USS South Dakota Battleship Memorial, Sious Falls Parks and Recreation Department 100 East Sixth Street, Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57104
USS Myles C. Fox (DD/DDR-829) was a Gearing-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II and the years following. She was named for Myles C. Fox, a USMC lieutenant who was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for actions during World War II.
Ship's Motto:
Vincit Qui Patitur (He Who Perseveres Conquers)
Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign:
N - A - Z - I
General Characteristics:
1945 (Pre-FRAM):
Displacement: 2,425 tons (2,464 t)
Length: 390 ft 6 in (119.02 m)
Beam: 41 ft 1 in (12.52 m)
Draft: 18 ft 6 in (5.64 m)
Speed: 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph)
Complement: 367
Propulsion: Four Babcock and Wilcox 615psi (4.24 MPa) 850 °F (450 °C) superheated express type boilers supplying two sets of high pressure, low pressure and cruising turbines generating a total of 60,000 shp.(45 MW) to two shafts each with a 12.5 foot (3.8 m) four bladed propeller. Shaft rpm: 350, speed at standard displacement: 34.5 knots (64 km/h).
Armament: Six 5"/38 (127 mm) caliber guns, Twelve 40 mm AA guns, Eight 20 mm AA guns, Five 21" (533 mm) Torpedo Tubes, Two Depth Charge racks
1952 -1962: Removed all five 40 mm mounts and replaced with 3" 50 Caliber guns.
Weapons after 1963 Fleet Rehabilitation & Modernization (FRAM): Two 5 inch 38 caliber twin gun mounts guided by an Mk37 director with Mk25 fire control radar linked by an Mk1a electromechanical analog computer stabilized by an Mk6 8,500 rpm gyro; two triple tubes of 12.75 in. Mk 32 torpedoes; Antisubmarine Rocket Launcher (ASROC) that consisted of four double celled boxes housing 8 rocket-thrown torpedoes or nuclear depth charges; and two drone antisubmarine helicopters (DASH) able to deliver two torpedoes up to 30 miles from the ship.
Radar, Electronics & Sonar after 1963 Fleet Rehabilitation & Modernization (FRAM): SPS 10 surface search radar - SPS 40 air search radar - SQS 23 long range sonar
Operational History:
Myles C. Fox was laid down by the Bath Iron Works Corp., Bath, Maine, 14 August 1944, launched 13 January 1945; sponsored by Mrs. James C. Fox, mother of Lieutenant Fox; and commissioned at Boston 20 March 1945, Comdr. John S. Fahy in command.
After Caribbean shakedown and training off New Jersey, Myles C. Fox sailed 5 July 1945 for the Panama Canal, San Diego, and Hawaii, arriving Pearl Harbor on the 28th. She departed Pearl Harbor 10 August for the Marshall Islands, receiving word en route of cessation of hostilities. After calling at Eniwetok, she continued to Japan, anchoring in Tokyo Bay 9 September to begin duty screening carriers providing air cover for the occupation landings on Japan.
The destroyer served in the occupation until sailing for Saipan 8 January 1946. On 25 March, she headed from the Marianas for San Diego with veterans aboard for transportation home. Arriving 11 April, she operated along the west coast until 6 January 1947, when she sailed for the Far East, arriving Yokosuka on the 25th. In ensuing months she called at principal ports of Japan with missions to Korea, China, Okinawa, and Hong Kong.
On 19 July Myles C. Fox and Hawkins (DD-873) with British escort ship HMS Hart saved the crew and passengers of SS Hong Kheng after the passenger ship had run aground on Chilang Point some 8 miles north of Hong Kong. Six motorboats, two from each warship, and two skiffs from Hong Kong, made 76 trips to rescue some 1,800 survivors.
Myles C. Fox departed Yokosuka 23 September and reached San Diego 8 October. After west coast operations and overhaul, she made another Far Eastern cruise, 2 October-23 December 1948, operating principally in the ocean approaches to Tsingtao, China, with fast carrier forces. She then operated out of San Diego until sailing 2 May 1949 for a new home port, Newport, Rhode Island. She had been re-designated a radar picket destroyer (DDR-829) 18 March 1949.
Following arrival Newport 23 May 1949, the ship served in the North Atlantic for a year before getting underway from Norfolk 3 May 1950 for the Mediterranean. Her 6th Fleet operations included simulated attack problems with submarines and other fleet readiness exercises. She visited ports of France, Italy, Turkey, Trieste, Greece, and Spain, cleared Gibraltar 1 October, and returned to Newport on the 10th.
Repairs in New York Naval Shipyard, convoy exercises to Bermuda, and tactics in the Virginia Cape area kept her busy until 20 March 1951 when she put to sea with a carrier striking force that reached Gibraltar 6 April. She returned from this Mediterranean cruise to Newport 4 October.
After working on the east coast for almost a year, she stood out from Newport 26 August 1952 with a fast carrier striking force built around Midway (CVB-41) and Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42). This cruise took her to Greenock, Scotland, and thence into the Norwegian Sea as a unit of the NATO force. She visited ports of the British Isles before proceeding by way of Lisbon to the Mediterranean for another tour with the powerful 6th Fleet, returning Newport 4 February 1953.
On 8 June 1953 Myles C. Fox left Norfolk on a midshipman cruise that included good will calls at Rio de Janeiro and Cartagena, Colombia. She de-barked the midshipmen at the Naval Academy 5 August and returned to Newport. For the next 2 years she operated on the east coast and in the Caribbean. She departed Newport 2 May 1955 for the Mediterranean. After 3 months with the 6th Fleet, she returned to Newport 25 August.
During the ensuing years, Myles C. Fox continued this pattern of service, alternating operations on the east coast and in the Caribbean with 6th Fleet deployments. In 1961 she won the Battle Efficiency “E,” and in 1964 her home port was changed to Boston. That year the ship underwent FRAM I overhaul and modernization, and she was re-designated DD-829 on 1 April.
Following her FRAM I overhaul, on July 1, 1965, Fox experienced a catastrophic fire in Radio Central. After repairs at the Boston Naval Shipyard, in June 1965 the Fox was dispatched to help support U.S. efforts to oppose a Cuban led insurgency in the Dominican Republic. The Armed Forces Expeditionary was authorized as recognition for this Cold War campaign. On August 9, 1965, Fox deployed to the Mediterranean Sea for operations with the 6th Fleet.
The destroyer was assigned to the Gemini 8 recovery team 6 March 1966 and stationed in the eastern Atlantic. While off the coast of Africa, she sped to the aid of Swedish freighter M/V Palma which was afire. For 3 days firefighting teams battled the blaze before Caloosahatchee (AO-98) and Charles P. Cecil (DD-835) arrived to lend a hand. The combined efforts of these U.S. Navy ships finally extinguished the flames, and Palma resumed steaming under her own power.
After DASH qualifications off the Virginia Capes, the destroyer operated along the east coast until getting underway for the Far East 4 October. Steaming via the Panama Canal, Hawaii, Japan, and the Philippines, the destroyer arrived off the coast of North Vietnam 7 January 1967. While in the war zone Myles C. Fox delivered numerous fire support missions against enemy ground forces and installations. Her guns also damaged three enemy junks and two Communist sampans. She headed home on the second half of a round-the-world cruise 20 February and arrived Newport from Suez and Gibraltar 25 April.
NOTE: AGENT ORANGE ALERT - During the period of February 5-20, 1967 the Myles C. Fox was anchored off Qui Nhon and Nha Trang. Crew members went ashore during this time & may have been exposed to the herbicide Agent Orange.
Myles C. Fox operated on the east coast and in the Caribbean during most of 1967. She entered Boston Naval Shipyard 26 September for overhaul through 1 January 1968.
Upon completion of overhaul in Jan 1968, the ship proceeded to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for refresher training. Upon completion of refresher training she deployed to the Mediterranean and returned to the US in Oct 1968.
In January 1969 the ship participated in the Apollo 11 program by taking NASA's quarantine trailer on sea trials from Norfolk Va. The trailer was used by the astronauts in July 1969 when they returned from the first lunar landing by mankind.
In March she deployed to the Indian Ocean visiting ports in S. America, Africa, Madagascar, India, Pakistan, Iran, etc., returning in Sep 1969. The ship returned to Cuba in the spring of 1970. She completed training in June and after return to Newport she departed for participation in UNITAS XI in South American waters. For the next 5.5 months extensive training was conducted with South American navies of Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Peru, and Colombia. The operation was capped by a return passage through the Panama Canal. The ship returned to Newport on Dec 1970. On 12 March 1971 the Myles C. Fox entered the Boston Naval Shipyard for her regular overhaul period. After overhaul completion the ship departed for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for refresher training.
After completion and return to Newport the ship departed for the Middle East on 7 Jan 1972 where she operated for 4 months. On 2 May 1972 the ship arrived off the coast of Viet Nam and for the next 2 months provided NGFS in the south and spearheaded numerous night strikes against North Vietnamese targets, including the operation that placed mines in Haiphong Harbor. On 10 Aug the ship was awarded its second Battle Efficiency "E" and on 14 Aug returned to Newport. In June 1973 the ship completed a fuel oil conversion to navy distillate and in July was transferred to the Naval Reserve Force (NRF), changing homeports to Brooklyn, NY. During the period 1973-1979 the mission of the Fox was that of training the Naval Reserve component of the Navy. In Feb 1978 the ship departed Brooklyn for selected refresher training in Cuba. Upon completion in March she returned to Brooklyn and during that time was assigned numerous duties with elements of the second fleet.
The Myles C. Fox was decommissioned at the Brooklyn Navy Shipyard on 1 October 1979 after serving 34½ years. She was sold to Greece on Aug 2nd 1980.
The Greek Navy used the Fox for spare parts over several years while maintaining the forward and aft gun mounts and the torpedo tubes, but the ASROC launcher was removed. When the Fox was retired the Greek Navy removed the remaining valuable and useable parts.
The Fox along with several other ships were sank in the Aegean Sea, off the coast of Greece to create artificial reefs. The seacocks on the Fox were opened to allow the ship to slowly sink to the sea floor.
Circumnavigated the Globe (WESTPAC) - 4 October 1966 to 25 April 1967
Commanding Officers:
Mar 20 1945 - Aug 27 1945, CDR John Southworth Fahy
Aug 27 1945 - Feb 4 1948, CDR Donald Erzinger Willman
Feb 4 1948 - Apr 29 1949, CDR Henry Glass Munson
Apr 29 1949 - May 3 1950, CDR James Dunnington Babb
May 3 1950 - Jan 4 1952, CDR William M. Loughlin Jr.
Jan 4 1952 - Feb 12 1953, CDR Cassius Douglas Rhymes Jr.
Feb 12 1953 - Jul 14 1954, CDR Ross Robertson Hirshfeld
Jul 14 1954 - Sep 20 1956, CDR William J. Rusch Jr.
Sep 20 1956 - Jul 18 1958, CDR Howard Lyons Stone
Jul 18 1958 - Aug 1 1960, CDR Evans Jones Robinson
Aug 1 1960 - Mar 23 1962, CDR Wyatt E. Harper Jr.
Mar 23 1962 - Jul 18 1963, CDR Richard Armitage Paddock (Later RADM)
Jul 18 1963 - Jan 17 1964, CDR Samuel D. Seay
Jan 17 1964 - Apr 3 1964, LCDR Harold Edward Collins
Apr 3 1964 - Aug 10 1964, LCDR Robert Louis Logner
Aug 10 1964 - Feb 25 1966, CDR Fred W. Coulter
Feb 25 1966 - Feb 5 1968, CDR Harold Floyd Wenzel
Feb 5 1968 - Oct 10 1969, CDR James David McLuckie
Oct 10 1969 - Apr 16 1971, CDR Joseph L. Dick
Apr 16 1971 - Sep 15 1972, LCDR Gerald Paul Astorino
Sep 15 1972 - Apr 20 1974, CDR Coleman Jerome Gadbaw
Apr 20 1974 - Jul 30 1976, CDR Ralph Courtney Kemper
Jul 30 1976 - Oct 2 1978, CDR William Matthews Pitt
Oct 2 1978 - Oct 1 1979, CDR Joseph Francis McCarton
