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General Characteristics Crew List Memorabilia Cruise Books and Pamphlets About the Name "Merrill" USS Merrill's COs History About the Ship's Coat of Arms Image Gallery to end of page |  |  |
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.
| General Characteristics: | Keel Laid: June 16, 1975 |
| Launched: September 1, 1976 | |
| Commissioned: March 11, 1978 | |
| Decommissioned: March 26, 1998 | |
| Builder: Ingalls Shipbuilding, West Bank, Pascagoula, Miss. | |
| Propulsion system: four General Electric LM 2500 gas turbine engines | |
| Propellers: two | |
| Blades on each Propeller: five | |
| Length: 564,3 feet (172 meters) | |
| Beam: 55,1 feet (16.8 meters) | |
| Draft: 28,9 feet (8.8 meters) | |
| Displacement: approx. 9,200 tons full load | |
| Speed: 30+ knots | |
| Aircraft: two | |
| Armament: two | |
| Crew: approx. 340 |
back to top go to the end of the pageback to top go to the end of the pageCrew List:
This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS MERRILL. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.
back to top go to the end of the pageback to top go to the end of the pageUSS MERRILL Cruise Books and Pamphlets:
back to top go to the end of the pageAbout the Ship's Name, about Vice Admiral Aaron S. Merrill:
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.
back to top go to the end of the pageUSS MERRILL's Commanding Officers:
| Period | Name |
|---|---|
| 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 |
back to top go to the end of the pageHistory of USS MERRILL:
USS MERRILL was laid down at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi, on 16 June 1975, launched on 1 September 1976, and commissioned on 11 March 1978. Assigned to the Pacific Fleet and homeported in San Diego, she spent the remainder of 1978 in post-commissioning trials and combat systems certifications, building the core team skills in engineering, anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare that would define her early service. Her first operational work-ups in 1979 focused on integrated air, surface, and ASW exercises with other Southern California ships and aircraft, as MERRILL transitioned from a brand-new hull to a fully ready combatant.
In early 1980, MERRILL began a transformative role as the Navy's primary surface-ship test platform for the emerging BGM-109 TOMAHAWK program. After preparations and instrumented trials at the Pacific Missile Test Center (PMTC) range, she conducted the first successful ship-launched TOMAHAWK on 20 March 1980, a milestone in bringing long-range land-attack capability to surface forces. Later that year, while deployed to the Western Pacific, she also undertook routine presence and exercises punctuated by a major humanitarian act: on 21 August 1980, MERRILL rescued 62 Vietnamese refugees about 200 nautical miles southeast of Saigon, a reflection of the continuing post-conflict migration crisis in Southeast Asia. She returned to San Diego having combined cutting-edge weapons development with traditional forward-deployed duties.
Through 1981 and 1982, MERRILL's schedule was dominated by iterative TOMAHAWK testing at sea - system integration, reliability growth, and tactics development - which kept her largely out of the normal WESTPAC rotation. The destroyer received Armored Box Launchers (ABLs) and associated control systems, and she fired additional instrumented missiles on the PMTC range as program milestones approached. On 6 March 1983, with the missile reaching initial operational status that month, an official Department of Defense photo captured a TOMAHAWK in flight after launch from MERRILL off Southern California - an image emblematic of the ship's central role in transitioning the weapon from development to the Fleet. The test duty earned the ship a Meritorious Unit Commendation and established procedures later used across the surface force.
By 1984 and 1985, as the TOMAHAWK program matured, MERRILL balanced continued test evolutions with fleet training in the Southern California operations areas. She rehearsed multi-threat warfare, helicopter (LAMPS) operations from her flight deck, and replenishment and escort profiles, preparing to rejoin full deployment cycles. Crew experience gained during years of exacting test work translated directly into refined combat systems employment and readiness checks ahead of her next major cruise.
In 1986, MERRILL deployed to the Western Pacific as flagship for DESTROYER SQUADRON 21 within BATTLE GROUP ROMEO, centered on the reactivated battleship USS NEW JERSEY (BB 62). From May to October she operated across the region as an independent surface striking force - freeing a carrier for other tasks - while exercising with U.S. and allied navies. Group participants included USS LONG BEACH (CGN 9), USS THACH (FFG 43), USS KIRK (FF 1087), USS WABASH (AOR 5), and Royal Australian Navy frigates and destroyer escorts such as HMAS SWAN, STUART, PARRAMATTA, and DERWENT. The deployment featured high-visibility presence from Hawaii westward to Southeast Asia and the North Pacific and underscored the Navy's mid-1980s emphasis on distributed surface firepower built around Tomahawk-equipped ships and reactivated battleships. MERRILL returned to San Diego late in the year and resumed local training and maintenance.
In 1987, the destroyer maintained a steady rhythm of certifications and composite training, including multi-ship evolutions and air defense and ASW exercises that kept her crew and systems at deployment standard. These preparations were soon tested by rising tensions in the Persian Gulf during the "Tanker War", where both Iran and Iraq targeted merchant shipping and mined approaches to the Strait of Hormuz, prompting an expanding U.S. naval presence.
MERRILL deployed to the region in early 1988, joining the U.S. build-up in the North Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf under Joint Task Force Middle East. On 18 April 1988, following the mining and near-loss of USS SAMUEL B. ROBERTS (FFG 58) four days earlier, the United States executed OPERATION PRAYING MANTIS - limited retaliatory strikes on Iranian naval and military targets. MERRILL formed SURFACE ACTION GROUP BRAVO with USS LYNDE McCORMICK (DDG 8) and USS TRENTON (LPD 14) (with a Marine air-ground detachment embarked), supported by LAMPS detachments (including HSL-35 Det 1 on MERRILL). At 08:00 local time, MERRILL transmitted a final warning for personnel to abandon the SASSAN oil-platform complex, which had been used for Iranian command-and-control and surveillance of shipping. After twenty minutes, the U.S. ships opened fire, silencing defenses and destroying military facilities. Later that day, as other U.S. groups disabled the SIRRI platform and fought and sank Iranian combatants at sea, MERRILL's group completed its assigned mission and withdrew on schedule. The operation marked the largest U.S. surface action since World War II and contributed to curbing Iranian attacks on neutral shipping.
After OPERATION PRAYING MANTIS, MERRILL continued Persian Gulf and North Arabian Sea operations during the closing months of the Iran-Iraq War, conducting escort, surveillance, and presence missions before rotating home. Back in the Pacific, she returned to type training and upkeep. That summer, as the Navy's reactivated battleships and Tomahawk-armed destroyers remained symbols of surface strike credibility, MERRILL was photographed alongside USS MISSOURI (BB 63) on 24 August 1988 - a snapshot of the era's battleship-led surface action groups and the SPRUANCE-class's role within them.
In 1989, MERRILL stood out on another deployment to the Middle East. Serving as a unit of Joint Task Force Middle East, the ship conducted operations in support of Operation Earnest Will and was back in San Diego in 1990.
Assigned to the ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN 72) Battle Group, MERRILL again deployed to the Middle East in 1991. Arriving in the region after the ceasefire of the second Gulf War, the MERRILL became the flagship for the Coalition minesweeping forces in the Persian Gulf and was the second warship to visit the liberated port of Kuwait City after the Iraqi invasion.
1992 found MERRILL underway on a counter-narcotics deployment in the Central America Area of Operations.
USS MERRILL deployed in 1995 as part of the ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN 72) Battle Group. During the first half of the deployment, the battle group conducted a variety of multinational operations and exercises designed to support US interests and relationships in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, and the Arabian Gulf. The battle group maintained a continuous watch on all merchant shipping going to and from Iraq. Numerous ships were queried and boarded to verify their cargo manifests.
In July 1995, as part of a reorganization of the Pacific Fleet's surface ships into six core battle groups and eight destroyer squadrons, USS MERRILL was reassigned to Destroyer Squadron 7. The reorganization was scheduled to be completed by October 1, with homeport changes to be completed within the following year.
From February 10 through 21, 1997, USS MERRILL took part in Pacific Joint Task Force Exercise (PACJTFEX) 97-1, off the Southern California coast. The 3rd Fleet exercise involved 20 ships, fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters from USS CONSTELLATION (CV 64) Carrier Battle Group and USS BOXER (LHD 4) Amphibious Ready Group with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit embarked. Army, Air Force, National Guard and Coast Guard units also participated. The exercise included various air strike and support missions, maritime interdiction operations, humanitarian operations, operational testing of weapons systems, logistics support, search and rescue, and command and control. Amphibious operations supporting the exercise culminated with an amphibious landing at Camp Pendleton, CA, involving surface and helicopter assault forces. PAC JTFEX 97-1 was part of a series of exercises previously named "FLEETEX." The change in name reflected the increasing focus on preparing naval forces for joint operations with other US military services. During the previous several years this exercise placed increasing emphasis on incorporating joint procedures, planning, and command and control structures into task group training.
USS MERRILL then deployed with the USS CONSTELLATION (CV 64) Battle Group, as part of a routine six-month deployment in the waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The CONSTELLATION CVBG departed 5th Fleet's Area of Responsibility (AOR) on August 17, 1997. It had entered the Arabian Sea on May 16, and conducted there high tempo operations that included more than 4,400 sorties during more than 10 weeks in the Arabian Gulf. Operations included exercises with friendly forces in the region. After departing the Arabian Gulf, the Constellation Battle Group concluded its tour in the 5th Fleet with a joint-combined exercise with military forces from Pakistan. Dubbed Inspired Siren 97-2 and Inspired Alert 97-2, the exercises incorporated both surface combatants and air components, respectively. The purpose of this four-day training mission was to exercise the joint-combined naval and air capabilities of both countries, improve their respective levels of readiness and interoperability, and enhance military relations between the two nations.
On March 26, 1998, MERRILL was decommissioned and for the next 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.
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About the Ship's Coat of Arms:The coat of arms of USS MERRILL serves as a heraldic remembrance of the ship's namesake, Vice Adm. Aaron S. Merrill. The colors blue and gold are the traditional colors of the United States Navy, and the red, white, and blue, our national colors, allude to the ship's motto, "Spirit of '76".
The crest composed of waves, refers to the Distinguished Service Medal, awarded to Admiral Merrill for his service in the Solomons Campaign. The anchor and waves symbolize his expertise in surface seamanship and demonstrated knowledge of warfare tactics; the waves further refer to the Admiral's eight major sea battle: covering force for the capture of Russell Island, bombardment of Vila-Stanhope Air Field on Kolombangara Island and Munda Air Field, New Georgia Campaign, Treasury Island, Bougainville Island,covering forces for the Green Island occupation and Emirau Island. The anchor represents loyalty and naval leadership, together with the crescent moon, an emblem of the night, refer to the sobriquet, "The Navy's Nightfighter".
The five-pointed star signifying command, is flanked by two six-pointed stars, whose total of twelve poiints symbolize Admiral Merrill's command of Cruiser-Destroyer Division 12 and simulate his successful flanking strategy. The three stars together refer to the Third Fleet, within which his Division operated, and in addition indicate his highest rank achieved.
The arrow, symbol of leadership and martial readiness, also alludes to the Natchez Indians who were native to Mississippi, and connotes Admiral Merrill's distinction of being the first Commanding Officer of the new battleship INDIANA upon her commissioning in 1942.
The ship's motto, "Spirit of '76", couples the year of MERRILL's christening with her hull number and the nation's bicentennial. In addition, this expression aptly summarizes characteristics which made Admiral Merrill one of the Navy's greatest leaders...courage, decisiveness, and dedication.
back to top go to the end of the pageUSS MERRILL Image Gallery:
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The photo below is an official US Navy photo taken on June 4, 2000. It shows (from left to right) the INGERSOLL (DD 990), HARRY W. HILL (DD 986), LEFTWICH (DD 984), and MERRILL laid up at the Pearl Harbor Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility. All four ships have since been sunk as targets off the north coast of Kauai, Hawaii.
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