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USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110)

USS WILLIAM P. LAWRENCE is one of the Flight IIA ARLEIGH BURKE - class of Aegis guided missile destroyers and the first ship in the Navy named after Vice Admiral William P. Lawrence.

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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS WILLIAM P. LAWRENCE. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

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• Click here to see which USS WILLIAM P. LAWRENCE memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.

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About the Ship's Name:

VADM William Porter Lawrence was born in Nashville TN on January 13, 1930. As a boy in Nashville, he graduated first in his high school class and was President of the Student Body. He was ranking officer in the ROTC, all-city in football, all-state in basketball, member of the state championship basketball team and state Boys Tennis champion. He was a recipient of the William Hume award, given by the Superintendent of City Schools to the high school football player, “most outstanding in scholarship, leadership, sportsmanship and value to his team.” He attended the U. S. Naval Academy, where he played three varsity sports and ranked 8 out of 725 academically, graduating “with distinction” in 1951. He also served as Class President, Commander of the Brigade of Midshipmen, and led the establishment of the present-day Brigade Honor Concept, a key element in Midshipmen moral development.

Upon receipt of his Naval Aviator Wings in Pensacola, FL, in November 1952, he was assigned to Fighter Squadron 193 at the Naval Air Station Moffett Field, CA, during the Korean War, and deployed twice to the Far East aboard the aircraft carrier USS ORISKANY (CV 34). He next attended the Naval Aviation Safety School at the University of Southern California, and the U. S. Naval Test Pilot School at the Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, MD, where he graduated number one in his class. Subsequently, he served as a test pilot in the Flight Test Division and as an instructor on the Test Pilot School staff. While a test pilot in 1958, he became the first Naval Aviator to fly twice the speed of sound in a Navy airplane, the F8U Crusader III. In 1959 he was a Navy nominee for the initial astronaut selection and was among the final 32 candidates for the Project Mercury program, being disqualified for a minor physical defect.

Lawrence, as a Lieutenant, served as Personal aide to RADM Thomas H. Moorer, USN, Commander Carrier Division Six, aboard the aircraft carrier USS SARATOGA (CV 60), deploying to the Mediterranean and North Atlantic. He next served as Assistant Operations Officer of Fighter Squadron 101, Naval Air Station, Oceana, VA, responsible for the introduction of the new F4H Phantom jet to the fleet, followed by a tour as Navigator of the gun cruiser USS NEWPORT NEWS (CA 148).

Next assigned as Maintenance Officer to Fighter Squadron 14 at Naval Air Station, Cecil Field, FL, he deployed to the Mediterranean aboard the aircraft carrier USS FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT (CV 42). He next served as Executive Assistant to General Paul D. Adams, USA, Commander-in-Chief U.S. Strike Command, headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base, FL.

VADM Lawrence made combat deployments to Vietnam aboard the aircraft carriers USS RANGER (CV 61) and USS CONSTELLATION (CV 64). While Commanding Officer of Fighter Squadron 143, he was shot down over North Vietnam in June 1967 and held as a Prisoner of War until March 1973. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the country’s third highest military award, for his inspirational leadership of fellow POWs while under constant pressure and mistreatment from his captors.

After repatriation and convalescence at the Naval Hospital Memphis, TN, he attended the National War College, where he was designated a distinguished graduate. During the same period, he pursued a course of study at George Washington University, leading to the award of a master’s degree in international affairs in July 1974.

After promotion to Rear Admiral in July 1974, VADM Lawrence served as Commander Light Attack Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet at the Naval Air Station, Lemoore, CA. Subsequently, he served as the Director, Aviation Programs Division and Assistant Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Air Warfare) in the Pentagon. He became Superintendent, U.S. Naval Academy on 28 August, 1978 and promoted to Vice Admiral on 1 August 1980. VADM Lawrence assumed command of the U.S. Third Fleet in September 1981, the Fleet which Admiral Halsey commanded in World War II. In 1983, while COMTHIRDFLT, he won the Hawaii Armed Forces singles tennis championship in the seniors division (over 45).

On 28 September 1983, he became the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Manpower, Personnel and Training)/Chief of Naval Personnel, responsible for formulating and executing Navy policies on personnel and training matters. During his period, VADM Lawrence was dubbed by the men and women in the fleet as the “Sailor’s Admiral.”

He retired from active duty on 1 February 1986 and subsequently occupied the Chair of Naval Leadership at the Naval Academy until 1994, and served as the President of the Association of Naval Aviation from 1991 to 1994. He was a Visiting Professional Scholar at the Freedom Forum First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University, conducting research and preparing a report on the relationship between the military and the U.S. news media.

VADM Lawrence died December 2, 2005. His military decorations include: Distinguished Service Medal (4 awards), Silver Star (3 awards), Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star with Combat V, Purple Heart (2 awards), Air Medal (3 awards), Joint Service Commendation Medal, and Navy Commendation with Combat V (2 awards), Combat Action Ribbon, Navy Unit Commendation (with silver star), POW Medal, National Defense Service Medal (with bronze star), Korean Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal (three bronze stars), Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation, United Nations Service Medal and Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.

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Accidents aboard USS WILLIAM P. LAWRENCE:

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About the Ship's Coat of Arms:

The Shield:

Dark blue is the color traditionally associated with the Navy, representing the sea. The dark gray split chevron on the white chevron alludes to VADM Lawrence’s mission to lead a flak suppression section during a raid in North Vietnam. Upon taking enemy fire, his aircraft tail section separated, forcing him to eject, where he became a prisoner in Hanoi, illustrated by the shackbolt. The six chain links indicate the years spent as a prisoner of war. The anchor denotes naval strength. The golden eagle highlights VADM Lawrence as a man of courage to resist his captors, while suffering torture and beatings. The combination of the eagle and anchor symbolize the VADM’s career as a Naval aviator, suggesting his service as a test pilot, becoming the first to fly twice the speed of sound and final candidate for the Mercury space program. The stars represent VADM Lawrence’s strength of character, implying the award of two Bronze stars and the Purple Heart. The three silver stars represent the highest rank achieved, command of the 3rd Fleet as well as the three Silver Stars awarded for exceptional heroism.

The Crest:

The Aegis shield emphasizes the modern weaponry and the ARLEIGH BURKE class to which the ship belongs. The shield reflects the colors of the Tennessee state flag, the birthplace of VADM Lawrence. The golden enflamed torch represents achievement and enlightenment when VADM Lawrence created the Midshipmen honor concept, as the President of his class at United States Naval Academy in 1950 and his remarkable performance as a scholar/athlete. The quills pens allude to knowledge, signifying his appointment as Superintendent of the Naval Academy and the poem which he mentally composed while in solitary confinement as a prisoner of war which was adopted as the Tennessee state poem in 1973.

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USS WILLIAM P. LAWRENCE History:

USS WILLIAM P. LAWRENCE was built at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi; her keel was laid on September 16, 2008, she was launched on December 15, 2009, christened on April 17, 2010 by the widow and daughters of her namesake, and delivered to the Navy on February 23, 2011, before being commissioned at Mobile, Alabama on June 4, 2011.

After brief shakedown and transit, she reached her initial homeport at Naval Base San Diego on July 1, 2011, and in June 2012, moored at Portland, Oregon, for the city's annual Rose Festival, an early public debut that preceded advanced workups.

The destroyer got underway from San Diego on January 14, 2013, for her maiden overseas cruise, conducting an Undersea Warfare Exercise in the Hawaiian operating areas later that month, then making her first liberty call at Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, on February 6, 2013, as she crossed into the Western Pacific. She transited the Strait of Hormuz on March 1, 2013, and on March 11, 2013, diverted to aid a burning vessel in the strait, reflecting the standing maritime security and safety mission in U.S. Fifth Fleet waters. During March she also visited Manama, Bahrain, to support engagement ashore. Continuing across the northern Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in April 2013, she twice assisted mariners in distress while supporting Combined Task Force 150 operations, then moved through a sequence of Gulf and regional port calls that spring and summer including Jubail, Saudi Arabia on June 11, 2013, Muscat, Oman from June 26-30, 2013, and Dubai/Jebel Ali in late April, all aligned with carrier strike group presence and theater security cooperation.

On September 2, 2013, the ship shifted to the Red Sea with ongoing contingency posture, and on September 22, 2013, an embarked MH-60S from HSC-6 operating from USS NIMITZ (CVN 68) suffered a mishap on her flight deck and went overboard in heavy seas, an accident that claimed two aviators and prompted a major search-and-rescue effort and subsequent Navy safety investigation.

Following post-deployment maintenance and basic phase training in 2014-2015, the crew marked the national commemoration of the September 11 attacks with a memorial ceremony on September 11, 2015, and later that autumn conducted live Standard Missile training as part of Combat Systems readiness events off the U.S. West Coast.

In early 2016, the destroyer deployed with JOHN C. STENNIS (CVN 74) Carrier Strike Group as part of the Navy's Great Green Fleet initiative, broke off for an Oceania Maritime Security Initiative mission supporting U.S. Coast Guard law-enforcement in the Central Pacific, and rejoined the strike group on March 11, 2016. That spring she operated widely across Seventh Fleet, including a routine South China Sea patrol on May 2, 2016, during heightened regional tensions over maritime claims.

On May 10, 2016, she executed a freedom of navigation operation near Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratlys to contest excessive maritime claims by multiple parties, a deliberate law-of-the-sea assertion that drew regional attention and official statements, and later that summer she took part in RIMPAC 2016 off Hawaii, conducting live-fire events and high-level ship visits before returning to the mainland.

On November 14, 2016, the ship arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, completing a homeport swap from San Diego with USS PAUL HAMILTON (DDG 60) and beginning her long association with Middle Pacific operations.

In 2018, she again participated in RIMPAC, including deployment of oceanographic gliders in support of anti-submarine warfare experimentation around Hawaii, and in 2019 she deployed to the Indo-Pacific with a profile that combined multilateral exercises and presence: in mid-May 2019, she was pierside at Changi Naval Base for the IMDEX Asia defense exhibition, hosted Singapore's defense leadership aboard, and then sailed in the South China Sea alongside partner navies including JS IZUMO and JS MURASAME of Japan and Indian Navy units INS KOLKATA and INS SHAKTI, a cooperative sail that underscored interoperability among regional democracies. She returned to Pearl Harbor on November 7, 2019, at the conclusion of that Western Pacific deployment.

In 2020, she shifted to U.S. Southern Command's enhanced counter-narcotics posture and, on September 30, 2020, conducted a freedom of navigation operation in the Caribbean Sea to challenge Venezuela's excessive maritime claims under longstanding U.S. policy. Through October and November 2020 she executed Fourth Fleet missions across the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, transited the Panama Canal westbound in November, and supported Joint Interagency Task Force South with a full slate of gunnery, flight, and small-boat evolutions.

When Hurricane Eta devastated Honduras in November 2020, the ship embarked HSM-37 Detachment 7 and shifted to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, flying medical supplies and evacuating stranded civilians ashore from November 12-15, 2020, in coordination with JTF-Bravo and other U.S. assets, before returning home to Hawaii on January 11, 2021.

Through 2021-2022, the destroyer completed a selected restricted availability at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard that also delivered quality-of-life upgrades, then returned to sea for RIMPAC 2022 where she took part in underway replenishment with HMNZS AOTEAROA and formation operations, and in August 2022 contributed to the multinational PACIFIC DRAGON ballistic-missile defense exercise near Kauai as part of a coalition test and tracking event.

After early-2024 tasking in the Western Pacific that included a community-relations visit to Manila on January 13, 2024, and subsequent return to Hawaii on February 21, 2024, the ship executed regional engagement up the North Pacific with a port visit to Juneau, Alaska, on May 7, 2024, and then joined RIMPAC 2024, again refueling at sea with HMNZS AOTEAROA during the force-integration phase.

On November 27, 2024, she deployed from Pearl Harbor with the CARL VINSON (CVN 70) Carrier Strike Group for Seventh Fleet operations. In spring 2025, she conducted independent operations focused on alliance activities on the Korean Peninsula, including a maritime counter-special-operations exercise on May 8, 2025, with the Republic of Korea Navy destroyer ROKS YULGOK YI I (DDG 992), followed by port visits to Busan and Chinhae and other at-sea evolutions and logistics events across the Philippine Sea and East China Sea. She completed the cruise by returning to Pearl Harbor on July 9, 2025, concluding a seven-month Indo-Pacific deployment.

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Homeports of USS WILLIAM P. LAWRENCE:

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USS WILLIAM P. LAWRENCE Image Gallery:

The photos below were taken by me and show the WILLIAM P. LAWRENCE drydocked at BAE Systems Ship Repair in San Diego, Calif., on March 15, 2012.

The photos below were all taken by me. The first photos show the WILLIAM P. LAWRENCE departing San Diego, Calif., on October 10, 2012, and arriving back in town after roughly 4 hours. The last photos show the destroyer moored at the Naval Base in San Diego on October 11.

The photos below were taken by Lydia Perz and show the WILLIAM P. LAWRENCE undergoing a two-month Selected Restricted Availability (SRA) at NASSCO shipyard at San Diego, Calif. The photos were taken on May 3, 2014.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the WILLIAM P. LAWRENCE at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on December 27, 2014.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the WILLIAM P. LAWRENCE at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on October 2, 2015.

The photo below was taken by Michael Jenning and shows the WILLIAM P. LAWRENCE at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on October 6, 2016.

The photo below was taken by Michael Jenning and shows the WILLIAM P. LAWRENCE at Naval Base Pearl Harbor, Hi., on October 14, 2017.

The photo below was taken by Sebastian Thoma and shows the WILLIAM P. LAWRENCE at Naval Base Pearl Harbor, Hi., on March 18, 2022.

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