USS Robison (DDG 12)

- decommissioned -

USS ROBISON - the first ship in the Navy to bear the name - was the eleventh ship in the CHARLES F. ADAMS - class of guided missile destroyers and was homeported in San Diego, Ca.

Stricken from the navy list on November 20, 1992, ROBISON was sold on June 20, 1994. ROBISON earned seven battle stars for service off the Vietnamese coast.

General Characteristics:	Awarded: January 17, 1958
	Keel laid: April 28, 1959
	Launched: April 27, 1960
	Commissioned: December 9, 1961
	Decommissioned: October 1, 1991
	Builder: Defoe Shipbuilding, Bay City, Michigan
	Propulsion system:4 - 1200 psi boilers; 2 geared turbines
	Propellers: two
	Length: 437 feet (133.2 meters)
	Beam: 47 feet (14.3 meters)
	Draft: 20 feet (6.1 meters)
	Displacement: approx. 4,500 tons
	Speed: 31+ knots
	Aircraft:none
	Armament: two Mk 42 5-inch/54 caliber guns, Mk 46 torpedoes from two Mk-32 triple mounts, one Mk 16 ASROC Missile Launcher, one Mk 11 Mod.0 Missile Launcher for Standard (MR) and Harpoon Missiles
	Crew: 24 officers and 330 enlisted

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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS ROBISON. 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 ROBISON memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.

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USS ROBISON Cruise Books:

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About the Ship's Name:

Samuel Shelburne Robison was born on 10 May 1867 in Juniata County, Pa. He entered the Naval Academy on 4 September 1884. After finishing his academic studies at Annapolis he served the 2 years at sea as a Passed Naval Cadet in OMAHA on the Asiatic Station and was commissioned ensign 1 July 1890.

In 1891 he was transferred to BOSTON, still on the Asiatic Station; and, from 1893, he served in THETIS until ordered to the Mare Island Navy Yard in 1895. In 1896 he returned to the Asiatic Station in BOSTON. In August 1899 he was assigned to the League Island Navy Yard, Philadelphia, Pa. He joined ALABAMA (BB 8) 15 September 1900, and 2 years later was transferred to HULL (DD 7), a torpedo boat destroyer. From September 1904 to July 1906, he served with the Bureau of Equipment at Washington, D.C., then he returned to sea, serving first in TENNESSEE (CA 10) and later in PENNSYLVANIA (ACR 4).

After a tour of duty in the Bureau of Engineering, he assumed command of CINCINNATI (C 7), a unit of the Asiatic Fleet, on 25 October 1911. Upon his return to the United States in April 1914, he became commanding officer of JUPITER (AC 3). He held the rank of captain from 1 July 1914, and he remained with JUPITER until 8 August.

On 12 October 1915 he assumed command of SOUTH CAROLINA (BB 26) and held that post until after the United States entered World War I. From July 1917 until September 1918, he commanded the Atlantic Submarine Force with additional duty as General Supervisor of all commissioned submarines in the Navy. For this duty he was awarded the Navy Cross. He was also made a Companion of the Order of the Bath for service to the British during the war.

In October 1918 he assumed command of Squadron 3, Patrol Force, and during the next month had additional duty as District Commander, Brest, France. In November, he was appointed U.S. Naval Representative on the Commission for executing the Naval Terms of the Armistice with Germany. After his return to the United States in March 1919, he commanded the Boston Navy Yard. In May 1921, he was sent to Santo Domingo as Military Governor.

A member of the General Board of the Navy from December 1922 until June 1923, he was appointed Commander in Chief, Battle Fleet, with the rank of admiral, from 30 June 1923. With SEATTLE (CA 11) as his flagship, he commanded the U.S. Fleet during the year commencing August 1925. He then became Commandant of the 13th Naval District with the permanent rank of rear admiral. From June 1928 until his retirement in June 1931, he served as Superintendent of the Naval Academy.

For a number of years after his retirement, Admiral Robison was Superintendent of the Admiral Farragut Academy, Toms River, N.J. He died in Glendale, Calif., on 20 November 1952 and was buried in the Arlington National Cemetery beside his wife, Mrs. Mary Louise Clark Robison, who had passed away in 1940.

Admiral Robison was a noted expert in the technical fields of the Navy as well as an outstanding naval commander. He published the "Manual of Radio Telegraphy and Telephone" which was regarded as the authority publication throughout the country and was published in nine editions.

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USS ROBISON History:

USS ROBISON was laid down 28 April 1959 by Defoe Shipbuilding, Bay City, Michigan. ROBISON was launched 28 April 1960, sponsored by Mrs. John H. Sides, wife of the Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet and commissioned 9 December 1961 at the Boston Naval Shipyard. San Diego was her first and only homeport.

ROBISON has made 17 deployments to the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean areas of operation and has won numerous awards for excellence and battle service. In her last year of commissioned service, she won the prestigious Battle Efficiency award for the second consecutive competitive cycle, having competed against much newer ships. ROBISON has also won the Meritorious Unit Commendation and seven battle stars for service off the coast of Vietnam.

On May 16, 1991, ROBISON completed her final extended deployment to the Southeast Pacific/Central America area conducting counter-narcotics operations. During this two-month deployment, ROBISON was directly responsible for the seizure of more than $21 million street value of cocaine. Her final series of port calls consisted of a visit to the 1991 Rose Festival in Portland, Oregon, a final ammunition offload at Indian Island, Washington, and the final overseas port of Victoria, Canada.

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USS ROBISON Image Gallery:

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