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General Characteristics

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About the Ship's Name

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USS James E. Williams (DDG 95)

Named after the most-decorated enlisted man in Navy history, the USS JAMES E. WILLIAMS is the 17^th Flight IIA ARLEIGH BURKE - class guided missile destroyer and the first ship in the Navy to bear the name.

General Characteristics:	Awarded: March 6, 1998
	Keel laid: July 15, 2002
	Launched: June 25, 2003
	Commissioned: December 11, 2004
	Builder: Ingalls Shipbuilding, West Bank, Pascagoula, Miss.
	Propulsion system: four General Electric LM 2500 gas turbine engines
	Propellers: two
	Length: 508,5 feet (155 meters)
	Beam: 67 feet (20.4 meters)
	Draft: 30,5 feet (9.3 meters)
	Displacement: approx. 9,200 tons full load
	Speed: 32 knots
	Aircraft: two SH-60 (LAMPS 3) helicopters
	Armament: one Mk-45 5"/62 caliber lightweight gun, two Mk-41 VLS for Standard missiles and Tomahawk ASM/LAM, one 20mm Phalanx CIWS, two Mk-32 triple torpedo tubes for Mk-50 and Mk-46 torpedoes, two Mk 38 Mod 2 25mm machine gun systems
	Homeport: Norfolk, VA
	Crew: approx. 320

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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS JAMES E. WILLIAMS. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

Click here to view the list.

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Click here to see which USS JAMES E. WILLIAMS memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.

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USS JAMES E. WILLIAMS Cruise Books:

Mediterranean and Arabian Sea Cruise Book 2009

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About the Ship’s Name:

Born in Fort Mill, SC, in 1930, and raised in Darlington County, SC, Boatswain’s Mate First Class James Elliot Williams was the most-decorated enlisted man in Navy history. Williams received the Medal of Honor for his service on the Mekong River in Vietnam on Oct. 31, 1966, while serving as boat captain and patrol officer aboard River Patrol Boat (PBR) 105. His boat and another PBR were searching for contraband when crewmembers spotted two speedboats crossing ahead. The speed-boats split up, with Williams pursuing and sinking one. He then turned his boat and went after the second, which hid in an eight foot-wide canal in front of a rice paddy.

Williams knew his boat wouldn't fit in the canal, but after checking a map, he realized he could pass through a wider canal and intercept the enemy craft. However, after exiting that canal, Williams found himself and his crew in a hostile staging area where they came under heavy fire from boats and ashore. Williams and his crew waged battle against multiple enemy boats.

U.S. helicopter support eventually arrived, and PBR 105 moved to another enemy boat staging area. After a fierce battle and more than three hours of fighting, Williams' patrol had accounted for the destruction or loss of 65 enemy boats and more than 1,000 enemy troops.

Williams retired from the Navy in 1967 and returned to South Carolina where he found another way to serve his country. In 1969, he was appointed U.S. Marshal for the District of South Carolina. Although his exploits in Vietnam were legendary, he was quick to admonish anyone who wanted to talk about his awards.

"You gotta stop and think about your shipmates," he said in an interview with the Navy's All Hands Magazine in 1998. "That's what makes you a great person and a great leader - taking care of each other."

In addition to the Medal of Honor, Williams' many awards include the Navy Cross, Silver Star, Navy and Marine Corps Medal, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and the Navy Commendation Medal with combat distinguishing device.

Boatswain’s Mate First Class James Elliot Williams passed away in 1999.

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USS JAMES E. WILLIAMS Image Gallery:

The photos below were taken by me and show the USS JAMES E. WILLIAMS at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on November 9, 2008.

The photos below were taken by me and show the USS JAMES E. WILLIAMS passing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel on her way to Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on October 29, 2010. The last photo shows the ship a few hours later at the Naval Base.

The photos below were taken by me and show the USS JAMES E. WILLIAMS departing Royal Navy Base Clyde in Faslane, Scotland, to participate in Exercise Joint Warrior 14-1.The photos were taken on March 30, 2014.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the JAMES E. WILLIAMS at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on May 8, 2014.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the JAMES E. WILLIAMS at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on October 6, 2015.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the JAMES E. WILLIAMS during a Drydocking Selected Restricted Availability (DSRA) at BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair at Norfolk, Va. The photos were taken on April 12 and 13, 2016.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the JAMES E. WILLIAMS at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on October 12, 2016.

The photo below was taken by Thomas Heinrich and shows the USS JAMES E. WILLIAMS transiting the English Channel off Ostend, Belgium, on June 1, 2017. The photo was taken from 1,000 feet altitude and shows the WILLIAMS heading for the Baltic Sea to participate in BALTOPS 2017.

The photos below were taken by me and show the USS JAMES E. WILLIAMS arriving at Kiel, Germany, on June 16, 2017, after participating in Exercise BALTOPS 2017. The JAMES E. WILLIAMS departed Norfolk, Va., on May 23 for an independent deployment. After a short fuel stop at Amsterdam, The Netherlands, the ship continued to the Baltic Sea and joined the annual BALTOPS Exercise on June 4.