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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.

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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.

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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 History:

USS JAMES E. WILLIAMS was built by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi, with keel laid on July 15, 2002, launch on June 25, 2003, and commissioning on December 11, 2004, at Charleston, South Carolina. The Flight IIA destroyer joined the Atlantic Fleet based from Norfolk.

After trials and workups, the ship departed Norfolk on May 2, 2006, for her maiden deployment as part of the Global War on Terrorism Surface Strike Group 06-2, sailing with USS TRENTON (LPD 14) and USS HUE CITY (CG 66) under the Fleet Response Plan to provide additional presence to Fifth and Sixth Fleet waters. She completed the cruise on October 17, 2006, after maritime security operations that included anti piracy patrols off Somalia as coalition attention focused on protecting shipping through the Gulf of Aden during a surge in attacks.

JAMES E. WILLIAMS deployed again on July 9, 2007, with the ENTERPRISE (CVN 65) carrier strike group for operations spanning the Mediterranean, Arabian Sea, and Gulf of Aden. On October 30, 2007, the destroyer responded to a report that the North Korean cargo ship DAI HONG DAN had been seized by Somali pirates near the Horn of Africa. The destroyer coordinated by radio, launched a helicopter to demand the pirates disarm, and then provided medical assistance after the merchant crew retook control of the ship. Injured mariners were treated on board while the vessel was escorted clear of Somali waters. The ship completed the deployment to the Fifth Fleet area on December 19, 2007. These actions occurred as piracy peaked along the Somali littorals and multinational task forces expanded interdiction and escort operations.

On April 20, 2009, the destroyer departed on another deployment, this time as a lead element for the BATAAN (LHD 5) Amphibious Ready Group, conducting maritime security operations in the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf and working with allied navies on interdiction and theater engagement tasks. She returned to Norfolk on October 19, 2009.

During 2011 and 2012, the ship's schedule included preparations and a subsequent deployment into the Gulf of Oman and North Arabian Sea with ENTERPRISE strike group units, where on August 8, 2012, she rescued ten mariners from a burning Iranian flagged dhow and transferred them onward after medical care, then re-entered the Mediterranean on August 25 while transiting back toward Sixth Fleet waters. The period reflected ongoing coalition presence and counter smuggling vigilance across the Arabian Sea sea lanes as combat operations in Afghanistan wound down and regional tensions remained high.

From May 30, 2014, the destroyer began an approximately eight-month Sixth Fleet and adjacent waters deployment oriented on Africa maritime security and partner engagements. Port calls included Rota, Spain; Djibouti; Port Louis, Mauritius, on September 29, 2014; and Port Victoria, Seychelles, in November 2014, before returning to Norfolk in early January 2015. The cruise combined exercises, capacity building, and maritime security operations tied to counter piracy after action presence east of the Suez Canal.

The ship deployed again on May 23, 2017, entering Sixth Fleet on May 27 and conducting an extended swing through Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Black Sea with subsequent Fifth Fleet tasking. Port visits during this 2017 deployment included Rota, Spain, on October 3; Rotterdam; Kiel for Kiel Week; Reykjavik; Trondheim and Bergen in Norway; Riga; Lisbon; Souda Bay; Jeddah; Manama; and Odessa on November 29, before returning to Norfolk on December 23, 2017. The itinerary reflected NATO reassurance and Baltic Arctic engagements alongside routine transits to and from Middle East waters.

In January 2020, the destroyer commenced another deployment to Fifth and Sixth Fleet regions supporting maritime security operations and theater cooperation, returning to Norfolk on August 10, 2020. The crew subsequently earned a Navy Unit Commendation for performance during this period and executed a follow on phase in U.S. Fourth Fleet, including a February 15, 2021, passing exercise in the Caribbean Sea with the Colombian frigate ARC ALMIRANTE PADILLA. These evolutions occurred amid COVID 19 operating constraints, with U.S. surface units maintaining continuous presence as regional navies adjusted schedules.

The ship next served as flagship for STANDING NATO MARITIME GROUP TWO during a December 2022 to July 2023 NATO deployment. After a flagship turnover in Rota, Spain, on January 6, 2023, the group operated across the Adriatic, Ionian, and central and eastern Mediterranean, conducted vigilance activities, and trained with allied units including HNLMS DE ZEVEN PROVINCIEN, HMCS FREDERICTON, ITS PAOLO THAON DI REVEL, and FS LANGUEDOC. Port engagements included Split, Croatia, in mid-March 2023, Souda Bay, Greece, later that month, and Toulon, France, in May 2023. The task group held a handover turnover ceremony at Taranto, Italy, on June 30, 2023, and JAMES E. WILLIAMS returned to Norfolk on July 14, 2023, concluding seven months as a NATO flagship during a period of sustained allied maritime vigilance linked to the war in Ukraine and broader Mediterranean security.

Beginning in fiscal year 2024, the destroyer entered a Depot Modernization Period in Norfolk under a multi ship modernization contract, with work led by General Dynamics NASSCO and associated Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center oversight. Public updates in 2024 noted DDG MOD 2.0 upgrade activity and progress milestones as the ship completed drydock phases and returned to the water. This availability, running through 2024 and into 2025, focused on maintenance, repair, and combat systems enhancements to ready the ship for follow on operations.

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Homeports of USS JAMES E. WILLIAMS:

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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.

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The photos below were taken by me during an open ship event aboard USS JAMES E. WILLIAMS at Kiel, Germany, on June 17, 2017.

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The photo below was taken by Michael Jenning and shows the JAMES E. WILLIAMS at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on September 21, 2018.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the JAMES E. WILLIAMS at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on December 26, 2021.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the JAMES E. WILLIAMS at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on September 6, 2022.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the JAMES E. WILLIAMS at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on October 9, 2023.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show USS JAMES E. WILLIAMS at the NASSCO shipyard, Norfolk, Va., for a Depot Maintenance Period (DMP) on October 4, 2024. JAMES E. WILLIAMS is being equipped with the AN/SLQ-32(V)7 Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program Block 3, the AN/SPY-6 air and missile defense radar and the Baseline 10 version of the Aegis Combat System. The most striking feature of the upgrade are the new structures below the bridgewings.

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