The ship was laid down on November 28, 1944 by the Consolidated Steel Corporation of Texas. She was named ORLECK on January 11, 1945 and was launched on the 12th of May, 1945, and then commissioned on September 15, 1945.
| Ship's Characteristics: | |
|---|---|
Class: | Gearing Class, Long Hull |
Length: | 390 feet, 6 inches |
Beam: | 40 feet, 10 inches |
Displacement: | 2250 tons |
Original Armament: | Three 5"/38 Twins |
Original Cost: | $6,313,000.00 |
USS ORLECK DD 886 was decommissioned October 2, 1982 at the Navy-Marine Corps Reserve Center pier in Tacoma, Washington.
TCG YUCETEPE D 345 (ex-USS ORLECK) was commissioned on October 2, 1982 at Tacoma, Washington.
TCG YUCETEPE D 345 was decommissioned April 1, 1998 in Golcuk Turkey.
USS ORLECK DD 886 returned to United States and is moored on the Sabine River in Orange, Texas, the place of her birth, to begin her service as a museum.
Gearing Class destroyers were built for a limited life of service; approximately 10-15 years. Some were lost at sea, but most survived and outlived expectations and ultimately had to face decommissioning. Some were recommissioned to the service of other nations. A lucky few were preserved as museums. Many were scrapped.
Many questioned what would be the fate of the ORLECK. It would not be appropriate to set her aside or scrap her. She was in great shape and that would have been a waste. There were no openings for a museum. The United States Government decided to enter into a military lease with Turkey. She served there until decommissioned on April 1, 1998.
At the time of the decommissioning in Turkey she was fully operational and beautifully maintained. Due to 2 1/2 years of sitting cold before tow arrangements were made, much rust formed and other deterioration took place. She is definitely capable of being restored to future condition and looks but there will need to be a lot of effort from many people and organizations.
The scheduled reunion of October 3, 2002 through October 6, 2002 marks a time when efforts need to be redoubled to ensure that USS ORLECK is properly maintained and preserved into the future. All of us must join together to ensure this.
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