USS Floyd B. Parks (DD 884)

- decommissioned -

USS FLOYD B. PARKS was one of the GEARING - class destroyers and the first ship in the Navy to bear the name. Both decommissioned and stricken from the Navy list on July 2, 1973, the FLOYD B. PARKS was sold for scrapping on April 29, 1984.

General Characteristics:	Awarded: 1943
	Keel laid: October 30, 1944
	Launched: March 31, 1945
	Commissioned: July 31, 1945
	Decommissioned: July 2, 1973
	Builder: Consolidated Steel Co., Orange, TX
	FRAM I Conversion Shipyard: Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Wash.
	FRAM I Conversion Period: 1962 - May 1963
	Propulsion system: four boilers, General Electric geared turbines; 60,000 SHP
	Propellers: two
	Length: 391 feet (119.2 meters)
	Beam: 41 feet (12.5 meters)
	Draft: 18.7 feet (5.7 meters)
	Displacement: approx. 3,400 tons full load
	Speed: 34 knots
	Aircraft after FRAM I: two DASH drones
	Armament after FRAM I: one ASROC missile launcher, two 5-inch/38 caliber twin mounts, Mk-32 ASW torpedo tubes (two triple mounts)
	Crew after FRAM I: 14 officers, 260 enlisted

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Crew List:

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

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USS FLOYD B. PARKS Cruise Books:

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USS FLOYD B. PARKS History:

FLOYD B. PARKS was launched 31 March 1945 by Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, Tex.; sponsored by Mrs. Floyd B. Parks, widow of Major Parks; and commissioned 31 July 1945, Commander M. Slayton in command.

FLOYD B. PARKS arrived at San Diego, her home port, 16 November 1945, and sailed 20 November for her first tour of duty in the Far East, patrolling the coast of China and operating in the Marianas until her return to San Diego 11 February 1947. In the period prior to the outbreak of war in Korea, FLOYD B. PARKS twice more deployed to the Far East for duty with the 7th Fleet, returning from her second such cruise 13 June 1950, just before the North Koreans crossed the 38th parallel. At once she prepared to return to duty as a standby at Pearl Harbor, available should war spread, returning to San Diego 20 August.

FLOYD B. PARKS sailed from San Diego 19 February 1951 to join in United Nations operations in Korea. On 16 March she joined the fast carrier task force, screening them during air operations off the east coast as well as spending a total of 60 days in Wonsan Harbor on blockade and bombardment duty. She returned to San Diego 10 October 1951, and after west coast operations, sailed for duty in the Far East again 31 May 1952. Along with duty similar to that of her first war cruise, she patrolled in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. She returned to San Diego 18 December 1952, and began a peace-time schedule of annual Far East cruises interspersed with west coast training operations and necessary maintenance.

During her 1955 Far Eastern cruise, FLOYD B. PARKS took part in evacuation of the Tachen Islands, and while in the Orient once more 11 March 1956, collided with COLUMBUS (CA 74), losing 2 men and a 40-foot section of her bow. Skillful work by her crew saved their ship, and brought her safely into Subic Bay for temporary repairs. Upon her return to Long Beach Naval Shipyard 14 May 1956, FLOYD B. PARKS' damaged bow was replaced with that of the uncompleted destroyer LANSDALE (DD 766) and after completion of repairs and installation of new equipment FLOYD B. PARKS returned to her west coast-Far East rotation through 1962.

In 1962-63 the middle-aged destroyer was given an extensive "FRAM-I" modernization to better equip her for contemporary anti-submarine warfare.

As U.S. participation in the Vietnam conflict expanded during the middle and later 1960s, FLOYD B. PARKS was regularly stationed in that area. She actively carried out shore bombardment missions during deployments in 1968, 1969, 1971 and 1972. USS FLOYD B. PARKS decommissioned in July 1973 and was sold for scrapping in April 1974.

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About the Ship's Name:

Floyd B. Parks was born in Salisbury, Missouri, on 16 January 1911. He became a Marine Corps officer after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1934 and later became a Naval aviator. He commanded Marine Fighting Squadron 221 during the Battle of Midway. On 4 June 1942, Major Parks was killed in action leading his squadron against overwhelming numbers of qualitatively superior enemy fighter planes during the Japanese Air Attack on Midway.

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Accidents aboard USS FLOYD B. PARKS:

Date	Where	Events
March 11, 1956	off Luzon, Philippines	USS COLUMBUS (CA 74) and the USS FLOYD B. PARKS are damaged after colliding off Luzon, Philippines. The FLOYD B. PARKS loses 2 sailors and a 40-foot section of her bow. The collision is also mentioned in USS COLUMBUS's 1956 WestPac Cruise Book:

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USS FLOYD B. PARKS Image Gallery:

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