History
JPK DD850 History
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Gearing Class Destroyers
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Burke Destroyermens Museum

Adm. Burke assigned me to DD850.


As a 19 year old radio striker on board the USS Yosemite D19 back in 1955, I was accustomed to delivering radio messages to Arleigh Burke on a daily basis. As a result of the daily contact, I got to know him pretty well. He was always more personable than most of the officers I delivered messages to. I was impressed that he called me by name. It seemed the higher the rank the person, the more down to earth they were.

One day during one of my message runs, he asked me how I liked being in the Navy. I told him I liked it fine, but I wish I could be on a ship that didn't spend all it's time in port. With that, he asked me how I would like to transfer to one of the ships along side the Yosemite at that time. I jumped on it and the next day I got my orders for a transfer to the USS J.P. Kennedy, Jr. DD850 where I spent the rest of my enlistment.

It was only later that I realized how important a person he really was. At the time, he was Commander of the Destroyer Force Atlantic Fleet. Shortly, after my transfer to the Kennedy, he became Chief of Naval Operations.

Tracy N. Peters, Jr ; 1955-1957, Radarmen.

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