USS Turner Joy
The destroyer operates as a museum, open to tours daily. It also hosts weddings, corporate events, overnight adventures, and memorial ceremonies.
Inside, rust-colored pipes and wiring line worn linoleum floors. A steady stream of summertime tourists flows past rooms with bare-bones tables and chairs. Occasionally, the ghosts of Turner Joy show themselves. You can find information on all of these and more by clicking here.
The History
During her time at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, USS Turner Joy (DD-951) underwent extensive overhaul and participated in numerous 1st Fleet exercises along the California coast. She was then transferred to DesDiv 191 and DesRon 19, becoming the flagship for both groups. On 2 June 1962, she stood out of Long Beach with an ASW task group built around Hornet (CVS-12) and joined the screen of Hancock (CVA-19), operating off the southern coast of Honshu, Japan.
Less than 48 hours later, unidentified radar echoes approached the two destroyers in the gulf. Immediately, jet fighters of Ticonderoga’s air group took to the air to provide close support. The attackers were believed to have been two PT boats. The incident became known as the Gulf of Tonkin Incident and prompted the United States Congress to pass the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.
The Tours
Located near the ferry terminal on the Bremerton waterfront USS Turner Joy is well worth a visit. This fully restored destroyer museum ship offers a self-guided tour including a Prisoner of War room in remembrance of the American Military men held as prisoners of war in Vietnam.
In August of 1964, the USS Turner Joy rushed to the aid of the battleship Maddox during the Gulf of Tonkin incident that sparked America’s involvement in the Vietnam conflict. The Turner Joy returned to her home port of Long Beach after the incident and spent a number of months engaged in normal operations out of that California base. During this time, the destroyer made a couple of trips to the Orient as part of DesRon 19 and conducted plane guard duty off the coast of the South China Sea. A great place to also visit is Illahee State Park.
The Gift Shop
Aboard the USS Turner Joy, visitors can experience a unique historical naval adventure. The ship is a museum ship that offers tours throughout the year.
The USS Turner Joy is famous for its role in the Gulf of Tonkin incident, an event that led to the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War. The destroyer ship has a lot to offer to history buffs and those looking for a fun and informative tour.
Turner Joy’s most famous deployment began on 13 March 1964. She departed Long Beach, California, joining the task group built around the USS Coral Sea. The destroyer spent the next 21 days escorting the carrier and conducting gunfire support operations along the western coast of South Vietnam. After a period of overhaul and training, she returned to the West Coast.
The Restaurant
The USS Turner Joy is a retired naval destroyer that has been turned into a museum ship. The museum is moored right on the waterfront of Bremerton and serves as a tribute to the men and women who served in the Navy. The museum is open to the public for tours and exhibits.
The ship was built in Seattle and commissioned in 1959. She saw action during the Gulf of Tonkin incident and earned nine battle stars. It was decommissioned in 1982 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 1990.
The USS Turner Joy is a massive ship, with most of its below-deck levels crammed with boiler rooms, engine rooms, radar rooms, supply rooms, multi-deck machinery for reloading the deck guns, and crew quarters. The stairways are steep, and walking around the ship can be exhausting.
The Marina
Walk the storied halls of the USS Turner Joy (DD-951), a Navy Destroyer turned museum ship moored on the Bremerton waterfront. This tour is self-guided and requires climbing steep stairways; comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
She spent the summer of 1974 engaged in fleet exercises and midshipman training cruises along the California coast. In early August, she again departed San Diego for the western Pacific.
On 18 November, she stood out of Long Beach and, after stops at Pearl Harbor, Midway, and Guam, entered Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on 11 December. Once in her zone of operations, she supported II Corps and I Corps troops ashore by conducting shore bombardments. She also interdicted enemy waterborne logistical efforts through Operation Sea Dragon. Discover more interesting articles.
Driving directions from Cornerstone Cleaning to USS Turner Joy
Driving directions from USS Turner Joy to Bachmann Park