USS Edson DD-946

By Jeff Herne

Built in 1958, this recently retired destroyer and veteran of Vietnam served the United States Navy for 30 years.

The USS Edson was named in honor of USMC General Mike Edson, whose heroic conduct during the South Pacific Campaign in World War II earned him the Congressional Medal of Honor.

The USS Edson was the last of the 18 Forrest Sherman class destroyers to be retired. From 1963 to 1975 she operated off the coast of Vietnam. During the conflict, the primary role of the Edson was to provide Naval Gunfire Support to the troops who were ashore. In 1968 Edson won Navy’s Top Gun award, and fired close to 28,000 shells in support of troops on the shore.

The USS Edson is one of the most thoroughly restored vessels of her type, and is one of the few post-WW2 classes to actually survive as a museum ship.

         Ship's History with some rather emotional stories told by former crewmembers