USS Turner Joy
USS Turner Joy
The USS Turner Joy was one of two United States Naval Destroyers involved in the Tonkin Gulf Incident. This incident caused the United State Congress to pass the Tonkin Gulf resolution which set legal foundations for the Vietnam War. She later participated in several other actions, including one where she was damaged by a North Vietnamese Shore Battery. She continued service in Vietnam up until the negotiated cease-fire and is reported to have been the last ship out of the area.
She was decommissioned November 22, 1982 and donated to the Bremerton Historic Ships Association on April 10, 1991. Since then she has been used as a Museum Ship and served thousands of visitors.
I visited in 2008 and was a bit disappointed that little was said about her actual combat duties. I realize that the Tonkin Gulf Incident is somewhat controversial but it would have been nice to see a few plaques talking about it so that people can remember, and hopefully not make the same mistake again.