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NavSource Online: Cruiser Photo Archive

USS VALLEY FORGE (CG 50)

Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign: November - Victor - Foxtrot - Papa

Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - ROAD AGENT

CLASS - TICONDEROGA
Displacement 9,589 (FL) Tons, Dimensions, 565' 10" (oa) x 55' x 31' 6" (Max)
Armament 2 x 5"/54RF, 2 Twin Missile Launchers, (88 Missiles) 8 Harpoon SSM 4x2,
2 x 20mm Phalanx CIWS, 2 x 25mm Bushmaster mg. 6 x12.75" TT. 2 LAMPS Helos.
Machinery, 80,000 SHP; G.E. Gas Turbines, 2 screws
Speed, 30+ Knots, Crew 370.

Operational and Building Data
Keel laid on 14 APR 1983 at Ingalls Shipbuilding, West Bank, Pascagoula, MS
Launched 23 JUN 1984
Commissioned 18 JAN 1986
Decommissioned 30 AUG 2004
Stricken 30 AUG 2004
Fate: Sunk as target off Kauai, Hawaii on 2 NOV 2006 - 23:00.7N 159:53.8W 2570 Fathoms.

Patch image contributed by Mike Smolinski

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon - Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Second Row - Navy Unit Commendation - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (3)
Third Row - Navy Expeditionary Service Medal - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (3)
Fourth Row - Southwest Asia Service Medal (3) - Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal - Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (6)
Fifth Row - Coast Guard Special Operations Ribbon - Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) - Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By And/Or Copyright
04015008	451k	Christening Booklet, 29 September 1984.	Robert M. Cieri
04015016	790k	Valley Forge being christened by her sponsor, Mrs. Julia V. Taft, wife of William H. Taft, III, Deputy Secretary of Defense	Dale Hargrave
04015009	436k	Commissioning Booklet, 18 January 1986.	Robert M. Cieri
	42k	Starboard bow view.	USN
	53k	Passing the Arizona memorial, Pearl Harbor Hawaii.	USN
	108k	Starboard bow view.	USN
04015012	336k	Starboard bow view while underway in 1986.	Robert M. Cieri
	86k	USS Valley Forge in San Diego, pierside at North Island. February 1987.	Lacy Lee, RM1 USN Ret.
04015015	366k	15 July 1990, location unknown	Chris Howell
	76k	Port side view, anchored in Hong Kong Harbor, May 1991.	William Chiu
04015010	395k	Welcome Aboard booklet, circa 1993.	Robert M. Cieri
04015011	224k	Change of Command booklet, 25 June 1993	Robert M. Cieri
	63k	The guided missile cruiser USS Valley Forge (CG 50) heads out of San Diego bay to begin their regularly scheduled six-month deployment after pulling away from the pier at Naval station 32nd street. 2 November 2002	Steven A. Cardali
	55k	The guided missile cruiser USS Valley Forge (CG 50) heads out of San Diego bay to begin their regularly scheduled six-month deployment after pulling away from the pier at Naval station 32nd street. 2 November 2002	Steven A. Cardali
04015013	74k	Naval Station San Diego, CA, 2 June 2003 - USS Valley Forge (CG 50) is assisted toward the pier by tugs at Naval Station, San Diego as the guided missile cruiser returns from a deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. USS Bataan (LHD 5) is seen in the background. U.S. Navy photo #030602-N-6132R-008 by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Louis Rojas.	Robert M. Cieri
04015210	76k	October 2003 - Ships belonging to the USS Constellation (CV-64) Battle Group parade their colors during an a airshow on board Constellation. From front to rear: USS Bunker Hill (CG-52), USS Valley Forge (CG-50), USS Milius (DDG-69), and USS Thach (FFG-43). The carrier was decommissioned in August 2003. U.S. Navy photo #030529-N-9076B-010 by PHC Donald Bray	Bill Gonyo
04015014	87k	ex-Valley Forge, listing to port during her SINKEX on 02 November 2006.	Eric Bentz

Commanding Officers
Name/Rank	Class	Final Rank	Dates
Lockhart, Theodore C. (Ted), CAPT		RADM	01/18/1986 - 05/27/1988
Bozzelli, Philip Anthony, CAPT	1966		05/27/1988 - 05/12/1990
Tedeschi Jr., Ernest Francis, CAPT	1965	RADM	05/12/1990 - 09/14/1991
Cornett II, Billy, CAPT			09/14/1991 - 06/25/1993
Abbott, Robert James, CAPT			06/25/1993 - 03/29/1996
Kear, William James (Jim), CDR			03/29/1996 - 11/07/1997
Hoker, William Patrick, CDR	1979		11/07/1997 - 07/14/1999
Goodwin, Thomas David, CDR			07/14/1999 - 01/19/2001
Arbter, John Scott, CAPT			01/19/2001 - 07/03/2002
Rabun, Patrick Coffier, CDR	1984		07/03/2002 - 08/30/2004

(Courtesy of Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves - Photos courtesy of Bill Gonyo)

USS VALLEY FORGE (DDG/CG 50) History
This Vessel is not listed in DANFS
To see another vessels entry click this link DANFS on the U.S. Navy Historical Center website.

Crew Contact And Reunion Information

Contact Name:
Address:
Phone:
E-mail: None

Note About Contacts

The contact listed, Was the contact at the time for this ship when located. If another person now is the contact, E-mail me and I will update this entry. These contacts are compiled from various sources over a long period of time and may or may not be correct. Every effort has been made to list the newest contact if more than one contact was found.

Additional Resources
Hazegray & Underway Cruiser Pages By Andrew Toppan.

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