Last September, a portion of the now-decommissioned and scrapped World War II-era destroyer USS Nicholas’ mast was raised and secured to its new memorial base outside of the Veterans Memorial Museum in Chehalis.
Now that finishing touches to the memorial have been completed, its official dedication ceremony is set for Friday, Aug. 2, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the museum, located at 100 SW Veterans Way, according to John Bailey, a member of the USS Nicholas Veterans Association and ceremony organizer.
Originally built at Bath Iron Works in Maine alongside its sister ship, the USS O’Bannon, the Nicholas and O’Bannon were first put to sea in 1942 and were some of the first of a total of 175 Fletcher class destroyers built during WWII.
The Nicholas was named after Major Samuel Nicholas, the first commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps during the American Revolutionary War, and the O’Bannon was named after Marine Corps First Lieutenant Presley O’Bannon, whose exploits are immortalized in the Marine Corps Hymn with the line, “to the shores of Tripoli.”
“The Navy really treated both of these ships special and always kept them together,” Bailey told The Chronicle last year. “They were built next to each other in Maine, sailed alongside each other during WWII, decommissioned and mothballed together, then recommissioned and upgraded together, before serving together during Vietnam.”
For this reason, the Nicholas’ mast will serve as a memorial for both ships. Friday’s dedication will feature a reading of the memorial plaques to both the U.S. Navy Sailors and Marines who served aboard both ships.
“Uniformed Marines will be placing grave marker replicas and hoisting national ensigns,” Bailey said in an email to The Chronicle.
The dedication ceremony is free to attend, and attendees are invited to bring a challenge coin or some other small offering to place in “memento tubes” after the dedication ceremony has concluded.
“We have a Nicholas ship’s bell replica which may be rung at intervals … Then off to a luncheon and shoot-the-breeze session close by,” Bailey said.
Now decommissioned and scrapped, the Nicholas’ mast is one of the only two known pieces of the destroyer that still exist, with the other being its original bell. That bell is currently housed at the Center House Marine barracks in Washington, D.C. — home to the Marine Corps silent drill platoon, among other units.
As for their time in service, both ships were involved in numerous battles during the island-hopping campaign in the Solomon Islands and Guadalcanal as a part of Admiral William Halsey’s fleet during WWII.
The ships were both awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, and the Nicholas earned 16 battle starts while the O’Bannon earned 17 battle stars during WWII, the most of any destroyer during the war.
The Nicholas earned the nickname “Road Runner” as it was the fastest ship in the fleet, topping out at nearly 40 knots, while the O’Bannon became known as the “Lucky’O” because, despite the numerous battles the ship’s crew endured, not one crew member was given a Purple Heart for being wounded, Bailey added.
A “Road Runner” flag and “Lucky’O” flag will be included among the flags hoisted during Friday’s dedication ceremony.
Bailey also said it was rumored Nimitz viewed the Nicholas as his favorite ship, and Halsey was known to love the O’Bannon.
Nimitz held all 175 Fletcher class destroyers in high regard, as evidenced by his Jan. 28, 1944, speech during the Nicholas’ Presidential Unit Citation award ceremony.
“Our destroyers have truly been the silent part of our service, but their exploits and their capabilities are well known to those who have to know. Congratulations from the Pacific Fleet to every officer and man of Nicholas. Well done,” Nimitz said.
After the Japanese surrendered in August of 1945, the Nicholas was given the honor of being the lead destroyer escorting the USS Missouri into Tokyo Bay for the signing of surrender documents.
Following WWII, both ships were decommissioned but brought out of reserve and recommissioned for the Korean War, then again for the Vietnam War.
The O’Bannon can also be seen in the background of a scene of the 1965 film “In Harm’s Way” starring John Wayne and Kirk Douglas — with the ship’s hull number, 450, being somewhat obscured but still visible on its bow.
On Jan. 30, 1970, the Nicholas and O’Bannon were decommissioned alongside each other again, this time for the final time, with the ships being sold for scrap.
The Nicholas was towed to Portland where it was broken up in 1972, with the top portion of its mast being saved and displayed at the Portland Sea Scout base near the Portland International Airport.
In 2020, the Sea Scouts were told by the Portland Airport Authority the mast needed to go, so they reached out to the USS Nicholas Veterans Association and asked if they wanted to save it.
It was cut up into pieces then transferred up to Chehalis to be reassembled.
The Nicholas’ mast now stands outside the museum displayed next to the Bell AH-1 Cobra helicopter and the “Desert Fox” Republic F-105 Thunderchief outside of the Veterans Memorial Museum in Chehalis.
For more information on the ships or to get into contact with Bailey, visit http://www.sisterships.us/.
