USS Orleck (DD-886) (Lake Charles, Louisiana) | military, destroyer (ship), United States Navy, museum ship

 military, destroyer (ship), United States Navy, museum ship

USS Orleck is the 94th member of the Gearing Class of Destroyers built for the US Navy, laid down in Orange Texas at Consolidated Steel Corporation in November 1944 and commissioned into US Navy service in September 1945 as a member of the US Pacific Fleet.

Seeing action in the Korean and Vietnam Wars during her very active service life, the Orleck decommissioned from US Navy service in October 982 and transferred to the Turkish Navy, where she was renamed TCG Yücetepe (D345) and went on to serve for another 18 years before being decommissioned from Turkish service in 1998.

In 2000 the ship was donated by the Turkish government to the USS Orleck Naval Museum in Orange, TX, who arranged to have the Veteran Destroyer towed across the Atlantic Ocean back to Orange to serve as a Museum Ship. Arriving back at her birthplace on August 11th, 2000, the ship was moored at Ochiltree-Inman Park where she began her third career.

When Hurricane Rita lashed the Orange, TX area in 2005 the Orleck was driven from her berth and run aground, severely damaging the ship and her berth and requiring extensive repairs to both before they could be declared sound enough to resume operations as a museum. After numerous hull repairs and topside work, Orleck was slated to return to her berth at Orange, but the city refused to allow the vessel to return. Layberthed at North Orange Island for over two years, the Orleck was eventually granted a berth in nearby Lake Charles, LA and was towed to her new home in June 2010 where she continues to serve as a museum and monument.

www.orleck.org/
www.ussorleck.com/main.cfm
www.navsource.org/archives/05/886.htm