- January 18, 2023
The USS Orleck is docked along the Jacksonville Riverwalk near the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront hotel March 26. (Photo by Dede Smith)
Fireboats greeted the USS Orleck with a watery show. (Photo by Dede Smith)
More watery fanfare for the Orleck. (Photo by Dede Smith)
Boats greet the Orleck as it is tugged in to Downtown. (Photo by Dede Smith)
TIAA Bank Field and Daily's can be seen in the distance as the Orleck nears the Riverwalk. (Photo by Dede Smith)
The USS Orleck is moved into position along the Riverwalk. (Photo by Dede Smith)
The tugboat Elsbeth III pushes the USS Orleck toward the dock.
Crowds watch as the USS Orleck nears the dock.
The Orleck was inspected and underwent $2.05 million of repairs and preservation work in Texas.
The USS Orleck is the most-decorated post-World War II ship and received 14 battle stars and dozens of awards.
Named after Lt. Joseph Orleck, the ship was called the “Top Gun” of Vietnam.
The USS Orleck is moored near the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront hotel
The tugboat Elsbeth III pulls the USS Orleck in the St. Johns River near Fort Caroline. (Karen Brune Mathis)
The Orleck was in service in the U.S. from 1945 to 1982. In 2010, it opened as a museum in Lake Charles, Louisiana. (Karen Brune Mathis)
A onlooker watches as the Orleck passes. (Karen Brune Mathis)
A crowd gathers on a dock to see the Orleck. (Karen Brune Mathis)
The Orleck heads toward Downtown. (Karen Brune Mathis)
A Jacksonville Historic Naval Ship Association image of the USS Orleck arriving near Downtown.
The USS Orleck arrived in Jacksonville March 26 at its temporary home along the Jacksonville Riverwalk near the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront hotel.
A line of onlookers along the riverbank cheered as the Orleck was pushed into place by a tug boat just before 1 p.m. and the U.S. flag was raised on its bow, Daily Record news partner News4Jax.com reported.
The arrival featured fireboats shooting water into the air as the Orleck paraded in.
Jacksonville Historic Naval Ship Association agreed to acquire the Orleck after years of trying to bring other ships the city as a museum, including the USS Adams.
A permanent home is planned at the Jacksonville Shipyards west of the demolished Berkman Plaza II, where a sign says “coming soon – Future home of the USS Orleck Museum Ship.” There are plans for a ticket office, gift shop and a park that could include naval aircraft on display.
The Jacksonville Historic Naval Ship Association said the goal is to open the ship in June to help celebrate the city’s bicentennial.
The Orleck was in service in the U.S. from 1945 to 1982. In 2010, it opened as a museum in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Named after Lt. Joseph Orleck, the ship was called the “Top Gun” of Vietnam. The Orleck crew fired more than 11,000 rounds, earning it the nickname, “Grey Ghost of the Vietnam Coast.”
The Orleck is the most-decorated post-World War II ship and received 14 battle stars and dozens of awards.
The Jacksonville City Council signed off Aug. 10 on the association’s plan to bring the USS Orleck DD-886 to Downtown Jacksonville as a naval museum. The Council voted 17-0 to approve a 10-year development agreement between the association and the Downtown Investment Authority to move the warship to Pier No. 1 adjacent to the Berkman Marina at the Shipyards along the St. Johns River.
The Orleck was inspected and underwent $2.05 million of repairs and preservation work in Texas.
Jacksonville Historic Naval Ship Association is seeking donations and volunteers for the Orleck museum.
For more information, visit jaxnavalmuseum.org.
