photo courtesy Councilmember Charles Allen’s Office
There are things you mean to do for a very, very, very long time. Ok– I speak for myself and the list is long, but it’s time to finally visit one very local historical spot that far too few of us ever took the time to visit.
As we shared with you last February, Display Ship Barry at the Navy Yard is shipping out. The grand dame of the Anacostia ships out soon, but first the Navy is giving her an honorable dismissal.
The Navy will host a public ceremony this Saturday, October 17th, at 10 a.m., to commemorate the DS Barry’s history and service. Councilmember Charles Allen will present a Ceremonial Resolution to honor and express appreciation to the DS Barry for her contribution to the Country, and for gracing the Anacostia for the last 30 years. The event page notes that
The event, hosted by Naval Support Activity Washington, will honor the ship and its past crew members in a final send-off before the ship is towed down the Anacostia River for dismantling. More than 40 former Barry crewmembers will be in attendance at the ceremony. Retired Rear Adm. Sam Cox, director of Naval History and Heritage Command, is the scheduled guest speaker.
The ceremony will be held in the Cold War Gallery, Building 70; the riverwalk gate will be open for public access. Following the ceremony, Pier 2–adjacent to the DS Barry–will be opened for guests. Detailed directions on how to get to the Cold War Gallery can be found here.
A few highlights of the great ship’s storied history:
- The USS Barry served 26 years in the Atlantic and Pacific Fleet
- It supported the 1958 Marine and Army airborne unit landing in Beirut, Lebanon
- In 1962, she was a member of the task force that quarantined Cuba in response to evidence that Soviet missiles had been installed on the island
- In Vietnam, the destroyer operated in the Mekong Delta and supported Operation Double Eagle, the largest amphibious operation since the landings in Korea