U.S.S. Leftwich DD-984

 William Leftwich was born on April 28, 1931 in Memphis, Tennessee, where he graduated from Central High School. He was commissioned a second lieutenant on June 5, 1953 upon graduation from the United States Naval Academy. His roommate during part of his time at the Academy was Ross Perot.   As Brigade Commander in his senior year at the Naval Academy, he was   specially commended at graduation for exemplary officer-like qualities,   which contributed “to the development of naval spirit and loyalty  within  the Brigade.” 

In 1960, Leftwich rejoined the 2nd Marine Division, serving as a company commander until 1962 when he was named aide-de-camp to the Commanding General. In June 1963, he was assigned as aide to the Commander of Marine Corps Schools. He was promoted to major in July 1964. He later completed a course of study in the Vietnamese language prior to reporting for duty in Vietnam in January 1965 as Assistant Senior Advisor to the Vietnamese Marine Brigade. 

Joining Task Force Alfa, Leftwich participated in 27 major operations against the Viet Cong   in the central highlands of Vietnam, and spent more than 300 days in   the field. He was wounded in the Battle of Hoai An on March 9, 1965 and   awarded the Navy Cross and Purple Heart   for extraordinary heroism. According to his citation, he “…played a   major part in all phases of the successful relief of the village of Hoai An, which was under heavy enemy attack by two Viet Cong battalions…   By his own personal example…, he led the attack… Despite injuries by   enemy machine-gun bullets in the back, cheek and nose, he went to the   aid of a mortally wounded comrade … and delayed his own evacuation  until  he could call for additional air strikes and brief the task force commander of the situation.” 

In April 1970, Leftwich began his second tour of duty in Vietnam, serving initially as the commander of 2nd Battalion 1st Marines. On September 13, he assumed duty as Commanding Officer of 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division. On November 18, 1970, Leftwich was killed in a helicopter   crash during an emergency extraction of one of his reconnaissance   teams. In accordance with his practice of accompanying every emergency   extraction called for by his teams, he was serving as senior “extract   officer” for such a mission on the day of his death. The team had   incurred casualties and requested an emergency extraction from   enemy-infested territory, in an area beginning to be enveloped by dense   fog. The team was extracted under LtCol Leftwich’s personal  supervision,  then, as the helicopter began its ascent, it crashed into a   mountainside in enemy territory, killing all aboard. 

 Leftwich sailed from Pascagoula, MS the morning following the commissioning on 26 August 1979, en route via the Panama Canal for her homeport, Naval Station San Diego, from which she operated until March 1985. 

On sailing, Hurricane David was threatening to make its way into the Gulf of Mexico,   so shipping traffic on the transit to the Panama Canal was unusually   light. Hurricane David did strike the Gulf coast, and was followed   shortly after by Hurricane Frederic, which caused many ships at Ingalls Shipbuilding and Drydock to sortie into the hurricane. 

The  Leftwich made one of the fastest transits on record of the  Panama  Canal, making the passage without having to anchor. On sailing  north in  the Pacific Ocean, Leftwich found herself behind Hurricane Guillermo, which tracked along the western coast of Mexico,   and then turned westward out into the Pacific, allowing the ship to   arrive at her new homeport on schedule. While following the storm,  Leftwich experienced 30 ft (10 m) waves. 

In  the few months after arrival in San Diego, CA, Leftwich  conducted  "Shakedown" training under the guidance of Fleet Training  Group,  Pacific, in the San Diego Operations Area (OPAREA). In January  1980,  Leftwich returned to Litton Industries at Pascagoula, MS  for Warranty  repairs and a Post-Shakedown Availability, which included  the  installation of the NATO Sea Sparrow and Harpoon missile system. 

On 29 November 1982 she collided with the submarine USS Thomas A. Edison (SSBN-610) approximately 40 miles east of Subic Bay, Philippines. Both ships were conducting war games. Thomas A. Edison was at periscope depth when the collision occurred. Both ships suffered damage and returned to Subic Bay. Edison suffered damage to her sail, sail planes, and sonar  dome. Leftwich  suffered damage to her sonar dome, sonar dome "banjo"  strut, and  forward fuel storage tanks located in the forward hull. Two  months  later, Thomas A. Edison made a surface transit to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for decommissioning without the damage having been repaired. 

In 1984, Leftwich suffered hull and sonar window damage due to  high-speed  operations in heavy seas during fleet exercises on her  deployment to  Indian Ocean/Western Pacific (WESTPAC 1984). 

On 1 April 1985 Leftwich arrived at her new homeport of Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This remained her homeport for the rest of her career.

 
Leftwich, under the command of RADM (then Commander) Daniel Bowler, participated in Operation Nimble Archer   on 19 October 1987. This was a response to Iran's 16 October 1987   attack on the MV Sea Isle City, a reflagged Kuwaiti oil tanker at  anchor  off Kuwait, with a Silkworm missile. 

In  1990–91,  under the command of Commander Patrick Garrett in support of  Operation  Desert Shield/Desert Storm, the destroyer conducted more than  200  merchant ship interceptions and one boarding. She was one of the  first  ships to fire BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles  during the conflict, and was the first combatant to conduct a wartime  reload of Tomahawks for continued operations. 

With embarked helicopters and SEALs,   she captured the first Iraqi territory repatriated in the war (an   island off the coast of the al-Faw waterway), multiple enemy prisoners   of war, and conducted 16 combat search and rescue cases. For her  efforts  in the Persian Gulf, The Leftwich and her crew were awarded the  Navy  Unit Commendation Ribbon and the Combat Action Ribbon.

 
During her career, Leftwich made eight deployments in the Western Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf. She participated in Operation Nimble Archer, Desert Shield, and Desert Storm as well as operations in support of UN sanctions against Iraq. 

Leftwich was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 27 March 1998. She was sunk as a target on 1 August 2003 at 22°48′47″N 160°34′00″W in the Pacific Ocean. 

Awards, Medals, and Commendations for ship and/or crew: (needs more help) Sept 87 – Nov 87, Jan 97 – Mar 97, Apr 97 Three Armed Forces Expeditionary Medals, Jan 91 – Feb 91 Combat Action Ribbon, Jan 91 – Feb 91 Navy Unit Commendation, Jul 81- Sept 81 Navy Expeditionary Medal, Jan 88 – Jun 89 & Jan 91 – Dec 92 Two Battle Effectiveness Awards, National Defense Service Medal, Dec 90 – Mar 91 Southwest Asia Service Medal, 8 Sea Service Ribbons, Dec 97 – Dec 98 Chief of Naval Operations Letter of Commendation, Kuwait Liberation Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)