Robert H. McCard (DD-822: Displacement 2,425 tons; Length 391' ; Beam 41' ; Draft 19' ;
Speed 35 k. ; cpl. 367 ; a. 6 5", 16 40mm. , 12 20mm. ,2 dct. , 6 dcp. , 5 21" tt. ; cl. Gearing)

Robert H. McCard (DD-822) was laid down by Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, Texas,
20 June 1945; launched 9 November 1945; sponsored by Mrs. Robert H. McCard;
and commissioned 23 October 1946, Comdr. E. A. Michael, Jr., in command.

Following shakedown off Guantanamo Bay, Robert H. McCard joined Destroyer Squadron 10 and
was homeported in Newport, R.I. She operated out of Newport until 1955 on the standard employment
schedule for destroyers in the Atlantic Fleet. McCard was a unit of the 6th Fleet on eight tours of duty in the
Mediterranean and also participated in two midshipman cruises, visiting Caribbean, Canadian, Belgian,
and Portuguese ports. Between deployments, the ship had four overhauls in-the Boston Naval Shipyard,
each being followed by a refresher training period under the supervision of the Fleet Training Group,
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

In December 1955, McCard became a unit of Destroyer Squadron 4, with her homeport in Norfolk.
Making a ninth and 10th tour of duty with the 6th Fleet, she operated as a unit of the Middle East Force
in the Persian Gulf for a month during the ninth tour. Following plane guard duties and type training
exercises off the Atlantic Coast, McCard participated in a midshipman cruise in June and
July 1958, calling at Portuguese, Danish and Belgian ports.

Returning to type training exercises, an Atlantic Fleet exercise in the Caribbean, Fleet Sonar School duty,
and an overhaul, McCard's homeport was then changed to Charleston. She operated out of
Charleston until departing on 6 September 1960 for a NATO exercise, followed by other exercises.
From 29 January 1961 to 3 February, she participated in recovery operations for
Project Mercury, then departed Charleston 8 March to join the 6th Fleet. In July she
proceeded through the Suez Canal and reported to Commander, Middle East
Force, for a 6-week patrol of the Red Sea and Persian Gulf area. She returned to
Charleston via the Mediterranean 4 October.

Following plane guard duties and type training exercises, McCard underwent FRAM I overhaul
at Boston. Returning to Charleston 3 January 1963, for refresher training during which she searched
for the hijacked Venezuelan ship Anzoategui, the destroyer then served for 2 weeks as schoolship
for the Fleet Sonar School. She next participated in a joint Canadian-United States exercise. McCard
was deployed with the 6th Fleet from 13 October 1963 to 5 March 1964 and deployed again
on 5 January 1965. In February and March she operated under the Middle East
Force, returning to Charleston via the Mediterranean on 7 June.

Following further operations off the Atlantic Coast and an overhaul period, McCard underwent
refresher training off Guantanamo Bay then conducted two midshipman cruises, the latter
taking her to Wilhelmshaven, Germany. From 29 September 1966 to 31 January 1967,
McCard was deployed to the 6th Fleet.

Operating in the western Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean until 5 November,
Robert H. McCard then transited the Panama Canal and joined the Pacific Fleet. At the end of 1967,
she was serving on Yankee Station in the Tonkin Gulf. In January and February 1968, she was on plane
guard duty for Coral Sea (CVA-43) in the Tonkin Gulf participating in an emergency search and
rescue mission on the east coast of Hainan Island. In March she served as plane guard for
Kitty Hawk (CVA-63) and Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31) in the Tonkin Gulf. In April she provided
naval gunfire support off South Vietnam, and on 10 May she departed Japan for return
to the east coast of the United States.

Operating in NATO exercise "Silvertower" in the North Atlantic in September and October 1968,
Robert H. McCard then put into port at Southampton. Following overhaul at Charleston from
December to April 1969, she operated off the Atlantic Coast and in the Caribbean until deploying
to the Mediterranean in September. She returned to Charleston from her 6 months with the 6th
Fleet, 28 March 1970, and remained with the Atlantic Fleet for the duration of 1970 and four
months of 1971. On 15 April 1971, she sailed eastward from Charleston for another six
months service in the Mediterranean, returning 16 October. She stayed in
Charleston for the remainder of 1971 and spent the first eight months of
1972 engaged in Atlantic and Caribbean operations.

Robert H. McCard entered Charleston 6 September 1972 for a six-month overhaul, at the completion
of which she returned to normal operations in the western Atlantic and Caribbean. Robert H. McCard
was with Destroyer Squadron 34 and homeported in Tampa, Florida when she ended her days
with the U. S. Navy. She was decommissioned and transferred to the Turkish Navy in
June 1980 where she was renamed the Kilig Ali Pasa. She served with the Turkish Navy
until she was again decommissioned in 1998 and currently is waiting to be scrapped.

This is the patch of DESRON 34, the last squadron the McCard was in prior to U.S. Navy decommissioning.	Michael bought this Patch on the McCard just before Decommissioning.	Bob Adams said the story was that they changed to the new patch because the old one was too aggressive. This was about the time (circa 1962) when the ASROC missile system was installed.
Supplied by Michael D. Chance (July 9-2000)	Supplied by Michael D. Chance (Oct 30-2000)	Supplied by Bob Adams (3-10-2007)

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Gunnery Sergeant Robert H. McCard USMC

Gunnery Sergeant Robert H. McCard United States Marine Corps For conspicuous gallantry and
intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as Platoon
Sergeant of Company A, Fourth Tank Battalion, Fourth Marine Division, during the battle for
enemy Japanese-held Saipan, Marina Islands, on June 16,1944. Cut off from other units of his
platoon when his tank was put out of action by a battery of enemy 77-mm. guns,
Gunnery Sergeant McCard carried on resolutely, bringing all the tank's weapons to bear
on the enemy, until the severity of hostile fire caused him to order his crew out the escape
hatch while he courageously exposed himself to to enemy guns by hurling hand grenades,
in order to cover the evacuation of his men. Seriously wounded during this action and with
his supply of grenades exhausted, Gunnery Sergeant McCard dismantled one of the Tank's
machine guns and faced the Japanese for the second time to deliver vigorous fire into positions,
destroying sixteen of the enemy but sacrificing himself to insure the safety of his crew.
His valiant fighting spirit and supreme loyalty in the face of almost certain death reflect the
highest credit upon Gunnery Sergeant McCard and the United States Naval Service.
He gallantly gave his life for his country.

Franklin D. Roosevelt President of the United States



Footnote: Gunnery Sergeant McCard was born on 25 November 1918, in Syracuse, New York.
Enlisting in the Marine Corps on 18 December 1939, Sergeant McCard completed boot
camp and Sea School. After serving aboard ship he was assigned to recruiting duty in May
of 1941. In December 1941, he was assigned to the Training Center at Quantico, Virginia.
After completing that training he was transferred to the Fourth Marine Division. He was
assigned to Able Company, Fourth Tank Battalion. On the second day of the battle for Saipan
his heroic actions saved the lives of his tank crew. His Medal of Honor was presented by
Rear Admiral Arthur C. Carpender, Commandant, 9th Naval District, to his widow Lizelle McCard,
in Centralia, Illinois, on 10 April 1945. The Marine Corps Reserve Center in Syracuse, New York,
is named in his honor. His remains are interred in section "B", grave 1024, of the
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.

This page last updated Sunday April 8, 2007