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Wednesday 10am - 4pm Thursday 10am - 4pm Friday 10am - 4pm Saturday 10am - 4pm Sunday 10am - 4pm

USS Slater

As the last Destroyer Es**rt afloat in America, the USS SLATER offers one hour tours of the ship. USS Slater DE 766 / HS Aetos D 01
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09/21/2024

Friday night and it's Liberty Call! John and Shanna spent a last weekend in San Diego at the Historic Naval Ships Symposium, prior to heading for Albany. Have a great weekend!

09/20/2024

Thursday, 19 September 2024. While most of the crew were engaged in tours, Volunteers Tom, Dick, and Scott manned our table at Port Industry Day, down at the Port of Albany. Dick did double duty, also representing the Albany Maritime Ministry. Thank you all for increasing public awareness of USS SLATER.

09/19/2024

Wednesday, 18 September 2024. While most of us in the crew continue manning USS SLATER in Albany, Shanna, and John are in San Diego, sharpening their shipkeeping skills by attending the annual Historic Naval Ships Symposium in San Diego. The event is being hosted by the USS MIDWAY Museum

09/18/2024

Tuesday, 17 September 2024. Only nine volunteers aboard today, which shows what a difference Mrs. Mulligan's lunches make. It was great to have painter, Bill Holt, back aboard. I don't have any pictures to prove it, but Bill and Thomas did priming and painting all over the ship.

09/16/2024

Monday, 16 September 2024. Nineteen volunteers aboard, enjoying a perfect September day. It was great to have long-time volunteers. Tim Benner and Earl Herchenroder are back with us.

09/16/2024

Sunday, 15 September 2024. What happens on Sunday usually stays on Sunday, but not when Jo Ann and Tim are both aboard. The day started out with a group of Boy Scouts, wrapping up their overnight stay. Shortly thereafter, famous naval historian and YouTuber, Drachinifel, reported aboard for a day of filming aboard USS SLATER.

Following a tour of the ship, over fifty of his subscribers reported aboard to man the guns and track Drach's drone, while he photographed the ship from the air. Drach followed up with a three-hour Q&A seminar on the observation deck.

All and all, it was quite a day, and thanks to Drachinifel, all his supporters, and our volunteers and staff who made it happen.

09/15/2024

Saturday, 14 September 2024. Another perfect tour day, showing examples of our volunteers at work. Our painter, Ashley, was aboard, working on the aft 40mm gun. Also, there are a few closeups of the work Len is doing on gun the 32 train drive. And YouTube naval historian, Drachinifel, will be aboard tomorrow Sunday, 15 September.

09/13/2024

The weekend is here and it's Liberty Call! Maybe a chance to meet a girl and buy her a root beer. At ten cents, we can afford two, and maybe even a frankfurter. Big spender. But then, don't forget what a Sailors pay was back then.

09/12/2024

You all remember that LPO who has been everywhere and done everything. When everything hits the fan, he's the man you want alongside you. "Don't worry. I got this."

09/11/2024

USS SLATER is open for tours on September 11th. All first first responders can tour the ship for free.

09/10/2024

Tuesday, 10 September 2024. Ten volunteers aboard, as we continue ship's work. Thanks to Thomas Scian for the photos.

09/09/2024

Monday, 9 September 2024. Twelve volunteers aboard, fully recovered from our Saturday volunteer appreciation night. Work continued on mounting the number two low pressure air compressor, topside painting, and the steering gear compartment. Chow was leftover pulled pork and coleslaw from Saturday's dinner.

09/08/2024

Eighty-one years ago today, the EDSALL class, USS MARCHAND (DE-249), was commissioned in Houston, Texas. The ship honored Roy Joseph Marchand, who was born in Crandall, Mississippi, on 17 September 1920. He enlisted in the Navy on 18 October 1939. Serving in USS SAN FRANCISCO (CA 38), BOISE (CL 47), and HENDERSON (AP-1), he was transferred to the oiler, USS PECOS (AO 6), on 2 May 1940.

On 1 March 1942, enemy planes from Japanese aircraft carrier, SORYU, attacked and sank PECOS near Christmas Island. Assigned to an antiaircraft gun, Marchand remained at his post until bomb fragments put the gun out of commission. Then he acted as messenger for the commanding officer until fatally wounded. Fireman First Class Marchand was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for his courageous dedication to duty.

His namesake, USS MARCHAND, was laid down by the Brown Shipbuilding Co., in Houston, Texas, on 30 December 1942, and was launched on 30 March 1943. The ship was sponsored by Mrs. Charles D. Marchand, the mother of Fireman First Class Marchand. Coast Guard manned, the ship was commissioned on 8 September 1943, with Lcdr. Gilbert F. Lynch, USCG, in command.

MARCHAND departed Houston on 14 September, for shakedown training off Bermuda until 31 October, when she arrived in the Charleston Navy Yard for post commissioning improvements. After antisubmarine warfare exercises while based at Quonset Point, R.I., in November, she arrived in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on November 20th. After service as target ship for Torpedo Squadron 13, the es**rt ship sailed for Norfolk, arriving on 12 December.

As the flagship of Es**rt Division 20, MARCHAND departed Norfolk on 14 December, es**rting a convoy to Europe. She arrived in the Straits of Gibraltar on 2 January 1944, to turn over the convoy to British warships. She then set course for Morocco, arriving in Casablanca on 7 January. The ship got underway the next day for the east coast, arriving in New York on 24 January.

MARCHAND conducted exercises in Block Island Sound and Casco Bay, Maine, until her departure from New York on 22 February, with convoy CU 15 for Ireland. About 2200 on 25 February, during a heavy gale, SS EL COSTON lost steering and rammed the tanker SS MURFREESBORO. The tanker caught fire and burned furiously. The crew was forced to abandon ship. As MARCHAND came to the assistance of the badly damaged and burning merchant ships, EL COSTON’s bow rammed MARCHAND on her starboard side amidships, damaging the plates of her forward control room.

MARCHAND then stood by and received 28 survivors while RICKETTS (DE 254) took on board 33 others. The next day, MARCHAND steamed for Bermuda as an es**rt for EL COSTON. Shortly after midnight on 27 February, the remaining 56 crew members Of El COSTON had to abandon ship. After the merchant ship sank at 0142, MARCHAND directed her course for New York, where the survivors were debarked on 1 March. SS MURFREESBORO was later salvaged and returned to service.

On 6 April, MARCHAND again sailed in convoy from New York for Northern Ireland, arriving in Lisahally on 17 April. She returned to New York on 3 May. From 21 May 1944 to 11 June 1945, she made nine more round trips, es**rting convoys from New York or Boston to United Kingdom ports.

MARCHAND departed New York on 19 June for training in the Chesapeake Bay, then to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, before sailing for the South Pacific. She arrived in Pearl Harbor on 26 July. With the Japanese surrender on 15 August, she cleared Pearl Harbor 12 days later for maneuvers off Eniwetok and Kwajalein Atolls, from 3 September to 15 October. She continued on to Guadalcanal, arriving on the 18th, before returning to Pearl Harbor on 10 November by way of Canton, Phoenix Islands, where she debarked her U.S. Coast Guard passengers.

On 17 November, the es**rt ship steamed for home, arriving in San Diego 6 days later to debark more men of the Coast Guard. On the 25th, MARCHAND headed for the east coast, via the Panama Canal, reaching New York on 11 December. She then got underway on 21 January 1946, for Green Cove Springs, Fla., arriving on the 23d for inactivation. On 25 April 1947, she decommissioned and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet at Green Cove Springs. Later moved to Orange, Texas, on 2 January 1971, she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register, and on 30 January 1974, she was sold for scrapping.

09/08/2024

Saturday, 7 September 2024. Our annual volunteer appreciation night got rained out, but that didn't stop us from having a great time! Thanks to Shanna and Michael Schuster, and Jo Ann and her mom, who put the chow together. And a special thanks to all our volunteers who make it happen. We'd be nowhere without you.

09/06/2024

Friday, 6 September 2024. USS SLATER was on hand for the start of this year's "Tugboat Roundup." Unfortunately, our mast height did not permit us to join the parade to Waterford, due to the low bridges along the way. That and the lack of an operating propulsion plant. But I'm sure if it weren't for the bridges, someone would have offered us a tow. Thanks to John Epp for the photos.

09/05/2024

"This is how you get your sea legs." LIFE Archive photo by John Dominis.

09/04/2024

It must be washdown Wednesday.

09/04/2024

Tuesday, 3 September 2024. Thirteen volunteers aboard. Labor Day is over. Let's get back to work. Thanks to Thomas Scian for the photos.

09/03/2024

Tours today on Labor Day. We celebrated two birthday's yesterday, when Chris brought a cake for Cassidy and Grant's birthdays. But what happens on Sunday stays on Sunday.

09/02/2024

Eighty years ago today, USS BRAY arrived at Naval Station New Orleans, following the trip down the Mississippi from her builder’s yard in Michigan. This destroyer es**rt honored Raymond Leon Bray, who was born on 1 April 1918, in Greenville, Texas. He enlisted in the Marine Corps on 13 September 1940, and by 1942 was a corporal with the 1st Parachute Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force.

As part of the Guadalcanal invasion on 7 August 1942, the 1st Parachute Battalion went ashore in landing craft on the island of Gavutu, Solomon Islands. Bray’s Company “B” came under heavy fire while still in the boats. Company “B” pushed toward the left to gain Hill 148, from which much of the enemy fire came, and took it by late afternoon.

Cpl. Bray attacked a fortified machine gun emplacement that blocked the Marines’ advance. Charging alone, he plunged through the opening of the position and engaged the Japanese in hand-to-hand combat until other Marines rushed to support him overcame the opposition. Bray, however, died as a result of a gr***de explosion later that same day. For his “daring, aggressive, and gallant conduct,” Bray received the Navy Cross, posthumously.

His namesake, the Rudderow class USS BRAY (DE-709), was laid down on 27 January 1944, in Bay City, Michigan, by the Defoe Shipbuilding Co. She was launched on 15 April 1944, and was sponsored by Mrs. Mattie M. Bray, Bray’s mother. The ship was ferried down the Mississippi River to New Orleans, where she was delivered to the Navy on 1 September 1944. She was commissioned there on 4 September 1944, with Cdr. James A. Heatherington, III, USNR, in command.

Departing New Orleans on her shakedown cruise soon thereafter, BRAY steamed through the hurricane that sent WARRINGTON (DD-383) to the bottom, and conducted a fruitless search for survivors. The destroyer es**rt completed her shakedown training in the vicinity of Bermuda, and joined Es**rt Division (CortDiv) 12, Atlantic Fleet. By mid-January 1945, the warship was operating out of Norfolk, training prospective destroyer and destroyer-es**rt crewmen.

She, however, was frequently called upon to go out on antisubmarine patrols against real or imagined U-boats. During that time, BRAY also made voyages to the New London area, where she assisted submarines in preparing their crews, and received antisubmarine warfare (ASW) training herself.

While operating in Chesapeake Bay on 19 March 1945, the warship dispatched a damage control party to assist the rapidly sinking HEROIC (AMc-84). The party successfully patched the gaping hole in HEROIC’s hull and saved the minesweeper. In April 1945, she rendezvoused with the damaged carrier, USS FRANKLIN (CV-13), heavily damaged by bombs during strikes on the Japanese homeland, and es**rted her into New York. Missions similar to these occupied her until late July, when she entered the Charleston Navy Yard for conversion to a high-speed transport. On 16 July 1945, she was redesignated APD-139. After completing the conversion late in September, BRAY was assigned school ship duty in Miami, Florida.

That duty continued until 7 December 1945, when she arrived in Green Cove Springs, Fla., to begin the deactivation process. BRAY was decommissioned on 10 May 1946, and was berthed with the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. She remained in reserve for nearly a decade and a half. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 1 June 1960, in anticipation of her sale to Ecuador for service as a floating power plant. After those plans failed to go through, she was sunk as a target on 26 March 1963.

The photo is NARA photo CP-DE-709-19-N-91197, taken on 3 August 1944, while the ship was undergoing builder’s trials on Lake Huron. Photo provided by Roger Torgeson.

08/31/2024

Earlier this week, the crew used the whaleboat to push a tree downriver. James made a short video of the ride which you can find on our channel at the link below.

https://youtu.be/cOry_VVTM1o?si=4f9qXpfrE1rdQ1CT

08/30/2024

The weekend is here, and it's Liberty Call. This week we are granting Liberty to the NPTU Ballston Spa Chief Selects and CPO's. Over forty of them spent the day working, cleaning, and painting aboard USS SLATER. We hope the selects have the nice relaxing weekend they earned, but we've got to believe that their CPO's may have something else in mind for them. Thanks to Kaylin Campen for the photos.

08/30/2024

"You wanna know what a BT is? It's a chance to get out of the sonar hut and get some air. If you know, you know."

08/28/2024

Tin Can Sailors, Inc., The National Association of Destroyer Veterans, recently shared some "trench art" from their collection, so we are going to copy them.

The attached photographs are of a 3" MK. 7 .50 caliber shell casing turned ash tray, from USS REEVES (DE-156/APD-52). It was donated to DEHM in 2000 by Mark Albert Gillissen, MM2c. A simple design and the ship's name have been etched into the sides of the casing and four Irish coins added to hold a cigarette.

Did you ever create "trench art" aboard your ship?

08/27/2024

Tuesday, 27 August 2024. Thirty-one years ago today, A/T AETOS, the former USS SLATER, arrived at the Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum, completing a tow from Souda Bay Crete. Today, twelve volunteers continued the ship's restoration.

08/27/2024

Monday, 26 August 2024. Thirteen volunteers aboard, working on compressors, pumps, and scaling and painting. Meatloaf sandwiches, macaroni salad, and cherry pie for chow.

08/26/2024

The photo below, taken exactly eighty years ago today. It was taken from the es**rt carrier USS CORE (CVE-13) of the USS KEITH doing a highline transfer. KEITH was named for Ellis Judson Keith, Jr., who was born in Houston, Texas, on 30 June 1919, and entered the Navy as a Seaman Second Class on 2 October 1941. He was assigned as a radioman and gunner on a patrol plane that flew on aerial bombardments and strafing attacks on enemy ships in the Aleutian Islands. Killed in action during a mission over Kiska Harbor on 11 June 1942, Seaman Keith was awarded the Air Medal posthumously for his courage and fortitude.

His namesake, USS KEITH (DE-241), was laid down 8 December 1942, was launched on 21 December 1942, by Brown Ship Building Co., Houston, Texas. The ship was sponsored by Mrs. Ellis J. Keith, Sr., the mother of Seaman Keith, and commissioned on 19 July 1943, in Houston, Texas, with Lt. Drayton Cochran in command.
After shakedown and training exercise out of Bermuda, KEITH sailed from Norfolk on 14 September 1943, on the first of three voyages, es**rting convoys from East Coast ports to Gibraltar.

After returning from convoy es**rt duty on 22 February 1944, KEITH underwent extensive refresher training, and participated in antisubmarine warfare exercises. Then she sailed on 15 March, as part of es**rt carrier TRIPOLI’s newly-formed hunter-killer group. With this group, she patrolled the Atlantic from Brazil to Newfoundland, in quest of enemy submarines.

In July, KEITH joined a similar group operating with es**rt carrier CORE in the Atlantic. On 25 August 1944 at 09:43 on the morning VC-13 TBM torpedo bomber crewed by Lt.(jg) Paul M. Rockette, ARM3c Frederick Rettew, and AMM3c Gustav T. Johnson went down 3000 yards off KEITH’s bow. At 09:52 the crew were taken aboard KEITH and at 11:03 they were photographed while being transferred back to their carrier.

On 30 August, Core's hunter-killer group contacted an enemy submarine. KEITH, assisting in the search, made two hedgehog attacks with inconclusive results.

KEITH continued to operate with the hunter-killer group patrolling the vast waters of the Atlantic, es**rting convoys from "midocean point" to ports in Brazil, Bermuda, Newfoundland, Cuba, and the United States.

On 23 April 1945, the hunter-killer group, operating as a combined force against a large wolfpack of U-boats, spotted a partially submerged submarine but could not locate it after it dived. While searching the next day, DAVIS, a destroyer in company, was torpedoed and sunk.

KEITH and task group ships headed to the position where Davis had gone down, and launched a severe depth charge attack that lasted some 12 hours before U-546 was forced to surface. The destroyer es**rts opened fire on the submarine; and KEITH made two direct hits before the U-boat sank. After the engagement, KEITH rescued four survivors from the submarine.

In mid-July, KEITH departed Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for duty in the Pacific. KEITH found herself in Pearl Harbor at the end of hostilities, and got underway for Saipan, for es**rt duty and mop-up operations. Shortly after arriving on 31 August, she was assigned an air-sea rescue station between Iwo Jima and Japan. At the end of the year, KEITH sailed for China, arriving in Shanghai on the last day of December. She remained there, patrolling and es**rting vessels, until sailing for home on 10 April 1946, via Pearl Harbor and the Panama Canal.

She arrived in Charleston, S.C., on 15 May 1946. Keith was towed to Green Cove Springs, Fla., where she was decommissioned and placed in reserve on 20 September 1946. Later moved to Orange Texas, the place of her berth. She remained there until 1 November 1972, when she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register. On 18 January 1974 she was sold for scrapping.

08/25/2024

The Sunday crew doesn't get a lot of love, because what happens on Sunday stays on Sunday.

08/24/2024

Wednesday we hosted the Invictus Games Foundation, a group that brought disabled military veterans to Capital Region for a competition. The group of veterans that completed sport courses joined us for a tour, had lunch, and completed a trail orientation course. The event, organized by Russ Myer, shows that USS SLATER continues to serve all Veterans.

08/23/2024

The weekend is here and it's Liberty Call! This week we're "On the Town," with Gene Kelly and Vera Ellen. Have a great weekend!

Address

Intersection Of Broadway And Quay Streets
Albany, NY
12202

Opening Hours

Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm
Saturday	10am - 4pm
Sunday	10am - 4pm

Website

http://www.ussslater.org/

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Videos

Our next episode of DE Classified is live! This month, we are all about Operation Deep Freeze and USS BROUGH, DE-148. Cozy up on your couch or in your car and listen to the story of this mighty ship and how she persevered. Listen to the full episode on our website (https://ussslater.org/de-classified) or download wherever you get your podcasts.

SLATER volunteer Richard Bourgeois has been working on a few MK 14 gun sights. We recently acquired three more with the original seal. In this short video you will see him starting the compressor and witnessing the gyro assisted sights "track" a target.

We celebrated the 233rd birthday of the US Coast Guard today! Thanks to the Pitch Hitters Quartet of Racing City Chorus for honoring us with Semper Paratus.

The newest episode of DE Classified is out! Listen to the brave story of the Coast Guardsmen that manned USS MOSLEY DE-321. You can listen on our website https://ussslater.org/de-classified or download wherever you get your podcasts.

Like her namesake, USS Tomich (DE-242) served with great distinction. Peter Thomich served aboard USS UTAH when she was attacked at Pearl Harbor. USS TOMICH guarded convoys across the Atlantic, fended off Axis air attacks, and searched for U-boats along the East Coast. While this destroyer escort has a fascinating service history, there is more to the namesake’s story and locating his next of kin. Listen to the latest episode of DE Classified on our website or wherever you get podcasts! https://ussslater.org/de-classified

As one of the DEs to serve through World War II into the Vietnam War, USS VANCE (DE-387) has a story like no other. She braced the Atlantic to defend convoys against U-boats, spent months in chilly Antarctic waters as part of Operation Deep Freeze and endured 99 days of command under one the most cantankerous commanding officers the US Navy had ever seen. Follow along and listen to some extraordinary and occasionally ludicrous stories on this episode of DE Classified. Listen on our website or anywhere you get podcasts! https://ussslater.org/de-classified

Just restocked! Our AETOS Challenge coins are back! Order yours today! https://ussslater.org/ships-store/p/challenge-coin

The latest episode of DE Classified is out! Hear the story of USS SAN FRANCISCO and how Frank Slater became our ship's namesake. https://ussslater.org/de-classified

Tonight we hosted our first technical demonstration aboard SLATER! It was a smashing hit attended by over 40 people. It was the first time the lights had been lit for the public to see. Thanks to all our volunteers and interns who contributed to the restoration of the lights and pulling off the demonstration tonight. We'll start planning the next event tomorrow! What do you want to see?

A new episode of DE Classified is out today! This month we celebrated the 25th Anniversary of SLATER's arrival in Albany. Journey through the last 25 years of restoration with John in this recount of the history of USS SLATER's Volunteers. Listen to the episode on our website or download it wherever you get podcasts.

Sammy B Soundbite

78 years ago today USS SAMUEL B. ROBERTS met her match at the Battle off Samar, but not before she earned her nickname of the Destroyer Escort that fought like a Battleship. Hear the whole story on our podcast; DE Classified episode 9. https://ussslater.org/de-classified-samuel-b-roberts

Have you heard Gio's episode of our podcast, DE Classified, on USS KIRK yet? Give it a listen! https://ussslater.org/de-classified

Remember the reason for the holiday this Memorial Day and visit USS SLATER. Open 10-4 Monday 31 May 2021.

Aidan Peterson - Bugle

We brought our baby home today!

Shortcuts

Destroyer Es**rt Historical Museum

The Old Navy Lives Here

USS SLATER DE-766 A/T AETOS 01

During World War II, 563 Destroyer Es**rts battled N**i U-boats on The Old Navy lives here the North Atlantic protecting convoys of men and material. In the Pacific they stood in line to defend naval task forces from Japanese submarines and Kamikaze air attacks. Today, only one of these ships remains afloat in the United States, the USS SLATER.

Moored on the Hudson River in Albany, New York, the USS SLATER has undergone an extensive restoration that has returned the ship to her former glory. The museum offers hour-long guided tours, youth group overnight camping, and a historic location to hold naval reunions.