ABOUT





As the Navy's first Fletcher-class destroyers, these sister ships, built side-by-side and launched in 1942, share a valiant story storming in and out of battle and coasting tranquil seas.



SISTER SHIPS





Sisters in War • Sisters in Peace: the tale of two U.S. Navy destroyers sharing the same Fletcher-class DNA, birthed in Bath, Maine in 1942. Their hearts beat with a spirit of youthful vitality, readiness, sober tension and courage. Crews for three decades took pride in what these sibling ships accomplished in times of war and in times of peace.


USS Nicholas (DD-449)


USS O’Bannon (DD-450)​


For heroic actions in the Pacific Theater both were honored with Presidential Unit Citations.

Historical records and personal accounts tell a gripping story of sailors under siege, in battle,

to-the-rescue. Their home aboard these sister ships holds a legacy of brotherhood, action and honor.



"With little time to rest or to overhaul, and with a great variety of missions to accomplish, our destroyers, generally, have performed magnificently, and with little of the publicity which has accompanied the exploits of other units of the Naval Service. Our destroyers have truly been the silent part of our service, but their exploits and their capabilities are well known to those who have to know."



Admiral Chester Nimitz
Pearl Harbor
January 29, 1944



DD-449 and DD-450 NameSakes



These are the two most historically revered Marines whose legacy spirited the mission these sister destroyers performed so magnificently.



Samuel Nicholas



Nicholas was born in 1744. His Quaker upbringing in a prominent Philadelphia family was in conflict with revolutionary rumblings of war. but his maritime, horsemen and marksmanship skills he forged the mission Marines would become "in the air on land and sea." He died of yellow fever August 27, 1790 in Philadelphia. "Each year on the anniversary of his death, the local Marine Reserve Officer Training Corps returns to the gravesite at sunrise for a ceremony that includes a historical reading and the laying of a wreath."

"As captain of the 24-gun frigate Alfred in March 1776, Nicholas led almost 300 Marines in the Corps’ first amphibious landing: A raid on Nassau in the Bahamas that resulted in the capture of two British forts, 88 cannons and a large quantity of ammunition and supplies. A month later, the crew of the Alfred helped to capture two British ships and waged an attack on the British ship Glasgow."


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Presley O'Bannon



Presley O'Bannon (c. 1776 – September 12, 1850) was a first lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps, famous for his exploits in the First Barbary War. In recognition of his bravery, he was presented a sword for his part in attempting to restore Prince Hamet Karamanli to his throne as the bey of Tripoli. This sword became the model for the Mameluke sword, adopted in 1825 for Marine Corps officers, which is part of the formal uniform today.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presley_O%27Bannon


"Following a 600-mile trek across the Egyptian and Libyan deserts, Marine Lieutenant Presley O’Bannon, under the command of William Eaton, led his men in an attack on Derne to restore a friendly ruler to the throne of Tripoli. The Marines took the city, planting the American flag on foreign soil for the first time in history."


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Sisters in War, Sisters in Peace is a literary work (in progress) that will follow
these two WWII Fletcher Destroyers based on Naval documents, historical and personal accounts.
Feel free to contact John Bailey with any comments, corrections or contributions.



John Bailey



John@sisterships.us