ACVA History

The Adams Class Veterans Association, Inc. formed in Jan 2004, after the Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum announced they were abandoning efforts to attain the USS Charles F. Adams DDG-2 as a museum ship for Bay City, Michigan.

Our goal is to save the USS Charles F. Adams DDG-2, the first Guided Missile Destroyer and the US Navy’s first Guided Missile Ship, as a museum ship. We have representatives from almost all 23 “Adams Class DDG” ships and several from the German Adams Class DDG’s who have joined our group.

The ADAMS Class Veteran's Association, Inc. (ACVA, INC.), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was formed with the mission and goal of saving an ADAMS class DDG ship. ACVA is focusing their efforts on preserving the USS CHARLES F. ADAMS (DDG-2), as she is the only ship left of the class. Several of the founding ACVA members are either "Plankowners" (original crew members) or served on one of the 23 US DDG's or German DDG's, between 1960 and the late 1990s.

During 2005, the ACVA had discussions with several locations in Florida about providing the ADAMS with a berth and a city willing to be the host for a navy museum ship. We hired a marine engineer and completed marine site surveys at several potential berthing sites in the areas. Florida is considered a preferred berthing area due to its year round warm climate and because it is a desired tourist destination that would provide a large number of annual visitors. When discussions began with the Florida City, the ACVA was not aware that any other group had an interest in ADAMS - however in November 2005 we learned that another Florida City, and others in the Northeast and Midwest are expressing interest in the ADAMS. The ACVA wants to work with any city or group that will provide a home and continued support for the ADAMS, regardless of the location. Our goal is to “Save the ADAMS”.

Saving a US Destroyer as a museum ship is a costly endeavor. The estimated cost could be $6-7 million, depending on the actual location. The members of the ACVA are going to attempt to raise $1 million of the amount in addition to donating many hours of experienced labor. Our President, Tom Crosser, (who served on USS Buchanan DDG-14, 1966 to 1968), resides in Phoenix, Arizona and is supported by a Board of Directors who are located in California, Virginia, Florida, New Jersey, Maine, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. The ACVA, INC. represents and supports all ADAMS class ships. Our current membership includes crew from all 23 American DDG's, 2 German DDG's, and others who have never served on a DDG or in the military.

Anyone with an interest is welcome to join in our efforts to preserve the history of the beginning of the Guided Missile Destroyer service. You need not be a DDG sailor, ex-Navy, or ex-military to join our organization. We welcome all who are interested in helping to preserve our nations Naval History for future generations. We currently have no dues, but will accept donation checks, which are tax deductible. Those becoming members and donating $25 or more are assigned an "ACVA Plankowner" number. To complete our simple application, click on the "Join the ACVA" button in the menu.

In The Beginning - the USS Charles F. Adams DDG-2

On June 16, 1958, the keel was laid for the USS Charles F. Adams. She was the first destroyer planned and built as a guided missile ship. The Adams was built at the Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine, and was the first in a line of 23 Adams Class DDG ships. The ship was named for Charles Francis Adams, Secretary of the Navy from 1929 to 1933. Secretary Adams was a world-class yachtsman, winning the America's Cup in 1921 as the master of the Resolute.

The USS Charles F. Adams was launched on September 8, 1959, and commissioned at Charlestown Navy Yard, on September 10, 1960 in Boston, Massachusetts. After commissioning and testing, the Adams made an initial Northern Europe good will tour in 1961 as the flagship of the Commodore of DesRon6. Stops were made at many cities which had not been visited by the US Navy since the end of World War 2. From Northern Europe the Adams sailed south down the Kiel Canal to Kiel, Germany and in the spring of 1962 was assigned to the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean. The DDG-2 returned to a home port of Charleston, SC in mid 1962.

Outfitting
The Charles F. Adams was designed to meet the new challenges of the Cold War. Bristling with more antenna and guidance systems then guns, the Adams used technology as well as conventional weapons to fight her battles. She was armed with two rapid firing, single barreled 5" 54 caliber guns, one twin Tartar surface-to-air missile launcher, one ASROC 8-tube launcher and two triple torpedo tubes

Missions
The first active duty stop for the Adams was the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Blockade. She served as flagship for Cold War surveillance of Soviet submarines in the North Atlantic, and patrolled the turbulent waters of Lebanon, Libya and the Persian Gulf when troubles brought the Navy to those regions in the late 1970's and all of the 1980's.

Retirement
The USS Charles F. Adams was decommissioned in 1990 and retired to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard to await final disposition. In January, 1997, the Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum Committee was founded and began efforts to bring the “Charlie Deuce” to Bay City, Michigan, to serve as a living museum. The Saginaw group quit this effort in October 2003 and the Adams Class (DDG) Veterans Association (ACVA) formed in early 2004 to begin work to have the Adams become a naval ship museum.