If you have any photos of the USS Coontz you would like to submit, please send them to usscoontzddg40@yahoo.com  

 

In 1984, the USS Coontz transited into the Black Sea and sailed eight miles off the coast of the then-Soviet Union to exercise the U.S.'s right to free passage in international waters.  This video depicts a portion of that operation.  The shoreline of Yalta can be seen in the background, as well as a few Soviet ships following the USS Coontz.  Special thanks for this video goes to Joe Kramer, who was a BM3 aboard the Coontz at the time.  If you have any photos or videos from the USS Coontz you would like to share, please email them to usscoontzddg40@yahoo.com

" On 1 July 1966, three North Vietnam torpedo boats came out to attack USS Coontz (DLG 9) and USS Rogers (DD 876) operating about 40 miles off shore on search and rescue missions. Aircraft from Constellation and USS Hancock (CVA 19) made short work of the attackers, sinking all three with bombs, rockets, and 20mm cannon fire. After the attack, Coontz pulled 19 survivors from the water".   Editor's note:  The video here was shot aboard the USS King.  The USS Coontz (DLG-9) can be seen in the background as North Vietnamese prisoners are being picked up by the motor whaleboat.  (Quoted text courtesy of GlobalSecurity.org, video courtesy of USS King)  If you were a crew member aboard the USS Coontz during this time, we'd love to read your comments and recollections of the incident!

In 1984, crew members from the USS Coontz were invited to attend Christmas Eve Midnight Mass at the Vatican.  The crew boarded a bus in Gaeta for Rome and Vatican City, and stopped for dinner and wine along the way.  Once at the Vatican, those attending the mass had to go through a security check and metal detectors, as there had been an assassination attempt on Pope John Paul just a few years before.  Pictured above is the ticket the crew was given for entry to the Vatican.  If you have any photos from your time aboard the USS Coontz you would like to share, please email them to usscoontzddg40@yahoo.com 

If you have any photos from the USS Coontz you would like to share, please email them to usscoontzddg40@yahoo.com

If you have any photos from the USS Coontz you would like to share, please email them to usscoontzddg40@yahoo.com

I'm happy to announce the creation of the new USS Coontz Message Board!  Please feel free to use the message board as a resource for sharing memories and sea stories from the USS Coontz, locating shipmates and posting messages to others on the board. 

I think you will find this message board very user-friendly, accessible, and over time, a valuable resource for sharing information and memories with other USS Coontz crew members. 

You can find the message board on this page under "Links of Interest," or you can get their directly through THIS LINK.

If you have any suggested forums for the new USS Coontz message board, please feel free to suggest them to usscoontzddg40@yahoo.com