HAYLER DD 997

Ship Name and Designation History

This section lists the names and designations that the ship had during its lifetime. The list is in chronological order.

Spruance Class Destroyer Keel Laid 20 October 1980 - Launched 6 February 1982 Christened 27 March 1982 USS HAYLER DD-997 Commissioned 5 March 1983 - Decommissioned 25 August 2003 Stricken 6 April 2004 Sunk as target 13 November 2004 (SINKEX 2004)

Naval Covers

This section lists active links to the pages displaying covers associated with the ship. There should be a separate set of pages for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Covers should be presented in chronological order (or as best as can be determined).

Since a ship may have many covers, they may be split among many pages so it doesn't take forever for the pages to load. Each page link should be accompanied by a date range for covers on that page.

1. USS Hayler DD-997 Covers Page 1    (1983-2003)

 

Postmarks

This section lists examples of the postmarks used by the ship. There should be a separate set of postmarks for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Within each set, the postmarks should be listed in order of their classification type. If more than one postmark has the same classification, then they should be further sorted by date of earliest known usage.

A postmark should not be included unless accompanied by a close-up image and/or an image of a cover showing that postmark. Date ranges MUST be based ONLY ON COVERS IN THE MUSEUM and are expected to change as more covers are added.
 
>>> If you have a better example for any of the postmarks, please feel free to replace the existing example.

 

Postmark Type --- Killer Bar Text	Postmark Date	Thumbnail Link To Postmark Image	Thumbnail Link To Cover Image

 

Locy Type FDC 2-1(n+) (D2,USS)

1983-03-05

Commissioning, cachet by the Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type FDC 2-1(n+) (D2,USS)

1983-03-05

Commissioning, cachet by the Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type 2-1(n+) (D2,USS)

1983-05-05

Welcome to the Fleet, cachet by Tazewell G. Nicholson

 

Locy Type 2-1(n+) (D2,USS)

1986-06-13

Note:

 

Locy Type 2-1(n+) (D2,USS) ("HOYLER")

1983-05-05

Welcome to the Fleet, cachet by Tazewell G. Nicholson

 

Locy Type 9-1(n+u) (USS)

1983-05-05

Welcome to the Fleet, cachet by Tazewell G. Nicholson

 

Locy Type 9-1(n+u) (USS)

1986-06-13

Note:

 

Locy Type 9-1(n+u) (USS) ("HOYLER")

1983-05-05

Welcome to the Fleet, cachet by Tazewell G. Nicholson

 

Locy Type F

2003-08-08

Deactivation Ceremony, cachet by the Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type LDC 2-1(n+) (D2,USS)

2003-08-25

Decommissioning, cachet by the Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type LDC 2-1(n+) (D2,USS)

2003-08-25

Decommissioning, cachet by the Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type LDC F

2003-08-25

Decommissioning, cachet by the Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type LDC F

2003-08-25

Decommissioning, cachet by the Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type LDC F

2003-08-25

Decommissioning, cachet by Dan Goodwin

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USPS Pictorial Postmarks

 

USPS Pictorial Postmark "Fleet Week NYC 2002 Station" Staten Island, NY

2002-05-22

Fleet Week 2002, cachet by the Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

USPS Pictorial Postmark "Decommissioning Station" Portsmouth, VA

2003-08-25

Decommissioning, cachet by the Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Other Information

NAMESAKE - Vice Admiral Robert Ward Hayler, USN (7 June 1891 – 17 November 1980)
Born in Sandusky, Ohio, raised in Muncie, Indiana and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1914. Hayler's first ship was the battleship USS Georgia BB-15 which he joined during the campaign at Veracruz, Mexico. During World War I, he was aboard the battleship USS Oklahoma BB-37 based in Scapa Flow with the British Grand Fleet. He was then ordered to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston as a student in ordnance engineering. Following MIT, he commanded the San Diego-based destroyers USS Howard DD-179 and USS Melvin DD-335, and served three tours at the Naval Torpedo Station, Newport, Rhode Island.
At the outbreak of World War II, then Captain Hayler was in command of the newly reopened Torpedo Station at Alexandria, VA. In June 1942, he was ordered to sea in command of the cruiser USS Honolulu CL-48, for his actions between 1942-1943, he earned two awards of the Navy Cross and a Silver Star. In March 1944, Captain Hayler was promoted to Rear admiral, and given command of Cruiser Division TWELVE (USS Montpelier, USS Denver, USS Columbia, and USS Cleveland). Between March 1944-December 1944, VADM Hayler earned another Navy Cross and two Legion of Merit medals.
In December 1944, he was transferred to the Navy Department in Washington where he was a member of the General Board. In 1948 Admiral Hayler was ordered to Charleston, SC, as Commandant, SIXTH Naval District. He was retired in 1951, but remained on active duty as President, Permanent General Court-Martial, Naval Station Great Lakes, IL, until 1953. He was permanently retired with the rank of Vice Admiral by virtue of his combat decorations.
VADM Hayler earned the Navy Cross with two Gold Stars, the Silver Star Medal, the Legion of Merit with one Gold Star, the Bronze Star Medal with one Gold Star, the Navy Commendation Medal, the Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon, the Mexican Service Medal, the World War I Victory Medal, the American Defense Medal, the American Campaign Medal, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal during his career.

The ships sponsor was Nicole Hayler, the granddaughter of Admiral Robert Hayler.

 

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