RUPERTUS DD 851

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.

Gearing Class Destroyer Keel Laid 2 May 1945 - Launched 21 September 1945 USS RUPERTUS DD-851 Commissioned 8 March 1946 - Decommissioned 10 July 1973 Stricken 10 July 1973 HNS KOUNTOURIOTIS D-213 Transferred to Greece 10 July 1973 and renamed Stricken by Greece 1995 Reported to be laid up in Souda Bay, Crete as of 1-98

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).

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1. USS Rupertus DD-851 Covers Page 1     (1946-1972)

 

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 F USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. R-34

1946-03-08

Commissioning

 

Locy Type 2(n)

1947-08-18

Note:

 

Locy Type 2(n+) (USS)

1966-06-06

Note:

 

Locy Type 2t(n+u) (USS)

1972-07-07

Note:

 

Locy Type 9ef(n+u) USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. R-34b

1972-07-07

This postmark is on the back of this cover and not in very good shape.

 

Other Information

USS RUPERTUS earned the Korean service Medal w/ seven battle stars for her service in the Korean War

NAMESAKE - Major General William Henry Rupertus, USMC (14 November 1889 – 25 March 1945)
        Rupertus served in the United States Marine Corps from 1913-1945 rising to the rank of Major General. He was a veteran of World War I, the Banana Wars (Occupation of Haiti), Second Sino-Japanese War, and World War II (Guadalcanal campaign, Battle of Tulagi and Gavutu-Tanambogo, Battle of Cape Gloucester, Battle of Peleliu). In November 1944, Major General Rupertus became Commandant of the Marine Corps Schools at Quantico, Virginia. The tenure was short, however, as he died of a heart attack just four months later. He is most famous for being the author of the "Rifleman's Creed".
        MGen Rupertus earned the Navy Cross, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Navy Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon w/ 2 service stars, the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal w/ 1 service star, the World War I Victory Medal w/ Maltese cross, the Haitian Campaign Medal (1921), the China Service Medal, the American Defense Service Medal w/ "BASE" clasp, the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/ 4 service stars, the World War II Victory Medal and the Haitian Distinguished Service Medal during his 32 year US Marine Corps career.
        MGen Rupertus also received the The Faciat Georgius (“Let George Do It” in English) medal. This an unofficial medal given during World War II to United States Marine Corps (USMC) officers, senior NCOs of the 1st Marine Division and a British coastwatcher who served during the Guadalcanal campaign.

The ships sponsor was Mrs. William H. Rupertus.

 

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