USS Orleck Museum
From: gurdeniz To: Bob Orleck Sent: Thursday, June 22, 2000 2:39 PM Subject: Ynt: TCG YUCETEPE Dear Bob She is gone. It is very touchy to watch the video casette. She was like a queen and leaving her last reign and departing for a new kingdom. I felt so different. She was home to me for 10 months and I really gave so much to her in order to make her look better and crew feel pride with her. Now while leaving Izmir harbor under tow the sight was so strange to me. Hundred times she crossed those waters and now she is under tow and leaving us forever. However she is a lucky ship. I try to visualize the day she will be christened as a museum ship. Attached is the picture taken in early may. Cem
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a message from Captain Cem GURDENIZ. Cem served as Executive Officer aboard TCG YUCETEPE D 345 and loved his ship. In large measure he was the man who saw to it that the USS ORLECK, built originally to last about 10 years, after making it through 37 years in our Navy, continued to serve the free world in Turkey for another 16 years until 1998. Captain GURDENIZ is now an Admiral in the Turkish Navy and we offer our congratulations to him. If it was not for Captain GURDENIZ our ship would never have made it back to the United States and while things have not turned out as I and Cem dreamed, there has been much good that has come from her men being able to get together at times aboard her and to do what they could do to help make her into a successful museum. We owe him a deep debt of gratitude.
The USS ORLECK DD 886 is presently at a temporary berth in Lake Charles. I understand that a referendum is to be held this November to decide whether they City will permit her to be permanently moored in the Lake Charles. We will try to keep you updated in the future through the forum so please check in there once in awhile.