See you aboard the USS ORLECK DD 886
November 11, 2026!
A Tradition Every Veterans Day!
USS ORLECK Sailors, Family & Friends Pilgrimage
to Jacksonville, Florida to Gather Aboard the USS ORLECK DD 886
The years are passing quickly!
The years do go by quickly, don’t they? Hard to believe it has been three years since the Destroyer USS ORLECK DD 886 Association held its last and final official reunion. It was 2022 and how blessed we were that such a notable time in our history would happen aboard the USS ORLECK. At the final business meeting of the Association, we clearly expressed what a wonderful great run of reunions it was from 1993 to 2022, but that we were not through yet.
For the fourth year since our final official reunion, we extend an invitation to all ORLECK sailors, family, and friends, to gather once again and commemorate Veterans Day aboard our beloved ship. Over fifty-three remarkable years, the USS ORLECK has stood as a testament to courage, resilience, and the extraordinary people who have shaped her story. Many have played pivotal roles not only during her active service, but also in her return to the United States following her final decommissioning in Turkey in 1998, and to her survival after her return.
How this 11-11-11 plan came about!
While ORLECK still sailed under the Turkish flag, our reunion group began meeting as early as 1993, with gatherings that continued all the way through 2022. None of us could have even dreamed that after the ship’s return to the United States and the uncertainties of those two troublesome decades, we would be blessed with the chance to hold our last official reunion in Jacksonville, right on her decks and looking good. The future now shines brighter for the USS ORLECK than we could ever have imagined, and this year’s Veterans Day gathering is a celebration that was destined to happen.
The “miracle of Jacksonville” occurred at just the right moment, saving the USS ORLECK from being lost forever. Fate intervened, and through a series of unexpected events, the JAX Naval Museum chose the USS ORLECK DD 886 as its centerpiece, honoring her history and promising her continued care. Because of this, we are able to uphold a cherished tradition: returning each Veterans Day at 11 AM to celebrate, remember, and honor our ship and the countless individuals connected to her legacy.
We urge every sailor, along with families and friends, to join us in paying tribute to our history and those who have given so much to ensure the ORLECK’s survival. Let us gather once more on her decks, in fellowship and gratitude to mark Veterans Day, honoring both our shared past and the bright future that awaits our ship. Your presence is a vital part of this ongoing miracle. We hope to see you there.
At the business meeting we adopted a plan that we called the 11/11/11 project that envisioned meeting at 11 AM on the 11th day of the 11th month. The date happens to be Veterans Day and 11 AM was the time when in WWI the guns ceased firing. Easy to remember and very meaningful, we adopted that to send the message that would be hard to forget and would carry on for as long as our ship serves as a member of the Historic Naval Museum Fleet.
