USS Forrest DD461 DMS24

03/05/2026

Coming Soon---Post # 110: Captain Lawrence D. Caney, US Navy (Retired). Captain Caney, US Naval Academy Class of 1943 (actual graduation date for the Class of '43 was in June 1942). [Fellow classmate and "class of '44", Midshipmen Arthur Major, also "graduated early" with the Class of '43, and both were assigned to the USS Forrest circa August 1942]. CPT Caney served on the USS Forrest until Sept '44 [and Commander A. Major served on the USS Forrest until Sept '45]. CPT Caney was the D-Day Gunnery Officer for the USS Forrest off the coast of Normandy France in June 1944. CPT Caney was the longest serving US Navy Officer of any other former USS Forrest commissioned personnel-officially and finally retiring...for the second time!!, in the early 1980s.
Among his many accomplishments, accolades, service awards, and assignments, Captain Caney was the very first Skipper and Plankowner Commanding Officer for the USS HENRY B. WILSON DD-957 / DDG-7. CPT Caney was present for duty on this destroyer ship's first day of commissioned service...as well as the special guest speaker for its de-commissioning ceremony.

We can summarize Captain Caney's exemplary career and service to the nation with a quote from his family:

"Captain Caney LOVED THE NAVY!"

More to follow.

https://archive.org/details/luckybag1943unse/page/172/mode/2up

https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/library/research-guides/modernbios/c/caney-lawrence-davidson_Redacted.pdf

https://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient/recipient-34854/

https://www.usnwcarchives.org/repositories/2/resources/485

https://archivesspace.bowdoin.edu/repositories/2/top_containers/17261?&filter_fields[]=child_container_u_sstr&filter_values[]=folder+30

https://destroyerhistory.org/coldwar/kiddclass/

https://www.usshenrybwilsonddg7.com/

https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/h/henry-b-wilson-ddg-7.html

https://www.navsource.net/archives/05/01007.htm

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/73002982/lawrence-d-caney

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Other historical links related to the Class of '43:
https://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/Category:1943

https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/heritage/naval-academy/usna-wwii.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbP-tJtqgi0

https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/1995/october/naval-academy-memories

11/11/2025

Post # 109: Remembering all our veteran's out there, past-present-& future. We extend a special appreciation to all WWII shipmates of the USS Forrest who served...

https://department.va.gov/veterans-day/

11/10/2025

Post # 108: Coming Soon - the USS Gleaves DD-423. The USS Gleaves has the namesake for the USS Forrest's destroyer type class: the "Gleaves-class" US Navy Destroyer class of 66 destroyers. In the US Navy tradition, a ship class is named after the first ship in class for which the class is built: in this case, the type class is named for US Navy Admiral Albert Gleaves. [Note that during WWII the class type was known by a somewhat convoluted series of names for its class type; names such as the "Bristol-class" or "Livermore-class"; et al, were used throughout WWII. Then there was the nearly exact similar "Benson-class" of DD's...of which a "Gleaves-class" DD might have also been called, but that was not common. During the war, most sailors on the USS Forrest would have probably called their ship a "Bristol-class" destroyer. After WWII, the "Gleaves-class" designation was eventually decided upon as the type class name.]

https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/art/exhibits/conflicts-and-operations/wwi/the-united-states-navy-in-world-war-i/rear-admiral-albert-gleaves.html

https://destroyerhistory.org/benson-gleavesclass/ns_gleaves/

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6892751/albert-gleaves

https://livingnewdeal.org/sites/tennessee-state-capitol-kinney-sculpture-nashville-tn/

https://tnmuseum.org/Stories/posts/remembrance-military-representation-through-public-art-at-the-tennessee-state-capitol

https://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/people_details.php?PeopleID=1657

https://www.si.edu/object/rear-admiral-albert-gleaves%3Anmah_450885

https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/us-navy-ships/alphabetical-listing/g/uss-gleaves--dd-423--0.html

https://destroyerhistory.org/benson-gleavesclass/ussgleaves/

https://archive.org/details/dd423bogp1945

https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/creator/gleaves-albert-1858-1937/

https://www.navsource.net/archives/05/423.htm

While serving at the Naval Ordnance Proving Ground, Admiral Gleaves made outstanding contributions in the field of gunnery and torpedoes. While carrying out some tests on torpedo steering devices he changed these weapons from instruments of luck into instruments of precision. The gear which he teste...