Welcome to The Big Nickel. This site is dedicated to all those who served on the USS Biddle DDG-5 and, after she was re-commissioned July 28, 1964, the USS Claude V. Ricketts DDG-5. I call the site The Big Nickel simply because a few of us used to call her that when I was on board (July 1964 to March 1968) and the name stuck with me. Besides what else should we call a ship with two names, painted haze gray, and hull number 5?