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USS DE WERT FFG-45

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Hull Number: FFG-45

Launch Date: 12/18/1982

Commissioned Date: 11/19/1983

Decommissioned Date: 04/04/2014

Call Sign: NRDW

Voice Call Sign: DARK PRINCE


Class: OLIVER HAZARD PERRY

OLIVER HAZARD PERRY Class

Length Overall: 445'

Beam: 45'

Draft: 24' 6"

Armament:

1-3″ 1-Standard-SAM Harpoon-SSM 6-12.75″T LAMPS

Complement:

180

Propulsion:

40,000 SHP, 2 G. E. LM-2500 gas turbines, 1 screw

Highest speed on trials: 28.5 knots

Namesake: RICHARD DE WERT

RICHARD DE WERT

Wikipedia (as of 2024)

Richard David De Wert (November 17, 1931 – April 5, 1951) was a United States Navy hospital corpsman who was killed in action during the Korean War while serving with a Marine Corps rifle company. He was posthumously awarded the nation’s highest military decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor, for heroic actions “above and beyond the call of duty” on April 5, 1951, in South Korea.

Richard De Wert was born on November 17, 1931, in Taunton, Massachusetts.

De Wert enlisted in the United States Navy in December 1948. Following recruit training and Hospital Corps training at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois, he was assigned to the Naval Hospital at Portsmouth, Virginia, during 1949–1950. In July 1950, he joined the Fleet Marine Force and soon sailed for the Far East to take part in the Korean War. Landing with the 1st Marine Division at Inchon in September 1950, Hospitalman De Wert participated in operations to liberate the city of Seoul. During the rest of 1950, he was involved in the landing at Wonsan, the Chosin Reservoir Campaign and the Hungnam evacuation.

In 1951, De Wert served with the Marines in anti-guerilla operations and as they helped drive the enemy beyond the 38th Parallel. On April 5, 1951, while with the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines during an attack on People’s Volunteer Army forces during Operation Rugged, De Wert persistently, and in spite of his own wounds, moved through fire-swept ground to aid fallen Marines. He was killed in action while administering first aid to an injured comrade.



Ship History

USS DE WERT FFG-45 Ship History

Wikipedia (as of 2024)

USS De Wert (FFG-45), an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate, was a ship of the United States Navy. She was named for Hospitalman Richard De Wert (1931–1951). De Wert posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his heroism while serving with the 7th Marines during the Korean War.

De Wert was laid down on 14 June 1982 by the Bath Iron Works, in Bath, Maine; launched on 18 December 1982, sponsored by Reta C. Kennedy; and commissioned on 19 November 1983 at Bath.[1]

Commander Destroyer Squadron Six conducted a Command Administration Inspection 24–26 August 1985.[2] The ship got underway with an air detachment embarked 13 August through 7 September to participate in a Readiness Exercise (READEX 3-85), along with fifteen surface ships, two (2) submarines of the United States Atlantic Fleet and one unit of the Royal Netherlands Navy.

The ship got underway on 2 October for its first major overseas deployment. De Wert joined the Sixth Fleet on 14 October and participated in Operation Display Determination 85, under the command of Commander Task Force 60 with 2 carriers, 16 warships, and 130 aircraft of the Sixth Fleet. This exercise proved to be predominantly an anti-aircraft and anti-submarine warfare exercise.

On 16 February 2007, De Wert was awarded the 2006 Battle “E” award.[3]

On 23 May 2008, De Wert departed her homeport at Naval Station Mayport, Florida, for a counter-drug deployment to the Eastern Pacific Ocean.[4] During that deployment she made port visits at Roatán Island, Honduras; Panamá City, Panamá; Salaverry, Perú; Panamá City, Panamá; Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles; and Key West, Florida. She returned to homeport on 6 October 2008.

In 2011, De Wert was awarded the 2010 Battle “E” award, having earned all command excellence awards in calendar year 2010.

On 11 October 2011, De Wert, along with the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel RFA Fort Victoria, rescued the Italian vessel Montecristo after it was boarded by Somali pirates, while on joint anti-piracy operations in the Indian Ocean.[5]

De Wert was decommissioned on 4 April 2014.[6]