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Hull Number: FFG-48

Launch Date: 10/15/1982

Commissioned Date: 11/24/1984

Decommissioned Date: 03/31/2015

Call Sign: NAAV


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: ALEXANDER ARCHER VANDEGRIFT

ALEXANDER ARCHER VANDEGRIFT

Wikipedia (as of 2024)

Alexander Archer Vandegrift (March 13, 1887 – May 8, 1973) was a United States Marine Corps four-star general. During World War II, he commanded the 1st Marine Division to victory in its first ground offensive of the war, the Battle of Guadalcanal. For his actions from August 7 to December 9, 1942, during the Solomon Islands campaign, he received the Medal of Honor.[2] Vandegrift later served as the 18th Commandant of the Marine Corps. He was the first four-star general on active duty in the Marine Corps.[3]

Alexander Archer Vandegrift was born on March 13, 1887, in Charlottesville, Virginia, where his father was an architect and contractor.[4] Vandegrift was of Dutch ancestry, all of which had been in North America since the 1600s. It was once facetiously remarked that he “never had a Catholic ancestor.”[5] The young Vandegrift, known as “Archer” in his boyhood,[4] had an interest in the military both from reading military history novels and from stories of ancestors who fought in various wars.[6] He graduated from Charlottesville High School.[7] During his childhood, he was a big fan of G.A. Henty novels and history. In particular, he read a lot about the Battle of Trafalgar and the Battle of Waterloo and described himself as a “big fan” of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington and Horatio Nelson.[5]

He attended the University of Virginia from 1906 to 1908.[8]

He then received his commission in the U.S. Marine Corps through a week-long competitive examination in 1908.[9][10]

He became a second lieutenant on January 22, 1909.

At the Marine Corps Schools in 1909, he wrote a prophetic article, “Aviation, the Cavalry of the Future.”[5] As commandant, he was appointed to the Hogaboom Board, named for Major General Hogaboom, the chairman, which began the Martine’ development of vertical envelopment, the use of helicopters for air assault. During his early years, as a second lieutenant, General Vandegrift was also very nearly dismissed from the Marine Corps for disciplinary infractions and negative evaluations.[11] In his first Marine Corps evaluation, dated June 30, 1909, Vandegrift received an overall rating of “Not Good” with these remarks from the Commander of the Marine Officers School:

This officer has not shown that he appreciates the responsibilities of his position as an officer, and unless there is a decisive improvement, his relations will not be to the advantage of the service.

In Vandegrift’s next evaluation, in December 1909, he received a “Good and Tolerable” rating. The next was rated as “Excellent” upon reporting to the Marine Corps Barracks, Navy Yard, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in 1910.[12]

Following instruction at the Marine Officers’ School at Port Royal, South Carolina, his first tour of duty was at the Marine Barracks at Portsmouth, New Hampshire. In 1912, he went to foreign shore duty in the Caribbean, first to Cuba and then to Nicaragua, where he participated in the bombardment, assault, and capture of Coyotepe Fortress. In 1914, he participated in the engagement and occupation of VeracruzMexico.

In December 1914, after his promotion to first lieutenant, he attended the Advance Base Course at the Marine Barracks, Philadelphia.[10] Upon completion of schooling, he sailed for Haiti with the 1st Marines Regiment and participated in action against hostile Cacos bandits at Le Trou and Fort Capois, Haiti.

In August 1916, he was promoted to captain and became a member of the Haitian Constabulary at Port-au-Prince, where he remained until he was detached to the United States in December 1918. He returned to Haiti again in July 1919, to serve with the Gendarmerie d’Haiti as an Inspector of Constabulary. He was promoted to major in June 1920.

Major Vandegrift returned to the U.S. in April 1923 and was assigned to the Marine Barracks, Marine Corps Base QuanticoVirginia. He completed the Field Officers’ Course, Marine Corps Schools, in May 1926. He was then transferred to the Marine Corps Base San DiegoCalifornia, as assistant chief of staff.

In February 1927, he sailed for China, where he served as operations and training officer of the 3rd Marines with headquarters at Tianjin. He was ordered to Washington, D.C., in September 1928, where he became assistant chief coordinator, Bureau of the Budget.

After his duty in Washington, he joined the Marine Barracks, Quantico, where he became assistant chief of staff, G-1 Section, Fleet Marine Force (FMF). During that assignment, in June 1934, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel.

Ordered to China in June 1935, Lieutenant Colonel Vandegrift served successively as executive officer and commanding officer of the Marine detachment at the American embassy in Beiping. Promoted to colonel in September 1936, Vandegrift reported to Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC), Washington, D.C., in June 1937, where he became Military Secretary to the Major General Commandant. In March 1940, he was appointed Assistant to the Major General Commandant, and the following month, he was promoted to brigadier general.

Brigadier General Vandegrift was ordered to the 1st Marine Division in November 1941. Shortly before the U.S. entered World War II, he had become on December 7, the assistant commander of the First Marine Division.

In March and April 1942, Vandegrift was promoted to major general and assumed command of the First Marine Division. In May, the First Marine Division and the South Pacific Amphibious Force sailed for the South Pacific Area. The First Marine Division was the first Marine Corps division that ever left the shores of the United States. On August 7, Vandegrift led the First Marine Division in the first large-scale offensive action against the Japanese, in the Solomon Islands.[13] He was awarded the Navy Cross “for extraordinary heroism and distinguished devotion to duty as Commanding General of the First Marine Division and all ground troops action with enemy Japanese forces during the attack on the Solomon Islands 7 August 1942.” (attack on Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Gavutu);[14] He was later awarded the Medal of Honor “for outstanding and heroic accomplishment above and beyond the call of duty as Commanding Officer of the First Marine Division in operations against enemy Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands during the period 7 August to 9 December 1942.” He had commanded the initial landings and the subsequent occupation … that “resulted in securing a valuable base for further operations of our forces against the enemy.”[15] Vandegrift was presented the Medal of Honor on February 5, 1943, from President Franklin Roosevelt during a ceremony in the White House.

In July 1943, Vandegrift assumed command of the 1st Marine Amphibious Corps and commanded the organization in the landing at Empress Augusta BayBougainville, in the northern Solomon Islands, on November 1, 1943. Upon establishing the initial beachhead, he relinquished command and returned to Washington, D.C., as commandant-designate.

On January 1, 1944, as a lieutenant general, he was sworn in as the 18th commandant of the Marine Corps. On April 4, 1945, he was appointed general, with date of rank from March 21, 1945, the first Marine officer on active duty to attain four-star rank.

During his tenure as commandant, the Marine Corps faced institutional threats from U.S. Army efforts to absorb the mission of the Marines. The U.S. Navy was sympathetic to the Marine Corps’s predicament but was ready to accept the diminishment of the Corps in exchange for keeping naval aviation from consolidation with the U.S. Air Force. The post-war discussions on the restructuring of the American defense establishment opened the door to diminishing the mission and role of the Marine Corps in the new defense structure. Proponents of such cuts included President Harry Truman and General Dwight Eisenhower. In that power struggle, the Marine Corps aligned itself with U.S. Congress in warning against the encroachment on civilian oversight within the Army proposals.[16]

To clinch the support of Congress, Commandant Vandegrift delivered the famous “Bended Knee Speech” on May 6, 1946, to the Senate Committee on Naval Affairs and ended it thus:

The Marine Corps, then, believes that it has earned this right—to have its future decided by the legislative body which created it—nothing more. Sentiment is not a valid consideration in determining questions of national security. We have pride in ourselves and in our past, but we do not rest our case on any presumed ground of gratitude owing us from the Nation. The bended knee is not a tradition of our Corps. If the Marine as a fighting man has not made a case for himself after 170 years of service, he must go. But I think you will agree with me that he has earned the right to depart with dignity and honor, not by subjugation to the status of uselessness and servility planned for him by the War Department.

— Alexander Vandegrift, “Bended Knee Speech”, [17]

For outstanding service as Commandant of the Marine Corps from January 1, 1944, to June 30, 1946, General Vandegrift was awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal. He left active service on December 31, 1947, and was placed on the retired list on April 1, 1949.

Together with Robert B. Asprey, General Vandegrift co-authored a book chronicling his experiences in World War II. The book is titled Once a Marine: The Memoirs of General A. A. Vandegrift Commandant of the U.S. Marines in WW II, and was published in 1964.

General Vandegrift died on May 8, 1973, at the National Naval Medical CenterBethesda, Maryland, after a long illness. His interment was on May 10, 1973, at the Arlington National Cemetery.[18]

Vandegrift married Mildred Strode (1886–1952) on June 29, 1909.[21] They had one son, Alexander Archer Vandegrift, Jr. (1911–1969),[21] a Marine Corps colonel who fought in both World War II and in the Korean War.[13] After Mildred’s death, he married Kathryn Henson (1903–1978).[18]

Medal of Honor citation[edit]

Vandegrift’s Medal of Honor citation reads as follows:[20]

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to

MAJOR GENERAL ALEXANDER VANDEGRIFT
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

for service as set forth in the following CITATION:

For outstanding and heroic accomplishment above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of the 1st Marine Division in operations against enemy Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands during the period from 7 August to 9 December 1942. With the adverse factors of weather, terrain, and disease making his task a difficult and hazardous undertaking, and with his command eventually including sea, land, and air forces of Army, Navy and Marine Corps, Maj. Gen. Vandegrift achieved marked success in commanding the initial landings of the U. S. forces in the Solomon Islands and in their subsequent occupation. His tenacity, courage, and resourcefulness prevailed against a strong, determined, and experienced enemy, and the gallant fighting spirit of the men under his inspiring leadership enabled them to withstand aerial, land, and sea bombardment, to surmount all obstacles, and leave a disorganized and ravaged enemy. This dangerous but vital mission, accomplished at the constant risk of his life, resulted in securing a valuable base for further operations of our forces against the enemy, and its successful completion reflects great credit upon Maj. Gen. Vandegrift, his command, and the U.S. Naval Service.

/S/ Franklin D. Roosevelt

Navy Cross Citation

Citation:

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Major General Alexander Archer Vandegrift (MCSN: 0-1009), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished devotion to duty as Commander of the FIRST Marine Division and all ground troops in action with enemy Japanese forces during the attack on the Solomon Islands on 7 August 1942. Though subjected to intense enemy opposition, Major General Vandegrift led his command in superbly coordinated operations with the result that all objectives were captured and opposing enemy Japanese forces destroyed. His fine spirit of leadership and his courageous determination throughout the engagement were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.[14]

Namesake and other Honors

General Vandegrift held an honorary degree of Doctor of Military Science from Pennsylvania Military College and honorary degrees of Doctor of Law from HarvardColgateBrownColumbia, and Maryland Universities and John Marshall College.

In 1982, the frigateUSS Vandegrift (FFG-48) was named in his honor.

The main street that runs through Camp Pendleton is named Vandegrift Boulevard in his honor.

A former military housing complex, now civilian housing, for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, near Dayton, Ohio, has streets named for World War II commanders including General Vandegrift, General Eisenhower, and Admiral Nimitz.



USS VANDEGRIFT FFG-48 Ship History

Wikipedia (as of 2024)

USS Vandegrift (FFG-48) was an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate of the United States Navy. The ship was named for General Alexander A. Vandegrift (1887–1973), 18th Commandant of the Marine Corps.

Vandegrift was laid down on 13 October 1981 at Todd Pacific ShipyardsSeattle, Washington. She was launched on 15 October 1982[1] – cosponsored by Ms. Courtney A. Vandegrift, Ms. Stephanie S. Vandegrift, and Ms. Daphne L. Vandegrift, three of the late Gen. Vandegrift’s granddaughters, and Ms. Serina N. S. Vandegrift, his great granddaughter.[2][3] Vandegrift was commissioned on 24 November 1984[2][4] and, after over 30 years of service, decommissioned on 19 February 2015.[1]

The ship’s inaugural cruise began on 5 January 1987. During the course of this around-the-world cruise, she sailed three oceans, seven seas and visited four continents. The plank owners also crossed the International Date LineEquatorGreenwich Meridian, and sailed through the Strait of Gibraltar, and the Suez and Panama CanalsVandegrift conducted operations with USS Kitty Hawk in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. These operations were highlighted by an air and sea power demonstration for president Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq of Pakistan. Port visits included Pearl HarborSubic Bay in the Republic of the Philippines; Karachi, Pakistan; Mombasa, Kenya; Maxime, France; Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico; and St. Croix and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin IslandsVandegrift returned home to Long Beach in June 1987.[1]

The ship’s second deployment began in June 1988, returning her to operations in the Persian Gulf shortly after the cease-fire between Iran and Iraq. Vandegrift’s mission while on patrol in the northern Persian Gulf focused on providing protection and logistic support for joint forces in the area. Vandegrift also participated in numerous Earnest Will missions, escorting U.S. and reflagged Kuwaiti tankers. Port visits included Pearl Harbor; Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines; Bahrain; Pattaya Beach, Thailand and Hong Kong. Vandegrift returned home in December 1988.[1]

The ship’s third deployment to the Persian Gulf began in March 1990. Vandegrift patrolled the Northern Persian Gulf and conducted Earnest Will escort missions. As the senior ship on station in the Persian Gulf during the invasion of Kuwait, Vandegrift served as the Anti-Air Warfare Commander and Electronic Warfare Coordinator. Vandegrift participated in Operation Desert Shield‘s Maritime Interception Operations with units from United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and France. Ports of call included Pearl Harbor; Subic Bay; Phuket, Thailand; Singapore and Hong Kong. Vandegrift returned home after an extended deployment in October 1990.[1]

On 22 April 1992, Vandegrift began her fourth deployment to the Persian Gulf. Vandegrift participated in exercises with India, Qatar and Pakistan, helping to strengthen U.S. relations in that area. Ports of call included Doha, Qatar; DubaiJebel Ali and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Karachi, Pakistan; Phuket, Thailand; Goa, India; Bahrain; Hong Kong; Singapore and Guam, and earned the Chief of Naval Operations LAMPS Helicopter Safety Award.[1] Vandegrift returned home on 22 October 1992.

From 1 January to 3 February 1993, Vandegrift was homeported in Long Beach, CA.[5] Due to extensive shipyard time and the closing of Naval Station Long Beach, from 3 February 1993, Vandegrift was homeported in San Diego, CA. From 1 January to 2 April, Vandegrift was commanded by Commander Theodore L. Kaye. From 2 April to 31 December, Vandegrift was commanded by Commander David C. Harrison. From 1 January to 31 July, Vandegrift was under the administrative command of Commander, Destroyer Squadron 9. From 31 July to 31 December, Vandegrift was under the administrative command of Commander, Destroyer Squadron 33.[citation needed]

The ship earned the COMNAVSURFPAC Food Service Award in March 1994. The fifth deployment to the Persian Gulf began on 25 October 1994. Vandegrift’s mission was the enforcement of UN sanctions against Iraq in the Northern Persian Gulf. The most memorable event was conducting a non-permissive boarding of a sanctions violator on 25 December.[1] During the return transit, Vandegrift played host to a major diplomatic reception in Muscat, Oman, to better diplomatic relations. Ports of call included Sasebo, Japan; Manila, Republic of the Philippines; Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates; Bahrain; Singapore and Hong Kong. Vandegrift returned home on 25 April 1995.[1]

In 1998, the ship shifted homeports to Yokosuka, Japan.[1] Between 1998 and 2000, the ship performed numerous cruises to South Korea, Thailand, China, Singapore, the Marianas Islands, Australia, and conducted a RIMPAC deployment to Hawaii in company with the Japanese Navy. In 1999, the vessel was visited by Admiral Jay L. Johnson, then Chief of Naval Operations (CNO).

In January 2003, Vandegrift deployed for the eighth time to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom. Assigned escort operations in the Straits of Hormuz, Vandegrift conducted over 180 transits, safely escorting over 78 vessels carrying over 1 million tons of hardware in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Additionally, Vandegrift seized two Iraqi mine-laying vessels in the Southern Persian Gulf and was credited with protecting the Coalition’s flank from planned mine-laying operations.[1]

On 19 November 2003, the frigate became the first US warship to enter Vietnamese waters since April 1975.[6]

The ship’s decorations include the Meritorious Unit CommendationNational Defense Service MedalArmed Forces Expeditionary MedalSouthwest Asia Service Medal, and five Sea Service Ribbons.[1]

As of 2006, Vandegrift was based in San Diego, California.[1]

In March 2014, Eric and Charlotte Kauffman, and their daughters, three-year-old Cora and one-year-old Lyra, set sail from San Diego, California, to circumnavigate the globe in their 36-foot sailboat, Rebel Heart. Lyra fell sick, however, and on 3 April the family sent a distress call, from a position hundreds of miles off the Mexican coast. A Lockheed MC-130P Combat Shadow of the California Air National Guard’s 130th Rescue Squadron129th Rescue Wing, flew out to the area and four pararescuemen jumped into the water, climbed on board the sailboat and medically treated and stabilized Lyra. Vandegrift reached the area on 5 April, and at about 0800 the following morning, she lowered a team in a rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB), and the sailors brought the family and the pararescuemen on board the frigate. The rescuers provided the Kauffmans with food, water, and medical assistance, but instructed the castaways that because of the limited room on board the RHIB and ship, they could only retrieve three bags of their personal belongings in a single trip before Vandegrift sank Rebel Heart as a hazard to navigation. Some of the Kauffmans’ neighbors in the San Diego area therefore raised funds and donated goods to help the family recover from their ordeal when they returned ashore.[2][7][8]

From 1 May to 28 November 2012 Vandegrift participated in a CARAT deployment, visiting Russia, Japan, Cambodia, Malaysia, and other Pacific nations.

Vandegrift returned from its final deployment on 12 December 2014, where she operated in the U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR). During this final deployment, Vandegrift was part of the counter-transnational organized crime (C-TOC) mission Operation Martillo, a joint, combined operation involving the U.S. and 14 European and Western Hemisphere partner nations, that targets illicit trafficking routes in the waters off Central America. While participating in Operation Martillo, Vandegrift intercepted approximately 8,996 kg of cocaine. The ship also participated in three community relations (COMREL) projects in Panama City during which 36 sailors helped build a workshop for the blind, assist an outreach group in refurbishing their building and spent time with children in the Aid for AIDS community.

After returning from her last deployment, the crew began to make preparations for decommissioning. After over 30 years of service, Vandegrift was decommissioned on 19 February 2015 at Naval Base San Diego.[9]

She was sunk as a target in a SINKEX as a part of the Valiant Shield 2022 training exercise.[10][11]