USS Firm (AM-444/MSO-444) was an in the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

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Firm was launched 15 April 1953 by J. M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp., Tacoma, Washington

Tacoma, Washington

Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...

; sponsored by Mrs. Joseph S. Martinac; and commissioned 12 October 1954, Lieutenant J. E. Renn in command. She was reclassified MSO-444 on 7 February 1955.

Service history

From her home post at Long Beach, California

Long Beach, California

Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...

, headquarters for Mine Force, Pacific Fleet, Firm sailed for training and exercises along the west coast, interrupted during 1955 for her conversion to flagship for Mine Division 94. Between 1 March 1956 and 2 November 1956, and again between 3 November 1958 and 31 May 1959, she served in the Far East

Far East

The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...

 with the 7th Fleet

United States Seventh Fleet

The Seventh Fleet is the United States Navy's permanent forward projection force based in Yokosuka, Japan, with units positioned near Japan and South Korea. It is a component fleet force under the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with...

, exercising with ships of the Korea

Korea

Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...

n, Chinese Nationalist

Chinese nationalist

Chinese nationalist can refer to:* Chinese nationalism* Kuomintang - Chinese Nationalist Party in Taiwan....

, and Thai navies, as well as visiting a wide number of Oriental ports and taking part in fleet training schedules. Through 1962, Firm continued her west coast

West Coast of the United States

West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...

 operations out of Long Beach

Long Beach Naval Shipyard

thumb|right|300px|Long Beach Naval Shipyard in 1993The Long Beach Naval Shipyard, which closed in 1997, was located at Terminal Island between the city of Long Beach and the San Pedro district of Los Angeles and approximately 23 miles south of the Los Angeles International Airport.The Long Beach...

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Beginning in April 1965, USS Firm was assigned to Operation Market Time, a program instituted to curb the Communist infiltration of arms and other contraband into South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. As a member of Mine Division 72, MD-91 and MD-33, usually serving as flagship, Firm made five deployments to Vietnam over a seven year period (until 1971), performing its duties with distinction and earning the Vietnam Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, two Navy Meritorious Unit Commendations, and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry.

Firm was decommissioned 5 July 1972. She was transferred to the Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

 as BRP Davao del Sur (PM-92) on 17 July 1972. Returned to United States custody on 1 July 1977, the ship was struck from the Naval Vessel Register

Naval Vessel Register

The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...

 the same day, and on 8 July sold for scrapping to Ming Hing and Co., Kowloon

Kowloon

Kowloon is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It is bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Stonecutter's Island in the west, Tate's Cairn and Lion Rock in the north, and Victoria Harbour in the south. It had a population of...

, Hong Kong.

External links

• Navy Unit Page
• Wooden Ship - Iron Men – USS Firm (MSO-444) - A year-by-year detailed account of Firms history, including photographs