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USS Frederick (LST-1184)
Encyclopedia
USS Frederick (LST-1184) is a Newport class tank landing ship
that was named after the city of Frederick, Maryland
and Frederick County, Maryland
. She was laid down on 13 April 1968 at San Diego, California
, by the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company
; launched on 8 March 1969; sponsored by Mrs. Kleber S. Masterson; and commissioned on 11 April 1970, CDR Robert A. Shaid in command.
and Far East
. She participated in the Vietnam
withdrawal operation in 1970 and Operation Frequent Wind
the evacuation of Saigon in April 1975.
Frederick deployed with Commander Amphibious Squadron One (COMPHIBRON ONE)in May 1983 from San Diego, California
. During the deployment she visited Pearl Harbor
, Hawaii
; Okinawa, Japan
; Philippines
; Hong Kong
, due to a typhoon Frederick was forced to leave harbor on July 14, 1983; Thailand
; Singapore
; Somalia
; Kenya
, during the short stay at Mombasa
Frederick was reassigned for deployment to Beirut; Beirut
, Lebanon
, Frederick was part of the Multinational Peace Keeping Force at Beirut, Lebanon from Sept 12 to October 10, 1983. Frederick then cruised back to San Diego making three stops along the way. The first was at Singapore. Then a short visit to Subic Bay
in the Philippines. Then a relaxed port of call at Pearl Harbor. Frederick arrived in San Diego on November 22, 1983.
Frederick deployed in support of Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. She was part of a 13 ship amphibious task force that departed on 1 December 1990 for the Persian Gulf
in support of Operation Desert Shield. Upon arriving in the Gulf of Oman
, Frederick along with various amphibious ships from the Atlantic
and Pacific Fleets conducted amphibious exercises in preparation for an amphibious landing, if needed, in Kuwait
. Upon commencement of Operation Desert Storm, Frederick and various elements of Commander Amphibious Group Two and Three (COMPHIBGRU TWO and COMPHIBGRU THREE) headed into the Persian Gulf and conducted one of the greatest mock amphibious invasions in modern warfare. That operation pinned down 15 Iraq
i divisions, thus ensuring a quick and decisive victory for the allied forces. Frederick was also involved in the only actual amphibious landing of the Gulf War.
Frederick conducted Operation Sea Angel, humanitarian assistance for Bangladesh
. In 1994, Frederick deployed to Somalia
in support of humanitarian aid operations.
Frederick was transferred to the Naval Reserve Force in January 1995 and changed homeport to Pearl Harbor
, Hawaii
. As the only amphibious ship in Pearl Harbor, she conducted bilateral exercises with South East Asian armed forces, continuous training exercises with the United States Marine Corps
and was on standby to conduct humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions, throughout the Pacific.
Frederick earned one award of the Meritorious Unit Commendation
and three battle stars for Vietnam
service.
Newport class tank landing ship
Newport-class tank-landing ships are an improved class of American tank-landing ship , intended to provide substantial advantages over their World War II-era predecessors...
that was named after the city of Frederick, Maryland
Frederick, Maryland
Frederick is a city in north-central Maryland. It is the county seat of Frederick County, the largest county by area in the state of Maryland. Frederick is an outlying community of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of a greater...
and Frederick County, Maryland
Frederick County, Maryland
Frederick County is a county located in the western part of the U.S. state of Maryland, bordering the southern border of Pennsylvania and the northeastern border of Virginia. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 233,385....
. She was laid down on 13 April 1968 at San Diego, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, by the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company
National Steel and Shipbuilding Company
National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, commonly referred to as NASSCO, is a shipyard in San Diego, California and Norfolk, Virginia and a division of General Dynamics. The shipyard specializes in constructing commercial cargo ships and auxiliary vessels for the US Navy and Military Sealift...
; launched on 8 March 1969; sponsored by Mrs. Kleber S. Masterson; and commissioned on 11 April 1970, CDR Robert A. Shaid in command.
History
Following shakedown, Frederick was assigned to the Amphibious Force, Pacific Fleet, and was homeported at San Diego. She made over thirteen major deployments to the Western PacificPacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
and 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,...
. She participated in the Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
withdrawal operation in 1970 and Operation Frequent Wind
Operation Frequent Wind
Operation Frequent Wind was the evacuation by helicopter of American civilians and 'at-risk' Vietnamese from Saigon, South Vietnam, on 29–30 April 1975 during the last days of the Vietnam War...
the evacuation of Saigon in April 1975.
Frederick deployed with Commander Amphibious Squadron One (COMPHIBRON ONE)in May 1983 from San Diego, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. During the deployment she visited Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
; Okinawa, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
; 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...
; Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, due to a typhoon Frederick was forced to leave harbor on July 14, 1983; Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
; Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
; Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
; Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, during the short stay at Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
Frederick was reassigned for deployment to Beirut; Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Frederick was part of the Multinational Peace Keeping Force at Beirut, Lebanon from Sept 12 to October 10, 1983. Frederick then cruised back to San Diego making three stops along the way. The first was at Singapore. Then a short visit to Subic Bay
Subic Bay
Subic Bay is a bay forming part of Luzon Sea on the west coast of the island of Luzon in Zambales, Philippines, about 100 kilometers northwest of Manila Bay. Its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility named U.S...
in the Philippines. Then a relaxed port of call at Pearl Harbor. Frederick arrived in San Diego on November 22, 1983.
Frederick deployed in support of Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. She was part of a 13 ship amphibious task force that departed on 1 December 1990 for the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
in support of Operation Desert Shield. Upon arriving in the Gulf of Oman
Gulf of Oman
The Gulf of Oman or Sea of Oman is a strait that connects the Arabian Sea with the Strait of Hormuz, which then runs to the Persian Gulf. It is generally included as a branch of the Persian Gulf, not as an arm of the Arabian Sea. On the north coast is Pakistan and Iran...
, Frederick along with various amphibious ships from the Atlantic
U.S. Atlantic Fleet
The United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...
and Pacific Fleets conducted amphibious exercises in preparation for an amphibious landing, if needed, in Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
. Upon commencement of Operation Desert Storm, Frederick and various elements of Commander Amphibious Group Two and Three (COMPHIBGRU TWO and COMPHIBGRU THREE) headed into the Persian Gulf and conducted one of the greatest mock amphibious invasions in modern warfare. That operation pinned down 15 Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i divisions, thus ensuring a quick and decisive victory for the allied forces. Frederick was also involved in the only actual amphibious landing of the Gulf War.
Frederick conducted Operation Sea Angel, humanitarian assistance for Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. In 1994, Frederick deployed to Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
in support of humanitarian aid operations.
Frederick was transferred to the Naval Reserve Force in January 1995 and changed homeport to Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. As the only amphibious ship in Pearl Harbor, she conducted bilateral exercises with South East Asian armed forces, continuous training exercises with the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
and was on standby to conduct humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions, throughout the Pacific.
Fate
Frederick decommissioned on 5 October 2002 and was transferred the following month to the Mexican Navy as the Usumacinta (A-412). She was the last of her class to decommission.Frederick earned one award of the Meritorious Unit Commendation
Meritorious Unit Commendation
The Meritorious Unit Commendation is a mid-level unit award of the United States military which is awarded to any military command which displays exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds, or valorous actions....
and three battle stars for Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
service.