Posted on: Monday, October 14, 2002

USS Frederick decommissioned

Advertiser Staff

On Oct. 5, the Navy decommissioned the USS Frederick (LST 1184), Hawai'i's only amphibious ship and the last tank landing ship in the active naval fleet.

The Frederick, the sixth of 20 Newport-class tank landing ships, was in service for 33 years.

Rear Adm. Robert Conway Jr., commander of Navy Region Hawai'i, said the ship lived up to the motto "Fast Freddie, Always Ready."

"Today, Frederick steps into a final place in our naval history," Conway said at the ceremony. "This ship passes into history, but will live on in the memories of those who served aboard her."

The ship took part in South Vietnam withdrawal operations in 1970 and the refugee evacuations of 1974, Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and Operation Restore Hope in Somalia in 1994.

Frederick's primary mission was to load and transport troops, cargo and vehicles to combat areas.

The ship, which is being sold to the Mexican navy, had the ability to launch and load amphibious vehicles via a 16-foot stern gate and 110-foot bow ramp.