Commissioning
The USS Edward McDonnell was the third member of the Garcia class of destroyer escorts (and later, frigates). The Edward McDonnell was named in honor of Vice Admiral Edward O. McDonnell, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroic actions under fire at Vera Cruz, Mexico, in 1914. McDonnell was an Ensign at the time.
The Edward McDonnell was ordered on Jan. 3, 1962, from the Avondale Shipyards of Westwego, La. The Edward McDonnell’s keel was laid on April 1, 1963; she was launched on Feb. 15, 1964. She was commissioned on Feb. 15, 1965, and joined the ranks of the Navy’s Atlantic Fleet. She was given the motto “Deter Through Strength.”
Underway
The Edward McDonnell’s primary mission was anti-submarine warfare. She was intended to monitor, follow and, should the need arise, sink Soviet submarines who might pose a risk to U.S. ships under her escort. For most of her career, the Edward McDonnell performed ASW duties in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.
The Edward McDonnell was only deployed into a combat zone once, in 1982-83. She was part of a multi-nation peacekeeping force sent to the coast of Lebanon to help the remnants of the Palestine Liberation Organization leave Beirut after the Israeli invasion of that country forced them out. She would later support the peacekeeping forces on the ground, who would come under attack from numerous militias intent on forcing them out of Beirut.
The Edward McDonnell would win one Navy Unit Citation, in 1970.
Though the Edward McDonnell started her career as a destroyer escort, she would retire as a frigate. The Edward McDonnell, along with the rest of the Knox class, was re-classified as a frigate on June 30, 1975. She was re-designated as FF-1043.
Decommissioning
The Edward McDonnell was decommissioned on Sept. 30, 1988. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on Dec. 15, 1992 and was scrapped in August 2002.
Characteristics of the USS Edward McDonnell (Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Class and type: Garcia class frigate
(Formerly destroyer escort)
Displacement: 2,624 tons (light)
Length: 414 ft 6 in (126.3 m)
Beam: 44 ft 1 in (13.4 m)
Draught: 24 ft 6 in (7.5 m)
Propulsion: 2 Foster-Wheeler boilers, 1 Westinghouse turbine, 35,000 shp, single screw Speed: 27 knots
Complement: 16 officers, 231 enlisted
Sensors and processing systems: AN/SPS-40 air search radar
AN/SPS-10 surface search radar
AN/SQS-26 bow mounted sonar
Armament: 2 x 5″/38 Mk 30(2×1)
1 8-tube ASROC Mk16 launcher (16 missiles)
6 x 12.75 in (324mm) Mk 32 (2×3) torpedo tubes, Mk 46 torpedoes
2 x MK 37 torpedo tubes (fixed, stern) (removed later)
Aircraft carried: 1 x SH-2F Seasprite LAMPS I
Career:
Name: USS Edward McDonnell (FF-1043)
Awarded: Jan. 3, 1962
Builder: Avondale Shipyard, New Orleans, Louisiana
Laid down: April 1, 1963
Launched: Feb. 15, 1964
Commissioned: Feb. 15, 1965
Decommissioned: Sept. 30, 1988
Reclassified: FF-1040 June 30, 1975*
Struck: Dec. 15, 1992
Motto: Deter through Strength
Fate: Disposed of by scrapping, dismantling, 08/21/2002
Timeline:
January 1962: USS Edward McDonnell ordered
April 1963: Keel of USS Edward McDonnell laid
February 1964: USS Edward McDonnell launched
February 1965: USS Edward McDonnell commissioned
1970: USS Edward McDonnell receives Navy Unit Citation
June 1975: USS Edward McDonnell re-classified as a frigate, re-designated FF-1043
September 1988: USS Edward McDonnell decommissioned
Crewmembers of the USS Edward McDonnell:
An unofficial list of crew members that served on the USS Edward McDonnell can be found on the unofficial navy website at: http://navysite.de. This list is compiled by former crewmembers that voluntarily register. Some quoted comments from former crewmembers are listed below; many more are available on the source website at the following Web address:
http://navysite.de/crew.php?action=ship&ship=ff_1043
Chris Beberwyk (served January 1981—August 1984): “Remember being 22 and I couldn’t wait to get off that thing after being onboard for 3 years. Now looking back, I miss those wild times and crazy bastards.”
Ken Shelton (served April 1981—May 1984): “Time spent on FF-1043 cruising the world was some of my fondest memories. The Sonar Gang was a great group of guys. I will always remember the lessons learned and the journeys shared on the Eddy Mac. I salute you all that served.”
Drew O’Neal (served October 1981—June 1984): “A great experince for me. A great crew, lots of fun. Will always remember with fondness.”
Links:
http://www.mesotheliomaweb.org/mesothelioma/veterans/navy-destroyers-post-ww2/
http://navysite.de/ff/ff1043.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Edward McDonnell_(FF-1043)
http://navysite.de/crew.php?action=ship&ship=ff_1043
