History of the USS Donald B. Beary (DE/FF-1085)

USS Donald B. Beary (DE/FF-1085): History, Patrols, Crews

Commissioning

The USS Donald B. Beary was a member of the Knox class of escort destroyers (and later, frigates). She was named in honor of Vice Admiral Donald B. Beary, who served as one of the primary commanders of the Navy’s Pacific Fleet during World War II.

The Donald B. Beary was ordered on Aug. 25, 1966. The contract to build her was awarded to the Avondale Shipyards of Westwego, La. Her keel was laid on July 24, 1970; she was launched on May 22, 1971. She was commissioned on July 22, 1972.

Underway

The Beary began her first deployment in January 1974, when she joined the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea. After completing her duties in the Mediterranean, the Beary traveled to the North Atlantic, making stops in Scotland and Norway before returning to the United States.

In 1975, the Beary was deployed to the Mediterranean for a second time. During her deployment, she won her first Battle Efficiency “E” for outstanding combat preparedness. The Beary returned to the region in 1976 and celebrated the Fourth of July in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. While there, the Beary’s commanding officer and the U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia received a presentation from Saudi King Khalid in honor of America’s 200th birthday. The Beary also won her second consecutive Battle “E” during the deployment.

The Beary spent most of 1977 and half of 1978 undergoing a major overhaul at the Bath Iron Works in Bath, Me. She was deployed to the Mediterranean in early 1979, but was ordered to the Persian Gulf after the fall of the Shah of Iran and the rise of Islamic radicals led by the Ayatollah Khomeini. The Beary returned to the Mediterranean in 1980, then passed through the Dardanelles into the Black Sea, where her operations were closely shadowed by the Soviet Fleet.

In 1983, the Beary deployed to both the Mediterranean Sea and Persian Gulf. Before returning to her home port of Norfolk, Va., she was ordered to the Caribbean Sea to take part in anti-drug operations. In late 1985, the Beary returned to the Mediterranean and took part in NATO exercise Ocean Safari 85 and U.S. Navy Operation Display Determination 1985.

In 1988, the Beary was scheduled to take part in an Jamaica’s Maritime Week, but that operation became one of disaster assistance and relief after the island was stuck by Hurricane Gilbert. She was the first vessel of any nation to arrive in Jamaica to provide assistance. In 1991, the Beary took part in several anti-drug operations before being transferred to the Naval Reserve on Oct. 1.

Decommissioning

The Beary was decommissioned on May 20, 1994 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on Jan. 11, 1995. The ship was leased and later purchased by the Turkish Navy, where it continued to serve through the end of the 20th Century.

Characteristics of the USS Donald B. Beary (Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Class and type: Knox-class frigate
Displacement: 3,305 tons (4,295 full load)
Length: 438 ft (134 m)
Beam: 46 ft 9 in (14.2 m)
Draught: 24 ft 9 in (7.5 m)
Propulsion: 2 × CE 1200psi boilers
1 Westinghouse geared turbine
1 shaft, 35,000 SHP (26 MW)
Speed: over 27 knots
Range: 4,500 nautical miles @ 20 knots
Complement: 18 officers, 267 enlisted
Sensors and processing systems: AN/SPS-40 Air Search Radar
AN/SPS-67 Surface Search Radar
AN/SQS-26 Sonar
AN/SQR-18 Towed array sonar system
Mk68 Gun Fire Control System
Electronic warfare and decoys: AN/SLQ-32 Electronics Warfare System
Armament: one Mk-16 8 cell missile launcher for ASROC and Harpoon missiles
one Mk-42 5-inch/54 caliber gun
Mark 46 torpedoes from four single tube launchers)
one Mk-25 BPDMS launcher for Sea Sparrow missiles, later replaced by Phalanx CIWS Aircraft carried: one SH-2 Seasprite (LAMPS I) helicopter

Career:

Ordered: Aug. 25, 1966
Builder: Avondale Shipyard, Westwego, Louisiana
Laid down: July 24, 1970
Launched: May 22, 1971
Commissioned: July 22, 1972
Decommissioned: May 20, 1994
Struck: Jan. 11, 1995
Fate: Disposed of through the Security Assistance Program (SAP), transferred, Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) Section 516, Southern Region Amendment, to Turkey 2 February 2002

Timeline:

August 1966: USS Donald B. Beary ordered
July 1970: Keel of USS Donald B. Beary laid
May 1971: USS Donald B. Beary launched
January 1974: USS Donald B. Beary commences first deployment
July 1976: USS Donald B. Beary celebrates 200th anniversary of American Independence in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with Saudi King Khalid
1980: USS Donald B. Beary deploys to the Black Sea
May 1994: USS Donald B. Beary decommissioned

Crewmembers of the USS Donald B. Beary:

An unofficial list of crew members that served on the USS Donald B. Beary 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_1085

Michael Murphy (served April 1981—September 1988): “Spent 6-1/2 years on the Duck, (is that a record?) Went to Little Creek after leaving and then off to Gulf War No. 1. Retired in 1993 and now make my living writing. I still live in Tidewater Va.”

Bruce Erwin (served February 1981—March 1985): “Some of the best days and memories of my life. The wildest parties and closest friends you could ask for.”

Jim Allison (served June 1981—March 1984): “Some great Shipmates on this list, many more need to be. Hey, Ickes, could you have brought up any worse memories than Izmir, Djibouti (my personal favorite) and DG. I'd rather remember Palma, Villefranche and Monaco.”

Links:
http://www.mesotheliomaweb.org/destroyerspostwwii.htm
http://navysite.de/ff/ff1085.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Donald B. Beary_(FF-1085)
http://navysite.de/crew.php?action=ship&ship=ff_1085

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