T.S. Ford History

WELCOME ABOARD

The U.S. Navy guided missile frigate USS Ford (FFG-54) underway in the South China Sea on 25 September 1997. She way on deployment as part of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) battle group.

UNITED STATES SHIP FORD (FFG-54)

The officers and crew of the USS FORD (FFG-54) would like to welcome you aboard the finest guided missile trigate in the world.

FORD is the forty-eighth ship of the Oliver Hazard Perry class of guided missile frigates. Currently programmed for over fifty ships, this will be the Navy’s largest destroyer class built since World War II. Her mission is to provide in-depth anti-air, anti-surfaceand anti-subsurface protection for military and merchant shipping and to ensure con- tinuous use of the sea lanes of communicationfor the United States and her allies.

The Combat Systems aboard utilize a computer com- mand and control system to integrate the ship’s sensors and weapons. Her weapons include surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, a 76mm rapid fire gun, a close- in weapons system, anti-submarine torpedoes and the LAMPS MK Il helicopter.

The propulsion system is a computer controlled gas tur- bine power plant which utilizes jet engines similar to those found on commercial airliners. FORD’S propulsion system can be “brought on the line” in less than five minutes as compared to more than four hours for the conventional steam powered ships.

Despite the advanced systems aboard, the heart of the ship is the crew. Each member has been highly trained in his particular area of expertise so that he can either operate, monitor or repair all shipboard systems. Skilled technicians and professional leadership make FORD a vital asset for the fleet in today’s multi-threat environment.

SHIPS CHARACTERISTIC


Built By:	Todd Pacific Shipyard Corporation Los Angeles Division San Pedro, California
Keel Laid:	16 July 1983
Christened:	23 June 1984
Commissioned:	29 June 1985
Displacement:	3800 Tons
Length:	453 Feet
Beam:	47 Feet
Complement:	15 Officers 15 Chief Petty Ofticers 180 Enlisted Men
Propulsion:	Two General Electric LM2500 Gas Turbines One Controllable/Reversible Pitch Propeller Two 350 HP Electric Auxiliary Propulsion Units
Auxlliaries:	Four 1000 KW Diesel Generators
Speed:	30+ Knots
Alrcraft:	Two SH-60B Seahawk Helicopters
Armament:	MK 13 Guided Missile Launcher HARPOON Anti-Ship Missile STANDARD Anti-Aircraft Missile MK 75 76mm/62 cal Rapid Firing Gun MK 32 ASW Torpedo Tubes (Two Triple Mounts) MK 15 Close-in Weapon System
Combat Systems:	AN/SPS-49 Air Search Radar Combat Systems AN/SPS-55 Surface Search Hadar MK 92 Fire Control System AN/SLO-32 Electronic Warfare System AN/SQS-56 Sonar MK 36 SR8OC Decoy System AN/SLQ-25 Torpedo Countermeasure System LAMPS MK I Weapons System SQR-19 Tactical Towed Array Sonar System (installed later) AN/SQQ-89 ASW Intergration System (installed later)

Gunner's mate second class patrick osborne Ford, United States Navy

Gunners Mate Patrick Osborne Ford (May 2, 1942 – June 21, 1968):

Patrick Osborne Ford was born in San Francisco, California, on 2 May 1942. At the age of 15, he moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where he attended Camelback and North High School.

Shortly after graduation, Ford enlisted in the Navy. He completed basic training at the Naval Training Center, San Diego, California, and received orders to report to the Naval Station, Adak, Alaska. He reported aboard the destroyer USS JAMES E. KYES (DD 787) where he served as a Gunner’s Mate until the end of his enlistment in 1963.

GMG2 Ford reenlisted in 1965 and served at the Naval Station, Long Beach, California. In 1966, he was transferred to the Naval Support Activity, Danang, Republic of Vietnam, where he was ordered to report aboard the USS GEORGE K. MACKENZIE (DD836). Following completion of his tour aboard MACKENZIE, Ford was subsequently transferred to the USS HENDERSON (DD 785) where he remained until the end of his second enlistment in 1967.

Later that year Ford reenlisted for the second time at the Naval Receiving Station, San Francisco, California. He was ordered to the Naval Amphibious Base, Coronado, California for River Patrol Craft Training. Following completion of training in 1968, GMG2 Ford was directed to report to the Naval Support Activity, Saigon, Republic of Vietnam. He was assigned to Task Force 116, River Squadron 5, River Section 535 in 1968.

For the next five months, he served as a patrol river boat sailor, monitoring the traffic of the many rivers and coastal waterways of the area. On 21 June 1968, GMG2 Ford was serving as the after machine-gunner aboard Patrol River Boat 750 as part of a two-boat patrol operating in the upper My Tho River near the town of Cai Be. The boats were maneuvering down the river when they spotted a sampan fleeing into a nearby canal. The two patrol boats gave chase and captured the sampan one hundred meters further up the canal. As the patrol boat returned to the river with the captured sampan in tow, it was ambushed by a Viet Cong patrol that unleashed an overwhelming barrage of heavy machine-gunfire and rockets.

Two explosive B-40 rockets struck Ford’s boat, immediately killing the patrol leader and coxswain. Within seconds, the boat was ablaze and out of control, heading directly for the Viet Cong positions. Even as the boat was hit by four additional rockets, and after suffering serious injuries, Ford tenaciously maintained a steady volume of return fire from his aftmachine-gunner’s station.,In the face of enemy gunfire and with his clothing on fire, Ford assisted three seriously wounded shipmates into the water. Only after ensuring that all the surviving crew had left the boat did Ford make his way into the water. He was the last man alive to leave what remained of Patrol River Boat 750.

Soon after GMG2 Ford entered the water, he was killed by a burst of enemy machine-gun fire. However, as a result of his fearless devotion to duty, he saved the lives of two of his shipmates. In recognition of his bravery, the US NAVY posthumously awarded GMG2 Ford the Navy Cross.

For the next five months, he served as a patrol river boat (PBA) sailor, monitoring the traffic of the many rivers and coastal waterways of the area. On 21 June 1968, Petty Officer Ford was serving as the after-machine gunner aboard PBR 750 as part of a two-boat patrol operating in the upper My Tho River near Ben Tre. The boats were maneuvering down the river when they spotted a sampan fleeing into a nearby canal. PBA 750 gave chase and captured the sampan one hundred meters further up the channel. As the patrol boat returned to the river with a Viet Cong suspect and the captured sampan in tow, it was ambushed by a Viet Cong patrol who unleashed an overwhelming barrage of heavy machine gun fire and rockets.

Two explosive B-40 rockets struck PBR 750 immediately, killing the patrol leader, Lieutenant William E Dennis, and the boat coxswain, Boatswain’s Mate First Class Scott C. Delph. Within seconds the patrol boat was ablaze and out of control, heading directly for the Viet Cong positions. As the PBR veered toward the riverbank, at least four additional rockets struck the craft Ford; being seriously wounded in the initial barrage, he tenaciously maintained a steady volume of return fire from his aft machine gunner’s station until he perceived that the boat was out of control. In the face of enemy gunfire and with his clothing on here, or assisted three seriously wounded shipmates’ home, he PBR into the water. Only after ensuring that all the surviving crewmembers had let the boat did Ford make his way into the water. He was the last man alive to loave what was left of P8A 750.

Soon after, Petty Officer Ford entered the water; a burst from an enemy machine gun killed him. However, due to his fearless devotion to duty, he saved the lives of two of his shipmates for his “extraordinary heroism” in battle on 21 June 1968 and in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Navy. Petty Officer Ford was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.

What is a Frigate?

During the late 1600’s, the British Navy Construcled a three masted square rigger, designed to be powerful enough to capture a merchantman, yet fast enough to evade the heavier warships. She was classified as a frigate, a term derived from the earlier Italian Wordregata” which described a swift vessel propelled by oars and/or sails. Toward the end of the 1Bth Century. the term “Irigate” had become a standard for naval ship classification. It identtied a two deck ship with a main or gundeck, and an upper deck, eventually to become known as a “spar” deck. Principally employed by the British Navy as an escon for merchant convoys across the Atlantic and the Noth Sea, her speed and firepower also enabled her to operate independently as a coastal delense platform or as a scout for the fleet.

The United States Navy began to buikd trgales during the 1790’s as an economical alternative to the more expensive “capita ships. In the 1850’s, sleam began replacing sall as a means of propulsion and by the outbreak or the Civll War all salling frigates had been re-placed by “iron-clad” steam ships.

During World War lI, the British Navy was the first to revive the classification by redesignating small escort vessels as ingates. Since that time, frigates of the United States Navy were de signed to provide detense against air, surtace, and sub-surtace threats tor military and merchant shipping.

FORD is a trigale of the Oiver Hazard Pemy Class. This class of guided missile frigate was developed in the earty 1970’s to defend against the naval wartare threats of the twenty-tirst century. thus ensuring conunuous use of essen- ual sea lanes of communicalion ior the United States and her allies.