Navy to decommission frigate Hawes in Norfolk

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Frigate set to be decommissioned.

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The frigate Hawes comes alongside the aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush for the carrier's first refueling at sea in July in the Atlantic Ocean. (Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Hall)

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By Meredith Kruse
The Virginian-Pilot
© December 10, 2010

NORFOLK

The Navy frigate Hawes will end its 25-year career Friday during a decommissioning ceremony at Norfolk Naval Station, the service announced.

Named for the late Rear Adm. Richard Ellington Hawes, a two-time recipient of the Navy Cross, the ship is the 47th in the Oliver Hazard Perry class. Built at Bath Iron Works in Maine, it was commissioned in 1985.

It has a crew of 215, led by Cmdr. Stephen F. Fuller, plus an embarked helicopter detachment. Its missions have included escorting convoys, coastal operations and air and surface warfare.

The ship will be towed to the Inactive Ships Maintenance Office in Philadelphia and made available for parts for the next few years.

If you served aboard the Hawes and have a sea story to share, please e-mail military@pilotonline.com.

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USS Enterprise CVN 65

Submitted by Big AlinVegas on Sun, 12/12/2010 at 11:25 am.

The name Enterprise is one that is too important in the history of the US Navy to be lost to the fleet. I would like to see the name given to the second Ford Class CVN as soon as she is authorized. As for the current ship, I would like to see her berthed as a memorial, at Norfolk, the place of her birth.

Fair winds and following seas!

Submitted by Mike M on Thu, 12/09/2010 at 12:10 pm.

i have been retired for awhile now and i look back on my 1st ship the Samuel elliot Morrison FFG13. I am a plank owner on her. The Perry class frigates severed the navy well and were cost effective. not the most comfortable ship I was ever on, but i still love that ship the most! Good luck to all the Hawes crew!

Hawes and Jolly Roger

Submitted by Goldfinch on Tue, 11/30/2010 at 10:32 pm.

RDML Hawes is a Navy hero. He believed that any ship, big or small, should be able to be used to pull the burning ships from Pearl Harbor out during the attack. His methods were unconventional, but they were in the spirit of a true sailor. In fact, any ship that bears his name is the only ship in the U.S. naval fleet that can fly the pirate flag, jolly roger, that RDML Hawes designed himself.

Decommissioning

Submitted by ssdamore752 on Tue, 11/30/2010 at 10:11 pm.

To the plankowners and crew of USS Hawes. Hope you all have an enjoyable ceremony with good weather. We plankowners of McInerney, know what you will feeling. We just went through it in Mayport the end of Aug. May you all have following winds and smooth seas.
STGSC(SW) Sam Moore (USN/Retired)
USS McInerney FFG-8 Plankowner