NAVAL STATION PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii -- NAVAL STATION PEARL HARBOR--Sixty years after the first U.S. Navy Tank Landing Ship was commissioned in 1942, the last of the class - the USS Frederick - was decommissioned before more than 200 Marines, Sailors, family members and guests of honor, at the Naval Station Pearl Harbor shipyard Saturday.
Tank Landing Ship Frederick was built in 1968 and was officially commissioned on April 11, 1970, at Long Beach Naval Shipyard, Calif.
In its long and illustrious history, the Frederick made more than 13 major deployments to the western Pacific and Far East.
It participated in the Vietnam withdrawal operation in 1970, the South Vietnam refugee evacuation of 1974, and deployed in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. It also conducted humanitarian assistance to Bangladesh during Operation Sea Angel, and in 1994, deployed to Somalia in support of Operation Restore Hope.
"I am honored, proud and privileged to have served onboard this fine historic vessel," said Navy Lt. Rolando Salvatierra, combat information center officer with the now decommissioned vessel.
In January 1995, the vessel transferred to the Naval Reserve Forces and then changed home ports to arrive at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in November of the same year.
Since arriving on Oahu's shores, the Frederick has conducted bilateral exercises with southeast Asia navies, been on standby to conduct humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions throughout the Pacific, and assisted Marines at MCB Hawaii during deployments to the "Big Island."
"The Frederick was the only true amphibious landing ship in Hawaii," said Maj. Darrell L. Akers, S-4 officer, 3rd Marine Regiment. "It's the only platform that Hawaii-based III Marine Expeditionary Force units had to perform amphibious operations. It will be sorely missed."
The lowering of the national ensign and the commissioning pendant marked the decommissioning. of the magnificent amphibious landing ship.
Its crew and officers bid their last farewell, saluted the officer of the day and debarked to their next journey.
"It was the end of an era for the USS Frederick, but yet a new beginning for its many Sailors, and the Navy itself," added Salvatierra.
The decommissioned ship will stay afloat and help fight the war on drugs with the Mexican Navy.