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USS GARY was one of the "long hull" versions in the OLIVER HAZARD PERRY - class and the first ship in the Navy named after Commander Donald A. Gary. In June 2007, the GARY shifted her homeport from Yokosuka, Japan, to San Diego, Calif. After a decommissioning ceremony at San Diego on July 23, 2015, the ship was officially decommissioned and stricken from the Navy list on August 5, 2015. The retired GARY was towed from San Diego to Pearl Harbor, Hi., for lay-up on September 16. In mid-2016, the ship started a conversion in preparation for her transfer to the Taiwanese Navy. Reportedly, this conversion would allow her to serve for another 30 years. On March 9, 2017, the GARY was transferred to the Taiwanese Navy where was recommissioned as FENGJIA by the end of May 2017.
General Characteristics: | Keel Laid: December 18, 1982 |
Christened: November 19, 1983 | |
Commissioned: November 17, 1984 | |
Decommissioned: August 5, 2015 | |
Builder: Todd Pacific Shipyards Co., Los Angeles Division, San Pedro, Ca. | |
Propulsion system: two General Electric LM 2500 gas turbines, two 350 Horsepower Electric Drive Auxiliary Propulsion Units | |
Propellers: one | |
Blades on each Propeller: five | |
Length: 453 feet (135.9 meters) | |
Beam: 45 feet (13.5 meters) | |
Draft: 24,6 feet (7.5 meters) | |
Displacement: 4,100 tons | |
Speed: 28+ knots | |
Aircraft: two | |
Armament: one | |
Crew: 17 Officers and 198 Enlisted |
Crew List:
This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS GARY. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.
USS GARY Cruise Books:
USS GARY in the News:
About the Frigate’s Name, about Commander Donald A. Gary:
Donald Arthur Gary was born on 23 July 1903 in Findlay, Ohio. He enlisted in the U. S. Navy on 12 December 1919 and served as an enlisted sailor until November 1943, when he was commissioned a Lieutenant (junior grade). He progressed to the rank of Lieutenant Commander in March 1946 and, when he retired on 1 June 1950, he was advanced to the rank of Commander on the basis of combat awards. Commander Gary died on 9 April 1977.
His onshore duties during his naval career included assignments in the Third Naval District, New York City; the Office of Assistant Inspector of Machinery, B&W Company, Ohio; the staff of Commander Submarine Group ONE, New York; and the Naval Disciplinary Barracks, Terminal Island, California. His sea duty tours included ELCANO (PG 38), HANNIBAL (AG 1), SWAN (AM 34), IDAHO (BB 42), INDIANAPOLIS (CA 35) for two tours, ENTERPRISE (CV 6), and FRANKLIN (CV 13), that (then) Lieutenant Gary joined as an Engineering Officer in December 1944.
On 19 March 1945, FRANKLIN was operating with a fast carrier task force against remnants of the Japanese fleet when it was severely damaged by fires caused by two Japanese bombs in an attack. Only outstanding efforts on the part of the crew, and Lieutenant Gary in particular, saved the ship from destruction and the lives of many sailors.
Lieutenant Gary was awarded the Medal of Honor, with a citation that stated:
The damaged FRANKLIN returned to New York harbor, and Commander Gary remained aboard the ship until it was decommissioned in 1947. On 23 January 1946 he was presented the Medal of Honor at the White House by President Harry S. Truman.
back to top go to the end of the pageUSS GARY Image Gallery:
The photos below were taken by me and show the GARY at Naval Base San Diego, Calif, on March 10, 2008.
The photo below was taken by Thomas Heinrich and shows the GARY at Naval Base San Diego, Calif, on March 21, 2009.
The photos below were taken by me and show the GARY at Naval Base San Diego, Calif, on September 29, 2011. Note the platform for the Mk 38 Mod. 2 gun above the former Mk 13 missile launcher.
The photos below were taken by me and show the GARY at Naval Base San Diego, Calif, on May 8, 2012.
The photos below were taken by me and show the GARY at Naval Base San Diego, Calif, on October 3, 2012. The last two photos show her departing San Diego one day later for a scheduled deployment in support of Counter Transnational Organized Crime (C-TOC) operations in the U.S. 4th Fleet AoR.