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USS Clifton Sprague (FFG 16)

USS CLIFTON SPRAGUE was the tenth ship in the PERRY - class of guided missile frigates and the first ship in the Navy to bear the name. Decommissioned on June 2, 1995, the CLIFTON SPRAGUE was subsequently given to the Turkish Navy where she was recommissioned as TCG GAZIANTEP (F 490).

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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS CLIFTON SPRAGUE. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

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About the Ship's Coat of Arms:

The Shield:

The blue and white zig-zag lines allude to ocean waves which Admiral Sprague sailed over the course of his naval career, and also his nickname "Ziggy." The lion is symbolic of his ability as a commander of naval forces. The blue lightning bolt refers to his command of support aircraft carriers and their significance as a determining factor in World War II Pacific sea battles. The three stars refer to the Admiral's rank, and to "Taffy 3," the task force Admiral Sprague commanded during the Battle of Samar near the Philippines during World War II. They are placed on a red field, indicating the courage he displayed during this battle.

The Crest:

The cloud is a symbol that reflects Admiral Sprague's navigational skill and keen military mind during the Battle of Samar, when he used a smoke screen and a rain squall to avoid the destruction of his own forces, while inflicting severe damage upon the enemy. The wings allude to Admiral Sprague's career as a Naval Aviator, and also refer to his command of support aircraft carriers and various Naval Air Forces during World War II. The lightning flashes refer to the air strike capabilities of those carriers. The cross refers to the Navy Cross awarded to Admiral Sprague for his prowess in directing the counter-offensive at the Battle of Samar.

The Motto:

"NUNC PARATUS" - "Ready Now"

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Homeports of USS CLIFTON SPRAGUE:

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History of USS CLIFTON SPRAGUE:

USS CLIFTON SPRAGUE was ordered on February 27, 1976, as part of the first group of OLIVER HAZARD PERRY-class guided missile frigates from Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. Her keel was laid on July 30, 1979, and she took shape as a single-shaft, gas-turbine-powered escort intended to provide anti-submarine, anti-surface and limited anti-air warfare capability for carrier and amphibious groups as well as convoys. She was launched on February 16, 1980, nineteen weeks ahead of schedule, at Bath Iron Works. The ship was sponsored by Courtney Sprague Vaughan, daughter of Vice Admiral Clifton A. F. Sprague, with her sister Patricia Sprague Reneau serving as matron of honor, emphasizing the link between the new frigate and her namesake's World War II carrier commands.

After fitting out and trials, USS CLIFTON SPRAGUE was commissioned on March 21, 1981, and became the tenth ship of the OLIVER HAZARD PERRY-class to enter U.S. Navy service. She joined Destroyer Squadron Eight with her homeport at Mayport, Florida, and adopted the motto "NUNC PARATUS" - "Ready Now".

In her first full year of service, 1981, CLIFTON SPRAGUE concentrated on combat systems trials and work-ups out of Mayport. During Combat Systems Ship Qualification Trials between July and August 1981, she carried out a live missile-firing evolution and achieved four hits out of four shots against target drones, an early indication that her crew had mastered the new class's weapons systems. Her performance was reflected in the award of a Navy "E" ribbon for the period October 1, 1980 to September 30, 1981, and a second for October 1, 1981 to September 30, 1982, recognizing consistent battle efficiency in her first years of operation.

In mid-1982, CLIFTON SPRAGUE had established herself in the Atlantic Fleet. In June 1982, Commander Destroyer Squadron Eight presented the ship with the Battle Efficiency "E" award, making her, at just over a year in commission, the first PERRY-class frigate in the Atlantic Fleet to win that distinction.

Through 1982, she continued training, exercises and short cruises in the western Atlantic as she prepared for extended overseas operations. CLIFTON SPRAGUE began her first major deployment on November 10, 1982, when she departed Mayport at 0830 in company with the guided missile destroyer USS SAMPSON (DDG 10). This deployment took her through the Mediterranean Sea, Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf at a time when U.S. naval forces were heavily engaged in presence and escort missions linked to regional crises and the Iran-Iraq War. Her award record confirms that during this cruise she operated in the eastern Mediterranean off Lebanon in April 1983. Between April 18 and April 22, 1983 - the period covered by a Navy Expeditionary Medal awarded to the ship - CLIFTON SPRAGUE was part of the U.S. naval response to the bombing of the U.S. embassy in Beirut, maintaining a visible presence offshore and supporting contingency plans during a period of acute regional tension.

Later in 1983, CLIFTON SPRAGUE was drawn into another crisis in the broader Caribbean region. On October 23, 1983, a truck bomb destroyed the U.S. Marine barracks at Beirut; only days later, on October 25, the United States led Operation Urgent Fury, the invasion of Grenada. CLIFTON SPRAGUE formed part of the naval forces supporting this operation, sailing with a task group built around the carrier USS INDEPENDENCE (CV 62) and the cruisers and destroyers USS RICHMOND K. TURNER (CG 20), USS COONTZ (DDG 40), USS CARON (DD 970), USS MOOSBRUGGER (DD 980) and the ammunition ship USS SURIBACHI (AE 21). The frigate served as a covert "mother ship" for a mixed reconnaissance detachment of Navy SEALs and Air Force combat controllers tasked to examine the new airfield under construction at Point Salines on Grenada's southwest coast before the main landings. According to later accounts, small boats launched from CLIFTON SPRAGUE twice attempted to insert the 20-man team at night, but heavy seas, equipment problems and adverse conditions forced both attempts to be abandoned.

Although these pre-assault reconnaissance efforts were frustrated, CLIFTON SPRAGUE remained on station as part of the screen and support force throughout the operation. Her crew's performance during Urgent Fury was recognized with both a Meritorious Unit Commendation for the period October 23 to November 2, 1983 and an Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for October 23 to November 18, 1983.

The ship's operational tempo in these early years remained high. Libya publicly protested that a U.S. warship had "invaded its territorial waters several times" in 1983 and singled out CLIFTON SPRAGUE in its statements, reflecting the frigate's participation in freedom of navigation and presence operations in contested waters of the central Mediterranean during that year.

Internally, her record shows continued excellence: she received additional Navy "E" ribbons covering the periods October 1, 1983 to March 31, 1985 and April 1, 1985 to September 30, 1986.

On August 20, 1984, CLIFTON SPRAGUE was formally assigned to Naval Reserve Training duties, and in November 1984, she shifted her homeport from Mayport to Philadelphia to take up her new role within the Naval Reserve Force. While manned primarily by an active-duty core crew, she now also embarked reservists for periodic training cruises, combining readiness tasks with the preparation of reserve personnel for Atlantic operations. Even in this new status, the frigate remained heavily engaged in fleet exercises. In February 1985, she left Philadelphia to participate in READEX 1-85, a readiness exercise off the U.S. East Coast. During the combat phase of READEX, she again conducted missile exercises and achieved three hits out of three standard missile shots against drone targets.

In April 1985, she sailed south to join Exercise Universal Trek 85, embarking a Coast Guard law-enforcement detachment at Key West to integrate maritime interdiction tasks into the operation. After completing Universal Trek, she proceeded to Mayport to prepare for Operation Solid Shield, a large joint amphibious and sea control exercise along the East and Gulf Coasts. During Solid Shield, CLIFTON SPRAGUE rendered practical assistance beyond scripted maneuvers by rescuing two Belgian sailors from a life raft, an incident later noted in summaries of her early career. In May 1985, she received the Commander Naval Surface Force, Atlantic (COMNAVSURFLANT) Battle "E" award, marking another recognition of overall excellence.

In April 1986, CLIFTON SPRAGUE again left Philadelphia, this time to take part in FLEETEX 2-86. The exercise rehearsed high-end Atlantic and Mediterranean scenarios, and the frigate took on multiple roles: anti-submarine warfare tasks, torpedo firings and carrier escort duty for the aircraft carrier USS FORRESTAL (CV 59).

On November 4, 1986, COMNAVSURFLANT once more selected CLIFTON SPRAGUE as the Battle Efficiency "E" winner within Naval Surface Group Four, giving her a second consecutive Battle "E" and the third such award in only five years since commissioning.

After a major overhaul period at Philadelphia and associated combat systems testing in the spring and summer of 1987, CLIFTON SPRAGUE returned to sea that autumn. In October 1987, she departed Philadelphia for operations in the Central American region, which combined surveillance, presence and training missions. During this cruise, she made port visits to Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, to ports in Panama, to Jamaica and to Honduras, reflecting the ship's use as a platform for both U.S. Navy and partner-nation engagements in the Caribbean and Central America. In December 1987, she was awarded a Blue "E" for supply excellence, indicating consistently strong logistics performance.

The year 1988, was again marked by a high operational tempo. In February, CLIFTON SPRAGUE took part in Operation Safe Pass, an exercise built around convoy and escort operations under simulated wartime conditions, in which she escorted merchant ships through notional threat areas. In April, she participated in New York City's Fleet Week, opening her decks to more than 4,000 visitors and serving as a visible representative of the PERRY-class and the Naval Reserve Force. Later in the year, she conducted a Chief of Naval Operations special operation in Panama City, Florida, working with mine warfare development units on anti-mine warfare testing. The remainder of 1988 was filled with Midshipman training cruises, Vandal missile exercises and preparations for propulsion plant examinations, reflecting a balance between advanced warfare training, fleet support tasks and the ship's role in officer and enlisted development.

From 1989 into the early 1990s, CLIFTON SPRAGUE continued her pattern of Atlantic and Caribbean operations, now often in close cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard and joint commands. Her participation in these missions is reflected in the award of the Coast Guard Special Operations Service Ribbon for operations on April 1, 1989 and again for a period from July 1 to September 30, 1989, as well as a Secretary of the Navy Letter of Commendation covering December 1, 1989 to April 1, 1990. These decorations indicate involvement in special combined Navy-Coast Guard activities and other noteworthy operations during a time when drug interdiction, migration and maritime security in the Caribbean were major U.S. concerns.

On January 23, 1991, CLIFTON SPRAGUE took part in an anti-surface warfare gunnery exercise with Fleet Composite Squadron 6 (VC-6), which operated remotely-piloted target drones. The squadron's 1991 command history records a GUNEX event with CLIFTON SPRAGUE on that date, showing her continued integration with fleet training systems even as much of the Navy was focused on Operation Desert Storm. Shortly afterwards, from January 28 to February 25, 1991, the frigate's participation in joint operations was recognized with a Joint Meritorious Unit Award, issued during the Desert Storm period even though CLIFTON SPRAGUE herself was not listed as serving in the Persian Gulf combat zone.

In 1992, the ship's operational reach within the western Atlantic is visible in the command history of the cruiser USS TICONDEROGA (CG 47). On June 11, 1992, while TICONDEROGA was transiting the Caribbean Sea en route to Port Everglades, Florida, a crew member went missing, prompting a large search and rescue effort. CLIFTON SPRAGUE joined TICONDEROGA and Coast Guard units in the search, demonstrating the frigate's role in unscripted safety and rescue operations in addition to routine fleet tasks.

In the post-Cold War environment, CLIFTON SPRAGUE also became involved in emerging forms of naval cooperation. On July 4, 1993, she and the cruiser USS GETTYSBURG (CG 64) conducted a passing exercise (PASSEX) off Cape Cod with three Russian Navy ships: the missile cruiser MARSHAL USTINOV, the destroyer ADMIRAL KHARLAMOV and the replenishment ship DNESTER. For several days the U.S. and Russian ships maneuvered together and practiced basic maritime procedures, a notable development given that the two navies had faced each other as Cold War adversaries for decades before the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

By the mid-1990s, CLIFTON SPRAGUE's operations increasingly reflected the humanitarian and regional-stability missions that characterized much of the U.S. Navy's work in that era. In the summer of 1994, she was involved in operations connected with the outflow of Haitian refugees by boat. Her crew was nominated for the United States Public Health Service Outstanding Unit Citation for operations conducted between June 24 and July 12, 1994, a period associated with the interception and handling of migrants at sea and their transfer to facilities such as Guantanamo Bay. Later that year, CLIFTON SPRAGUE joined the naval forces supporting Operation Uphold Democracy, the U.S.-led intervention in Haiti. The ship's award record shows that she earned an Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for the period September 16-24, 1994, and a Meritorious Unit Commendation covering September 11, 1994 to March 31, 1995, for actions linked to Uphold Democracy. In this phase, she operated as part of the Caribbean task group enforcing sanctions, supporting the insertion and sustainment of multinational forces in Haiti, and maintaining maritime security in surrounding waters.

CLIFTON SPRAGUE's active U.S. service concluded shortly thereafter. She was decommissioned at Naval Station Mayport, Florida, on June 2, 1995, ending just over fourteen years in commission as a U.S. frigate. On August 27, 1997, she was transferred to Turkey under the Security Assistance Program and commissioned into the Turkish Naval Forces as TCG GAZIANTEP (F 490). She was struck from the U.S. Naval Vessel Register on September 4, 1997. In Turkish service she was modified into a "G"-class frigate with updated combat systems and has remained active well into the twenty-first century.

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About the Ship's Name:

Thus paraphrased is the Navy Cross Citation awarded to Vice Admiral Clifton Albert Frederick Sprague for his "aggressiveness and courage" in 1944 combat near the Philippine Islands.

The high decoration was but one of many awards for valor he earned during an illustrious career, from his entrance into the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, in 1914, until his transfer to the retired list 1 November 1951.

He sailed "in harm's way" from the opening shots at Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941, when his command, the seaplane tender USS TANGIER, escaped harm while shooting down three raiders, on to epic battles as Commander of the legendary carrier USS WASP.

Assuming command of WASP upon commissioning, 24 November 1943, he guided her to raids on Marcus and Wake Islands, and then assisted in the capture of Saipan, Tinian and Guam.

In August 1944, he took command of Carrier Division 25, later served as Commander of Task Unit 77.4.3, and as Commander of Support Carrier Units. His task unit won the Presidential Unit Citation, and he was awarded two Legions of Merit for "brilliant and courageous leadership."

Born 8 January 1896 in Dorchester, Mass., he attended public schools in Milton, the Roxbury Latin School in Boston, and a year at Norwich University in Vermont before entering the Naval Academy by senatorial appointment from that state.

He served on the cruiser USS WHEELING during World War I, then participated in the crew training and the outfitting of the battleship USS TENNESSEE, remaining with her for one year following her commissioning 3 June 1920.

In 1921, he was designated as a Naval Aviator following flight training at Pensacola, Florida, thus launching an aviation career in scouting and bombing squadrons, national air racing, and including service on such famed carriers as LEXINGTON, SARATOGA, and YORKTOWN. Following World War II, his command positions included Joint Task Group 1.1.2 for atomic bomb tests in the Pacific, Naval Air Basic Training, and then Air Advanced Training at Corpus Christi, Texas, Carrier Division 6, Commander of the 17th Naval District and Commander of the Alaskan Sea Frontier.

He and his wife, the former Annabel Fitzgerald of St. Paul, Minnesota, have two daughters, Mrs. Courtney Vaughn, and Mrs. Patricia Reneau.

Vice Admiral Sprague died 11 April 1955.

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USS CLIFTON SPRAGUE Image Gallery:

After decommissioning the CLIFTON SPRAGUE was recommissioned as TCG GAZIANTEP (F 490) in the Turkish Navy. The photos below were taken by me and show the GAZIANTEP during a port visit to Leith, Scotland, on March 30, 2014, prior to the ship's participation in Exercise Joint Warrior 14-1.

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