# USS Carr

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**USS *Carr* (FFG-52)**, is a decommissioned [*Oliver Hazard Perry*-class frigate](/source/Oliver_Hazard_Perry-class_frigate) of the [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy).

## Namesake

Paul Henry Carr was born on 13 February 1924, at [Webbers Falls, Oklahoma](/source/Webbers_Falls,_Oklahoma) and moved to Checotah, Oklahoma early in his childhood. After joining the Navy on 27 May 1942, he received orders to join the [USS *Samuel B. Roberts*](/source/USS_Samuel_B._Roberts_(DE-413)) in April 1944. During the [Battle off Samar](/source/Battle_off_Samar), on 25 October 1944, Gunners Mate Third Class Carr served as gun captain of the aft gun, Mount 52. After firing approximately 300 rounds, Mount 52 lost power. After managing to fire several more shots from the overheated gun, a round suddenly cooked off, blowing the gun apart and killing several of the crew. Although grievously wounded, he remained at his station, repeatedly attempting to load the last remaining shell into the destroyed gun by hand. With the battle still raging around him, Carr died of his wounds shortly before *Samuel B. Roberts* sank due to [Imperial Japanese Navy](/source/Imperial_Japanese_Navy) shellfire. Carr was posthumously awarded the [Silver Star](/source/Silver_Star).

## Construction and commissioning

*Carr* was laid down on 26 March 1982 by the [Todd Pacific Shipyards](/source/Todd_Pacific_Shipyards) Co., Seattle Division, [Seattle, Wash.](/source/Seattle,_Washington); [launched](/source/Ship_naming_and_launching) on 26 February 1983; sponsored by Goldie Carr Bensilhe, GM3 Carr's widow; and [commissioned](/source/Ship_commissioning) on 27 July 1985, Commander Robert J. Horne in command.

## History

### Operation Earnest Will

*Carr**s original homeport was in [Charleston, South Carolina](/source/Charleston,_South_Carolina). Her first operational deployment was to the [Persian Gulf](/source/Persian_Gulf), where*****Carr*was involved in [Operation Earnest Will](/source/Operation_Earnest_Will), escorting re-flagged oil tankers through the [Strait of Hormuz](/source/Strait_of_Hormuz). While Commander, Destroyer Squadron 14, was the senior officer present, Commander Wade C. Johnson, the captain of*Carr*, was the next senior officer in the area and was routinely assigned the duties of Convoy Commander during escort missions. During one of these, [Iranian](/source/Iran) small boats approached the tankers and were chased off by bullets from*Carr**s deck-mounted [M2 .50-caliber machine guns](/source/M2_Browning_machine_gun) and the [Bushmaster](/source/Bushmaster_Firearms_International) [25mm chain gun](/source/M242_Bushmaster) on the starboard main deck.

### *Bonefish* disaster

*Carr* returned to Charleston in late March 1988, and 31 days later, was ordered underway to replace another ship that had been unable to get underway. Sent to sea to conduct anti-submarine exercises with the [aircraft carrier](/source/Aircraft_carrier) [USS *John F. Kennedy*](/source/USS_John_F._Kennedy_(CV-67)) and [submarine](/source/Submarine) [USS *Bonefish*](/source/USS_Bonefish_(SS-582)). On 24 April 1988, *Carr* was first on the scene to help rescue the crew of the attack submarine *Bonefish*, which had suffered a battery fire while submerged. Deploying her 26-foot (8-metre) [whaleboat](/source/Whaleboat) and five inflatable life rafts, *Carr* helped rescue 89 of *Bonefish'*s crew, using the whaleboat, life rafts, its embarked [SH-60B Seahawk](/source/SH-60B_Seahawk) of Helicopter Squadron (Light) [HSL-44](/source/HSM-74) with crew LT Lee, AWs Laster and Hendrix, and the [SH-3H Sea King](/source/SH-3_Sea_King) helicopters from *John F. Kennedy*. The ship communicated to the land-based Commander, Atlantic Fleet watch center using the Joint Operational Tactical System's (JOTS) "opnote" capability. Crew muster lists were sent ashore as rescued crew members were identified. For her professionalism in the rescue, *Carr* was awarded a [Meritorious Unit Commendation](/source/Meritorious_Unit_Commendation).

### Exercises in the Caribbean

In October 1988, *Carr* made a port visit to [Tampa, Florida](/source/Tampa,_Florida), at the request of the local [Navy League](/source/Navy_League_of_the_United_States) chapter, mooring at Harbor Island pier. Public tours were held for several days in celebration of Navy Week, honoring the Navy's birthday. The commissioning commanding officer, Captain Robert Horne, was stationed at [MacDill Air Force Base](/source/MacDill_Air_Force_Base) in Tampa and was there to greet the ship.

In March 1989, *Carr* was sent to Fleet Training Group, [Guantanamo Bay](/source/Guantanamo_Bay_Naval_Base), Cuba, for Refresher Training (REFTRA). While the ship conducted exercises in all departments, [Mikhail Gorbachev](/source/Mikhail_Gorbachev) was making a visit to [Havana](/source/Havana), Cuba. News crews from [NBC](/source/NBC), headed by [Henry Champ](/source/Henry_Champ), and [ABC](/source/American_Broadcasting_Company), by [Bob Zelnick](/source/Bob_Zelnick), each spent a day aboard *Carr* to observe the training.

In summer 1989, while *Carr* was heading to the Puerto Rican Operation Area (PROA) for the Middle East Force Exercise (MEFEX), both of the ship's laundry washers broke down. With the permission of the Squadron Commodore running MEFEX, *Carr'*s Seahawk helicopter flew into [Naval Station Roosevelt Roads](/source/Roosevelt_Roads_Naval_Station), Puerto Rico, and the Supply Officer purchased a household washing machine from the [Navy Exchange](/source/Base_exchange). The washer was unboxed on the ramp at the airfield, loaded in the helicopter and flown to the ship, where it was plumbed in to the water system and served as the crew laundry for the next several weeks.

### Hurricane Hugo

On 18 September 1989, *Carr* sailed from Charleston to be on station off the [Naval Station Mayport](/source/Naval_Station_Mayport) for the week to provide a practice flight deck for the SH-60B Seahawk squadrons. That night, an officer of HSL-44 came aboard and informed the captain that the helicopters would be flying to [Georgia](/source/Georgia_(U.S._state)) the following day in preparation for the impending arrival of [Hurricane Hugo](/source/Hurricane_Hugo). On the morning of 19 September, *Carr* entered Naval Station Mayport and moored, awaiting further instructions. At midnight on the 20th, *Carr* got underway and headed south to the [Strait of Florida](/source/Strait_of_Florida) to avoid the storm. Once the hurricane was safely past, the captain ordered the ship to sail towards Charleston.

*Carr* was the first Navy vessel to return to the port of Charleston the morning after Hurricane Hugo made landfall there. *Carr* remained anchored for three days, unable to enter port, as essentially all navigation aids were moved or destroyed by the hurricane. One of the [Coast Guard](/source/United_States_Coast_Guard) ships at anchor sent a small boat to the USCG Station in Charleston, taking along *Carr'*s Sonar Technician Chief Petty Officer Steven Hatherly. STGC Hatherly made his way to the Naval Station, where he phoned most of the crew's families and reported their status to the ship via bridge-to-bridge VHF radio that evening. From their anchorage, the crew could easily see the bridge between the [Isle of Palms](/source/Isle_of_Palms) and the mainland in the air, as well as the demolished houses along the shore. Local television stations were returning the transmitting and the crew had little to do besides consider the condition of their families and possessions ashore.

*Carr* was ordered to proceed to Naval Station Mayport. Arriving the next morning, the local community had staged relief supplies to be taken to Charleston. The next day, *Carr* was directed to return to her homeport. Upon arrival, there were no shore services, so the Engineering Department kept the engineering plant on line to provide power, air-conditioning, fresh water and other support services. Crew members were dispatched, during the day, to assist in the clean up of the Naval Station, the Naval Weapons Station and the local community. As time permitted, they also helped each other's families secure their belongings and clean up their homes. For this response to the natural disaster, *Carr* was awarded the [Humanitarian Service Medal](/source/Humanitarian_Service_Medal).

### Change of command and return to the Persian Gulf

In early October 1989, the first formal ceremony of any type at the Naval Station held was the change of command for *Carr*, with Commander Edward "Ned" Bagley, III, USN relieving Commander Wade C. Johnson, USN. The Change of Command was held in the morning and that afternoon, Commander, Destroyer Squadron 4 held their change of command.

On 31 October 1991[when?] *Carr* sailed from Charleston for her third operational deployment, assigned to the Commander, Middle East Force. En route the Red Sea, *Carr* made port visits to the [Alicante](/source/Alicante), [Palma Majorca](/source/Palma_de_Mallorca), Spain, Naples Italy, Athens Greece and Hiafa Israel, then transited the [Suez Canal](/source/Suez_Canal). During this deployment, *Carr* spend the first half assigned to tanker escort duties in the Strait of Hormuz and Maritime Interdiction Force in support of UN sanctions of Iraq. The later part of the cruise was spent operating in the Northern Red Sea, conducting electronic surveillance and early warning duties for the units operating to the south. *Carr* left the Red Sea the end of March 1991 and returned to Charleston a month later.

### Cooperative Engagement Capability

The Carr underwent major upgrades in 1995, leading to two dual missile firing operations near Puerto Rico testing a new generation of wireless-networked targeting and weapons systems.

### Change of command and final two deployments

In October 2010, *Carr*'s final change of command took place pier side in Norfolk, Virginia when Commander Patrick Kulakowski relieved Commander Eric Ver Hage. *Carr* completed a dry-docking availability at NORSHIPCO in Norfolk to close out 2010 before completing a January–February COMPTUEX in preparation for deployment. In June, 2011 *Carr* arrived in Staten Island, NY for New York City Fleet Week and Boston, MA for Dorchester Day. On 14 June 2011 (returned 15 Nov 2011) *Carr* departed for a combined Northern European Theater Security Cooperation Deployment and Caribbean Countering Illicit Traffic deployment. Countries visited included the Azores, England, Russia, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Norway, Scotland, Cuba, Panama, Costa Rica, and Curaçao.

On 1 June 2012 (returned 30 Nov 2012) *Carr* departed Norfolk, VA on its final deployment to conduct Counter Illicit Trafficking in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. On 30 November 2012, *Carr* delivered 1.5 tons of cocaine and almost two tons of marijuana to Mayport, Florida, before continuing back to Norfolk.[1]

### Decommissioning

On 13 March 2013, *Carr* was decommissioned[2] pierside at Naval Station Norfolk. *Carr* was subsequently towed to the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility in Philadelphia to await possible foreign military sale.[3][4]

## References

1. ["4TH Fleet Frigate Off-Loads $114 Million in Drugs."](http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/library/news/2012/11/sec-121130-nns01.htm)

1. [http://www.navytimes.com/news/2012/03/navy-11-ships-to-be-decommissioned-in-fiscal-2013-031412w/](http://www.navytimes.com/news/2012/03/navy-11-ships-to-be-decommissioned-in-fiscal-2013-031412w/) [dead link]

1. ["USS Carr (FFG 52)"](https://www.navysite.de/ffg/FFG52.HTM). *www.navysite.de*. Retrieved 2019-01-21.

1. [Defense News](https://archive.today/20130425171208/http://www.defensenews.com/article/20130106/DEFREG02/301060002/Congressional-Chaos-Costs-U-S-Navy-Millions-Leaves-Ships-Limbo?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE)

## Further reading

- Nasuti, Guy J. (24 October 2019). ["Carr (FFG-52)"](https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/c/carr-ffg-52.html). *[Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships](/source/Dictionary_of_American_Naval_Fighting_Ships)*. [Naval History & Heritage Command](/source/Naval_History_%26_Heritage_Command). Retrieved 15 November 2019.

## External links

- [USS *Carr* official website (down)](https://web.archive.org/web/20050209123339/http://www.carr.navy.mil/)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [USS Carr](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Carr) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Carr?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.