USS Davidson

USS Davidson (FF-1045) was a Garcia-class destroyer escort, and later a frigate, in the United States Navy. She was named for Vice Admiral Lyal A. Davidson. Davidson was commissioned with the US Navy from 1965 to 1988 and served with the Brazilian Navy from 1989 to 2002. Davidson sank while under tow to be scrapped in India circa in 2005.

USS Davidson in 1983
History
United States
NameDavidson
Ordered3 January 1962
BuilderAvondale Shipyards
Laid down30 September 1963
Launched2 October 1964
Acquired16 November 1965
Commissioned1 December 1965
Decommissioned8 December 1988
Stricken24 January 2001
Identification
  • DE-1045 (1965)
  • FF-1045 (1975)
FateTransferred to Brazil
Brazil
NameParaiba
Commissioned25 July 1989
Decommissioned26 July 2002
IdentificationD28
FateSank in early 2005
General characteristics
Class and typeGarcia-class frigate
Displacement3,403 tons
Length415 ft (126 m)
Beam44 ft (13 m)
Draft25 ft (7.6 m)
PropulsionSteam turbines
ComplementOfficers: 20; enlisted: 245

History

The keel for USS Davidson was laid down 30 September 1963 at Avondale Shipyards. The ship was launched and christened 2 October 1964, with Mrs. Lyal A. Davidson, widow of the ship's namesake, as ship sponsor. Davidson was commissioned on 7 December 1965 in Charleston, South Carolina. She was homeported in Pearl Harbor. She deployed to the Western Pacific in support of the Vietnam War. She was redesignated, along with the rest of her class, as a frigate in 1975 with the new hull number FF-1045.

Davidson in 1967, before addition of the helicopter hangar.

Davidson deployed from Pearl Harbor on her first Western Pacific cruise on 18 April 1967. The ship made port calls to Yokosuka, Japan, Chinhae, Korea, Sasebo, Japan, Subic Bay, Philippines, Hong Kong, Bang Saen, Thailand and Bangkok, Thailand. The ship served in the waters off Vietnam supporting aircraft carriers at Yankee Station and providing naval gunfire support elsewhere off the coast. Davidson returned to Pearl Harbor 23 October 1967.[1]

Davidson departed Pearl Harbor on 23 July 1982. The ship made port calls to Maizuru, Japan, Sasebo, Japan, Pusan, Korea, Subic Bay, Philippines, Tacloban, Philippines, Sattihip, Thailand, Hong Kong and Kagoshima, Japan. Davidson returned to Pearl harbor 28 January 1983.[2]

Military awards and honors
Unit Awards And Campaign Medals[3] Eligibility Dates
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal 19–27 Apr 1969, 20 Sep-5 Oct 1971
Combat Action Ribbon 26 Apr 72
Meritorious Unit Commendation 24 Oct 1968 – 2 May 1969, 17 Apr-4 Nov 1972
Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation

(Gallantry Cross Medal Color With Palm)

 11–15 Jan 1969, 03–16 Apr 1969
Vietnam Service Medal 1967: 22–31 May, 03-06 Jun, 13–28 Jun, 19–31 Jul, 08-19 Aug, 11 Sep-6 Oct;

1968: 02–15 Nov, 28 Nov-19 Dec;
1969: 05–21 Jan, 06 Feb-22 Mar, 02-16 Apr;
1970: 13 Jun-3 Jul, 12–28 Jul, 19 Aug – 3 Sep, 11–13 Sep, 26 Sep-14 Oct;
1971: 28 Jul-9 Aug, 17 Aug-2 Sep, 12–28 Nov;
1972: 26 Apr-22 May, 01 Jun-15 Jul, 28 Jul-26 Aug, 09 Sep-19 Oct.

Navy Expeditionary Medal 26 Apr-4 Aug 1980
Navy "E" Ribbon 1 Jan 1982 – 30 Jun 1983

Brazilian service
For other ships with the same name, see Brazilian destroyer Paraíba.

On 8 December 1988, Davidson was decommissioned. She was transferred to Brazil and commissioned 25 July 1989 as Paraiba (D28). She was decommissioned from the Brazilian Navy on 26 July 2002.

She sank as she was being towed to India to be scrapped, along with the former Sample.

References
  1. "Davidson Cruise". USS Davidson 1967 Westpac: 31. 1967.
  2. "Davidson Cruise Itinerary". USS Davidson 82–83 Westpac: 5. 1983.
  3. OPNAVNOTE 1650 – Master List of Unit, Awards and Campaign Medals dated 18 Sep 2002
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