USS Carr (FFG-52)

USS Carr (FFG-52), was an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate of the United States Navy, named after Gunner's Mate 3rd Class Paul H. Carr (1924–1944), who was awarded a posthumous Silver Star Medal for his heroism on board the destroyer escort USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413) during the Battle off Samar.

The USS Carr was laid down on 26 March 1982 by the Todd Pacific Shipyards Co., Seattle Division, Seattle, Wash.; launched on 26 February 1983; sponsored by Goldie Carr Bensilhe, GM3 Carr's widow; and commissioned on 27 July 1985, Commander Robert J. Horne in command.

Operation Earnest Will
Carr's original homeport was in Charleston, South Carolina. Her first operational deployment was to the Persian Gulf, where Carr was involved in Operation Earnest Will, escorting re-flagged oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. While Commander, Destroyer Squadron 14, was the senior officer present, Commander Wade C. Johnson, the captain of the 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 small boats approached the tankers and were chased off by bullets from Carr's deck-mounted M2 .50-caliber machine guns and the Bushmaster 25mm chain gun 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 USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) and submarine 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 whaleboat and five inflatable life rafts, Carr helped rescue 89 of the Bonefish ' s crew, using the whaleboat, life rafts, its embarked SH-60B Seahawk of Helicopter Squadron (Light) 44, and the SH-3H Sea King helicopters from the 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 where identified. For her professionalism in the rescue, the Carr was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation.

Exercises in the Caribbean
In October 1988, the USS Carr made a port visit to Tampa, Florida, at the request of the local Navy League 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 in Tampa and was there to greet the ship.

In March 1989, the USS Carr was sent to Fleet Training Group, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for Refresher Training (REFTRA). While the ship conducted exercises in all departments, Mikhail Gorbachev was making a visit to Havana, Cuba. News crews from NBC, headed by Henry Champ, and ABC, by Bob Zelnic, each spent a day aboard Carr to observe the training.

In summer 1989, while the USS 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, the Carr's Seahawk helicopter flew into Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, PR, and the Supply Officer purchased a household washing machine from the Navy 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 1989-09-18, Carr sailed from Charleston to be on station off the 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 the following day in preparation for the impending arrival of Hurricane Hugo. On the morning of 19 September, Carr entered Naval Station Mayport and moored, awaiting further instructions. At midnight on the 19th/20th, Carr got underway and headed south to the Strait of Florida to avoid the storm. Once the hurricane was safely past, the captain ordered the ship to sail towards Charleston.

The USS 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 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 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.

The USS 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 the natural disaster, Carr was awarded the Humanitarian Service Medal.

Change of command and return to the Persian Gulf
In early October, 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, the USS Carr sailed from Charleston for her second operation deployment, assigned to the Commander, Middle East Force. En route the Persian Gulf, Carr made port visits to the Azores, Palma Majorca, Spain, then transited the Suez Canal. During this deployment, Carr spend the first half assigned to tanker escort duties in the Strait of Hormuz. The later part of the cruise was spent operating in the Northern Persian Gulf, conducting electronic surveillance and early warning duties for the units operating to the south. Carr left the Persian Gulf the end of March 1990 and returned to Charleston a month later.

As of 2011, the USS Carr was homeported at NAVSTA Norfolk, Virginia, and was part of Destroyer Squadron 22.

On 30 November 2012, the USS Carr delivered 1.5 tons of cocaine and almost two tons of marijuana to Mayport, Florida, before continuing back to Norfolk.

The USS Carr was decommissioned on 13 March 2013. The ROC Navy is expected to purchase the decommissioned ship and incorporate into its country's defense fleet.