USS Fresno (LST-1182)
“A good Navy is not a provocation to war. It is the surest guaranty of peace.’” – President Theodore Roosevelt (02DEC02)
USS Fresno (LST-1182) History:
‘*Courtesy of USS Fresno (LST 1182) (navysite.de) and Tank Landing Ship LST-1182 Fresno (navsource.org)
USS FRESNO was the 4th ship in the NEWPORT – class of Tank Landing Ships and the third ship in the Navy to bear the name. Launched in 1968, FRESNO was originally homeported in San Diego, CA before being reassigned to the Long Beach Naval Station in Long Beach, CA in 1986. FRESNO transferred to the Naval Reserve Force in October 1990. The FRESNO was decommissioned on April 8, 1993. The ship spent the following years laid-up at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF), Pearl Harbor, HI. On September 19, 2014, the FRESNO was sunk as a target during Exercise Valiant Shield approx. 215 nautical miles northeast of Guam. Fleet Ready: 22NOV69 – 08APR93. Extant: 16DEC67 – 19SEP14
USS Fresno (LST-1182) “The Flexible Frez”
| General Characteristics: |
| Awarded: July 15, 1966 |
| Keel laid: December 16, 1967 |
| Launched: September 28, 1968 |
| Commissioned: November 22, 1969 |
| Builder: National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, San Diego, Calif. |
| Propulsion system: 6 diesels; 16,000 horsepower; bow thruster |
| Propellers: two and one bow thruster screw |
| Length: 522 feet (159 meters) |
| Length over derrick arms: 561 feet (171 meters) |
| Beam: 70 feet (21.2 meters) |
| Draft: 17.4 feet (5.3 meters) fully loaded |
| Displacement: approx. 8500 tons |
| Speed: 20 knots |
| Aircraft: helicopter platform only |
| Armament: (4) 3-inch/.50-caliber guns |
| Crew: 14 officers, 210 enlisted and approx. 350 embarked troops |
| Decommissioned: April 8, 1993 |
| Fate: Sunk as training target on April 15, 2014 as part of “Exercise Valiant Shield” |
| Final Resting Place: 215 nautical miles Northeast of Guam, approximately 18,000 ft. down |
| Commanding Officer | Time Aboard |
| CDR. Stanislaus Joseph Sowinski | 22 November 1969 – 3 April 1970 (Commissioning) |
| LCDR. James W. Hahn | 3 April 1970 – 17 April 1970 |
| CDR. Alfred John Dillon | 17 April 1970 – 18 September 1971 |
| CDR. Paul Calvin Matthews, Jr. | 18 September 1971 – 27 August 1973 |
| CDR. Robert Evans Mumford, Jr. | 27 August 1973 – 14 July 1975 |
| CDR. Roland Brandquist | 14 July 1975 – 29 June 1977 |
| CDR. Anthony William DePaul, Jr. | 29 June 1977 – 2 September 1978 |
| CDR. Robert Peter Lucas | 2 September 1978 – 8 October 1978 |
| CDR. Richard Frank Schuerger | 8 October 1978 – 25 July 1980 |
| CDR. Donald Frank Santamaria | 25 July 1980 – 18 June 1982 |
| CDR. Michael Don Barker | 18 June 1982 – 29 September 1984 |
| CAPT. John Charles McKinley | 29 September 1984 – 11 December3 1986 |
| CDR. Wilbur French Shepherd | 11 December 1986 – 21 September 1989 |
| CDR. James Micheal Morrell | 21 September 1989 – 14 September 1991 (Transferred to Reserve Fleet) |
| CDR. Kendall James King | 14 September 1991 – 19 February 1993 |
| LCDR. Adolf Arturo Ramirez | 19 February 1993 – 8 April 1993 (Decommissioning) |
The seal of USS FRESNO represents a number of themes pertinent to the ship. The central figure is a branch of the ash tree, which is native to the San Joaquin Valley in which the City and County of Fresno are located. The ash, the official symbol of Fresno County, is flanked on both sides by a cluster of grapes, the insignia of the City of Fresno, where a major industry surrounds the growing and processing of the grape.
The motto “Paratus” displayed on the seal is Latin for “read”; the condition which the USS FRESNO strives to maintain at all times. Appearing slightly above this motto is the Danforth anchor, which symbolizes the stern anchor, a key item used during beaching operations of the LST.
Prominently displayed above and at the side of the seal is the decorative border of antique gold in the Spanish heritage, both of the City and County of San Diego where the ship was built.
