USS Klakring ( FFG - 42 ) USS " Klakring " ( FFG - 42 ) , an " Oliver Hazard Perry " - class frigate , was a ship of the United States Navy named for Rear Admiral Thomas B . Klakring ( 1904 – 1975 ) , who was awarded three Navy Cross es as commander of the submarine USS " Guardfish " ( SS - 217 ) during World War II . Construction and Commissioning . " Klakring " was laid down on 19 February 1982 by the Bath Iron Works Corp . Bath , Maine ; launched on 18 September 1982 ; sponsored by Beverly Bohen , a niece of R . Adm . Klakring ; and commissioned on 20 August 1983 at Bath , Commander Leonard O . Wahlig in command . Service History . 1980s . 1983 . Klakring completed a Light - Off Examination on 8 September 1983 , followed on 15 September by her Initial Crew Certification . The ship reached her initial home port of Charleston , S . C . , on 18 September . Family members and friends on the pier displayed homemade banners while they welcomed the ship as she maneuvered up the Cooper River on 28 September . The ship sailed for her shakedown cruise to Caribbean waters . She visited St . Thomas , Virgin Islands ( 4 – 7 November 1983 ) , and on 13 November put into Guantánamo Bay , Cuba . Klakring sailed on 3 December , carried out a Weapons Systems Accuracy Test at Port Everglades , Fla . , and then test fired torpedoes on the range at Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center ( AUTEC ) , St . Andros Island , on 13 December . She returned to Charleston on 16 December . 1984 . Klakring carried out additional training during the New Year 1984 , including a visit to Nassau , Bahamas ( 27 – 30 January 1984 ) , a brief stop for fuel in Frederiksted , St . Croix , Virgin Islands , and another port visit on 18 February to Naval Station Roosevelt Roads , Puerto Rico . Klakring completed her Post Shakedown Availability at Bath ( 5 April – 23 August ) . The yard work included the installation of fin stabilizers . The ship conducted her sea trials on 29 September , and on loaded weapons from Norfolk , VA , on 7 September . Hurricane Diana swept up the East Coast and delayed the frigate ’ s return to Charleston from her scheduled date of 11 September to 16 September . The ship completed a variety of training during the succeeding weeks , and escorted aircraft carrier USS Nimitz ( CVN - 68 ) during mid November . 1985 . Klakring sailed for nearly five weeks of Refresher Training off Guantánamo Bay on 14 January 1985 . On 21 February , Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron ( Light — HSL ) 42 Detachment 3 , equipped with a single Sikorsky SH - 60B Seahawk Light Airborne Multi - Purpose System ( LAMPS ) Mk III , embarked on board Klakring . The ship began participation in her first major fleet exercise , Composite Unit Training Exercise ( COMTUEX ) 2 - 85 , on April 22 , 1985 . She broke up the training with a three - day visit to Fredericksted , and returned to Charleston on 8 May . Destroyer USS Comte de Grasse ( DD - 974 ) and Klakring sailed as MEF 3 - 85 Transit Group for the Middle East Force on 7 June 1985 . This cruise marked the frigate ’ s first overseas deployment . Comdr . Whalig served as the group ’ s Officer in Tactical Command ( OTC ) . The two ships fueled and provisioned at Ponta Delgada , Azores on 13 June , entered the United States Sixth Fleet , and stopped for additional fuel and supplies at Rota , Spain on 16 June . Klakring visited Palma de Mallorca , Spain ( 18 – 21 June ) . The ship then crossed the Mediterranean by easterly courses . Klakring passed southbound through the Suez Canal on 25 and 26 June 1985 . As the ship crossed the Red Sea , she began to observe the weekends on Thursdays and Fridays to assimilate crewmen to Muslim daily routines . Klakring fueled and provisioned at Djibouti , Horn of Africa , on 30 June . On 1 July , she rendezvoused with guided missile destroyer USS Charles F . Adams ( DDG - 2 ) and exchanged information and equipment . Whalig became Commander Task Unit ( CTU ) 109 . 1 . 2 , and oversaw the scheduling of all multi ship training in the Persian Gulf . Klakring sailed through the Strait of Hormuz , and on 7 July rendezvoused with command ship USS La Salle ( AGF - 3 ) near Abu Dhabi , United Arab Emirates ( UAE ) . The frigate escorted the flagship to Sitrah , Bahrain . During the ship ’ s first two months in the Persian Gulf , visibility averaged barely because of haze , sand , and dust . The daily temperature repeatedly rose to with 90 % humidity . The frigate ’ s Seahawk flew an average of two sorties per day , and the crew reported that the presence of the strong temperature inversion made radar ranges of 160 nautical miles at altitudes below common , which extended the helo ’ s patrol coverage of the region . The ship next visited Al Jubayl , Saudi Arabia ( 14 – 17 July 1985 ) , briefly patrolled the Persian Gulf , and then completed upkeep at Mina Salman , Bahrain ( 22 – 31 July ) . On 6 August , Klakring escorted La Salle , and fueled and provisioned at Sitrah on 20 August . The frigate sailed from the Persian Gulf , and ( 25 – 28 August ) visited Karachi , Pakistan . She passed through the Strait of Hormuz into the Persian Gulf on 31 August , and completed an additional upkeep at Dubai , UAE ( 3 – 10 September ) . The ship anchored at Sitrah for a Combat Systems Groom ( 13 – 15 September ) . On 20 September , she sailed from the Persian Gulf and trained with the Indian Ocean Battle Group , focusing on aircraft carrier operations , anti - air warfare , underway replenishment , and antisubmarine warfare . Klakring returned to the Persian Gulf on 24 September , training along the way with French sloop Quartier - Maître Anquetil ( F . 786 ) . After topping off her fuel and provisions on 26 October 1985 , Klakring made for Ash Shuaibah , Kuwait , as the flagship for Commander Middle East Force . The ship patrolled the Persian Gulf , and completed upkeep at Mina Salman ( 30 October – 4 November ) . Guided missile frigate USS Gallery ( FFG - 26 ) relieved Klakring in the Persian Gulf on 6 and 7 November . On 9 November , Klakring rendezvoused with Comte de Grasse and the two ships formed a transit group back to the United States . Comdr . Wahlig again served as OTC for the group . Klakring fueled and provisioned at Djibouti on 11 November 1985 , and continued northward across the Red Sea , returning to the standard workweek when she reached the southern entrance to the Suez Canal on 15 November . The following day , both ships transited the canal northbound , and visited Malaga , Spain ( 20 – 23 November ) . On 24 November , Klakring fueled and provisioned at Rota on 24 November , and that same afternoon entered the Second Fleet . Klakring celebrated Thanksgiving in Ponta Delgada , and returned to Charleston on 6 December 1985 . On 12 December , Comdr . James M . Coon relieved Comdr . Wahlig as the commanding officer . 1986 . The ship accomplished Combined At Sea Operations ( CASTOPS ) 2 - 86 ( 3 – 15 February 1986 ) , including a visit to Nassau in the Bahamas ( 8 – 11 February ) . Klakring underwent an Operational Propulsion Plant Examination ( OPPE ) from 26 to 28 April , 1 and 2 May , and 29 and 30 May . The ship visited Savannah , Ga . , on 27 and 28 June . Klakring trained with Nimitz from 8 to 17 July 1986 , including a visit to Port Everglades ( 11 – 14 July ) . On 31 July and 1 August , the ship conducted special projects for the Chief of Naval Operations ( CNO ) . Following her CNO project and a visit to Dodge Island Terminal , Miami , Fla . ( 8 – 10 September ) Klakring held a Tiger Cruise for her crew ’ s dependents , on 11 September 1986 . While the ship sailed to the operating area , she received a distress call from King Fisher II , a small fishing boat from Charleston . Klakring proceeded at full speed to King Fisher II , and the ship transferred her emergency party via small boat to render assistance . The frigate returned to port on 12 September . On 29 September she off loaded her weapons at the Naval Weapons Station Charleston , and completed her first Selective Restricted Availability ( SRA - 1 ) from 30 September to 5 December . On 12 December , Klakring on loaded her weapons from the Naval Weapons Station , and carried out her sea trials ( 15 – 18 December ) . 1987 . Klakring completed a number of training exercises during the New Year , including Fleet Exercise ( FLEETEX ) 1 - 87 and a War at Sea scenario ( 10 – 27 February 1987 ) , and Solid Shield 87 , FLEETEX 2 - 87 , and another War at Sea scenario from 30 April to 10 May . Klakring deployed from Charleston for the Middle East on 6 June 1987 . On 8 June she rendezvoused with the other ships of her transit group , and refueled at Rota on 15 June . The frigate visited Taormina , Sicily ( 19 – 21 June ) . She passed through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea on 24 June , and on 29 June refueled at Djibouti . The ship supported Operation Earnest Will . The Iranians and Iraqis escalated their attacks against ships sailing in the Persian Gulf during the Persian Gulf War between those two countries , and the U . S . launched Earnest Will to maintain freedom of navigation in the area . The Americans initially renamed and reflagged eleven Kuwaiti tankers . Klakring patrolled the Persian Gulf between Radar Picket Stations North and South . The ship repeatedly passed outbound through the Strait of Hormuz to refuel from underway replenishment ship s , and then returned to the Persian Gulf . On 10 August , Klakring embarked a detachment of Army helicopters and helped coordinate the efforts of British tugs converted for mine sweeping . Klakring escorted Bridgeton — reflagged tanker Al Rekkah — outbound through the Strait of Hormuz on 30 August . The Iranians mined Bridgeton on 24 July , but the tanker survived . The frigate rendezvoused with cargo ship USNS Courier ( T - AK - 5019 ) and steamship President Pierce and escorted them to Fujairah ( 2 and 3 September 1987 ) . On 3 September , she escorted tanker Sealift Mediterranean ( T - AOT - 173 ) to Bahrain . Klakring escorted tanker Sealift Pacific ( T - AOT - 168 ) through the Strait of Hormuz on 1 October . Klakring passed outbound through the Strait of Hormuz and anchored at Fujairah on 24 October . Guided missile frigate Carr ( FFG - 52 ) relieved Klakring on 26 October . Klakring refueled at Djibouti on 29 October , visited Jeddah , Saudi Arabia ( 1 – 4 November ) , passed northbound through the Suez Canal on 7 November , and ( 12 – 16 November ) visited Saint Raphael , France . The ship put into Palma de Mallorca ( 17 – 21 November ) , on 22 November refueled at Rota , refueled again at Ponta Delgada on 26 November , and returned to Charleston on 4 December . 1988 . Comdr . Dennis J . Van Buskirk relieved Comdr . Coon as the commanding officer on 22 January 1988 . Klakring completed repairs in drydock at Jacksonville Shipyards , Fla . ( 1 – 22 February ) . The ship accomplished Interim Readiness Training with Task Group ( TG ) 43 . 2 at Guantánamo Bay ( 21 March – 13 April ) . A variety of training exercises followed , broken by a visit to Ft . Lauderdale , Fla . ( 8 – 13 May ) . She carried out further training , refueled at Roosevelt Roads on 18 May , visited St . Thomas ( 18 – 21 May ) , and on 27 May returned to Charleston . Klakring loaded a Coast Guard Rigid Inflatable Boat in preparation for her Caribbean Law Enforcement Operations ( CDOPs ) on 13 June 1988 , setting sail the following day . The ship embarked a helicopter detachment at Mayport , Fla . , on 18 June , and the following day the remaining Coast Guardsmen and their equipment boarded at Miami . Klakring participated in CDOPs ( 22 June – 8 July ) , and returned to Charleston on 13 July . The ship took part in Middle East Force Exercise ( MEFEX ) 1 - 89 with destroyer USS O ' Bannon ( DD - 987 ) and guided missile frigates USS De Wert ( FFG - 45 ) and USS Hawes ( FFG - 53 ) in the Caribbean ( 12 – 28 October 1988 ) . On 19 October , Klakring and De Wert anchored off Vieques Island , P . R . , for drills with a Navy Sea , Air , Land ( SEAL ) Team . Klakring also conducted flight operations with Army helicopters on 27 October . 1989 . Klakring began her duties as host ship for West German frigate Rheinland - Pfalz ( F209 ) on 14 March 1989 . Klakring took part in FLEETEX 3 - 89 ( 13 – 28 April ) . Klakring deployed as part of MED 3 - 89 on 31 May 1989 . The group comprised aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea ( CV - 43 ) , guided missile cruiser s USS Mississippi ( CGN - 40 ) , USS San Jacinto ( CG - 56 ) , and USS Thomas S . Gates ( CG - 51 ) , guided missile destroyer USS John King ( DDG - 3 ) , guided missile frigate USS Kauffman ( FFG - 59 ) , frigates USS Ainsworth ( FF - 1090 ) and USS Aylwin ( FF - 1081 ) , amphibious assault ship USS Nassau ( LHA - 4 ) , amphibious transport dock Shreveport ( LPD - 12 ) , tank landing ship Barnstable County ( LST - 1197 ) , oiler Monongahela ( AO - 178 ) , ammunition ship Butte ( AE - 27 ) , and destroyer tender Shenandoah ( AD - 44 ) . While Klakring passed through the Strait of Gibraltar at 0400 on 11 June , she launched her helo in 44 knot winds . The ship relieved USS Charles F . Adams ( DDG - 2 ) on 14 June . In company with San Jacinto she passed northbound through the Dardanelles and Bosporus on 18 June , and visited Constanta , Romania ( 19 – 22 June ) . Comdr . Van Buskirk and Capt . H . Ward Clark , the Commanding Office of San Jacinto , were flown to Bucharest to meet with Romanian defense leaders . Klakring returned through the Bosporus and anchored at Istanbul , Turkey , on 23 June . On 27 June , she sailed southbound through the Dardanelles , and completed an intermediate maintenance availability with Haifa Shipyard , Ltd . , Haifa , Israel , from 30 June to 10 July . Following her maintenance , she took part in Noble Dina 3 , a joint US - Israeli naval exercise ( 10 – 13 July ) . She visited Alexandria , Egypt ( 19 – 24 July ) , and returned to Haifa ( 28 – 31 July ) . Rear Adm . Richard C . Macke , Commander Carrier Group 2 , boarded the ship before her departure . The frigate set a course for Palma , Spain , but on 1 August 1989 , Arab terrorists in Beirut hung Lt . Col . William R . Higgins , USMC , a member of the UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon , and threatened to murder additional hostages they held . Klakring steamed to Alexandria , where Admiral Macke boarded Coral Sea , and the carrier made for the Eastern Mediterranean as a show of force . Klakring spent August off the Lebanese coast on contingency operations . Mississippi , Kauffman , and Klakring visited Marseille , France ( 4 – 13 September 1989 ) . Klakring participated in Display Determination , a multi - national exercise involving U . S . , Italian , Spanish , and Turkish forces , across the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas ( 13 September – 2 October ) . During the exercise , Klakring received word that Hurricane Hugo devastated Charleston . The Wives Support Group and the ship ’ s Ombudsman , Janice Moore , confirmed that none of the crewmen ’ s dependents sustained serious injuries . The ship took part in the 39th activation of Naval On Call Forces , Mediterranean , at Ancona , Italy ( 9 – 14 October 1989 ) , and in the seaward exercise of the commemoration , Deterrent Force 2 - 89 ( 14 – 19 October ) . Klakring operated with British destroyer Coventry ( D . 118 ) and fast fleet tanker Olmeda ( A . 124 ) , Spanish corvette Descubierta ( F . 31 ) , Greek frigate Elli ( F . 450 ) , Italian frigate Euro ( F . 575 ) , Turkish destroyer Kılıç Ali Paşa ( D . 349 ) , and West German destroyer Schleswig - Holstein ( D . 182 ) . The exercise concluded with a briefing in Augusta Bay , Sicily . Frigate Bowen ( FF - 1079 ) relieved Klakring at Alicante , Spain , on 27 October . Three days later , Klakring put to sea and on 10 November she returned to Charleston . 1990s . 1990 . USS Klakring began 1990 inport Charleston , SC after returning from a Mediterranean cruise in November . In January , the Klakring spent most of its time in the Charleston and Jacksonville OPAREA ' s conducting exercises . After completing an combat Systems Assessment on January l0 , the ship arrived in Port Everglades , Florida on January 13 for an five day port visit . While transiting back to Charleston , the ship encountered extremely rough weather with high winds and heavy seas . The Commanding Officer made the decision to enter port at night due to heavy weather , and the crew successfully conducted a difficult navigation detail in the Cooper River and returned Klakring to homeport during the stormy night . The last two weeks of February were spent preparing for Type Commander ' s Core Training ( TCCT ) 2 - 90 and conducting deck landing qualifications with Helicopter Anti - Submarine Light FORTY SIX in the Jacksonville OPAREA . On 22 February , the ship rendezvoused with USS TRUETT and USS SAN JUAN just east of the Bahamas . Klakring arrived in Roosevelt Roads , Puerto Rico on the 26th , onloaded exercise torpedoes , and was underway to the Puerto Rico OPAREA to begin TCCT 2 - 90 . During TCCT 2 - 90 , the ship partidipated in numerous tracking and gunnery exercises , underway refuelings , highline transfers , and anti - submarine warfare evolutions . In addition , KLAKRING was selected to conduct two live missile firings along with USS MISSISSIPPI ( CGN - 39 ) . Only one of the two missiles engaged the target due to a Missile failure on the first missile fired . The event was significant in providing critical data needed in the performance evaluation of one of the Navy ' s primary weapons . The month of March consisted of an Operational Propulsion Plant Examination ( OPPE ) and a Change of Command Ceremony . The two day engineering inspection was completed on March 23 . On the 30th of March , CDR Larry J . Carter relieved CDR Dennis J . Van Buskirk as the fourth Commanding Officer of USS KLAKRING . On April 5 , the ship began its preliminary preparations for its scheduled Dry - Docking Selective Restricted Availability ( DSRA ) with an offload of ammunition and weapons at the Charleston Naval Weapons Station . KLAKRING ' s non - essential ammunition being transferred to the USS FAHRION ( FFG - 22 ) . On the 14th of May , the ship was underway enroute to Mayport Naval Station , Florida to make final preparations to enter the shipyard . All hands participated in an Integrated Logistics Overhaul offload of all shipboard parts and supplies completed on May 16 , and on the 23rd of May , KLAKRING was dry - docked at Atlantic Dry Dock facility to begin the DSRA . The entire crew was moved into the Jacksonville Airport Days Inn Motel and would reside there for a period of 74 days . In early August , the crew moved out of the Days Inn Motel and returned to shipboard living . On August 27 , installation of the SQR - 19 Tactical Towed Array Sonar System began . KLAKRING started the month of September preparing for the most important of a continued series of inspections : the Propulsion Examination Board Light - Off Examination ( LOE ) . LOE commenced on September 10 and on September 12 she was " certified to steam . " The end of the overhaul period was drawing near , and on the 14th of September the ship was underway for the final phase : the post - DSRA sea trials . All systems proved reliable and KLAKRING was delivered on September 17 , thirty - one days ahead of schedule and under budget . The ship would remain at the Mayport Naval Station for another month . On October 25 , the ship got underway from Mayport and arrived at homeport Charleston one day later . Upon arrival , there was a Welcome Home Party held onboard for all the families and friends of the crew . KLAKRING was scheduled to participate in Caribbean Law Enforcement Operations in November , but a post overhaul hull inspection brought about a change in plans . After careful examination of videos of an underwater hull inspect : ion , it was determined that the ship ' s hull would have to be repainted . KLAKRING was dry - docked from the 7th to the 21st of November at the Charleston Naval Shipyard to undergo the necessary repairs . The ship successfully received full aviation certification on November27th , and began final preparations for a Harpoon Missile Tactical Qualification . On December 5 , the ship was underway to embark HSL - 48 ' s Lamps MK III crew to participate in Destroyer Squadron Six " Operation Greyhound " for two days , fine tuning the skills of ship maneuvering and communications . In addition , KLAKRING turned north on December 7 enroute to the Boston OPAREA to conduct at sea evaluations of the Navy ' s new MK 50 Torpedo . Assisting aircraft were able to fire weapons , but continuously adverse weather conditions prevented KLAKRING and HSL - 48 from doing so . The ship returned to Charleston on December 19 and began another extensive inspection the following day . The ship ' s Training Readiness Evaluation was completed on the 21st of December and the holiday stand down period began with a children ' s Christmas party held on board . USS KLAKRING ended 1990 in port Charleston bringing in the new year with their loved ones . 2010s . , " Klakring " was homeported at NAVSTA Mayport , Florida , and was part of Destroyer Squadron 14 . In March 2008 and 2009 , the ship was the subject of protests in Sevastapol , Ukraine when it visited the port for five - day " friendly " visits . " Klakring " participated in Operation Earnest Will in the Persian Gulf in 1987 as the first air - capable , air - embarked ship . " Klakring " participated in Operation Prime Chance in the Persian Gulf during the " Tanker War " . " Klakring " is one of the surface combatants in Larry Bond ' s 1993 technothriller " Cauldron . " Klakring " was decommissioned on 22 March 2013 .