USS Wadsworth (FFG-9), third ship of the Oliver Hazard Perry class of guided-missile frigates, was named for Commodore Alexander S. Wadsworth (1790–1851). She was the third US Navy ship named Wadsworth. She was the second "short-hull" (Flight I) OHP frigate 445 ft (136 m) long. Commissioned in 1980, she served in the US Navy until 2002. Upon decommissioning she was immediately turned over to the Polish navy, where she now serves as ORP Generał Tadeusz Kościuszko.
History
Ordered from Todd Pacific Shipyards, Los Angeles Division, San Pedro, California on 27 February 1976 as part of the FY75 program, Wadsworth, originally classified PF-111, was laid down on 13 July 1977, launched on 29 July 1978, and commissioned on 28 February 1980. Wadsworth was sponsored by Mrs. Patricia P. Roberts, the great-great-great-granddaughter of Commodore Alexander S. Wadsworth.[1]
Wadsworth portrayed Reuben James in the 1990 film The Hunt for Red October along with USS Gary (FFG-51).
The ship's motto was "For One's Country" and originates from the words of Captain Isaac Hull, Commanding Officer of USS Constitution before her August 1812 battle with HMS Guerriere. Hull said, "Men, now do your duty. Your officers cannot have entire command over you now. Each man must do all in his power for his country."[2]
Wadsworth and her crew received Battle Effectiveness Awards for operations in 1993, 1998 and 2001.[3]
Decommissioned on 28 June 2002, Wadsworth was handed over to Poland the same day and commissioned as ORP Generał Tadeusz Kościuszko, after Tadeusz Kościuszko an American Revolutionary War hero in the United States and an independence hero in Poland. She was formally stricken from the Navy list on 23 July 2002.
References
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
- This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain. The entry can be found here.
- ^ "Wadsworth III". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
- ^ "Coat of Arms". USSWadsworth.org. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
- ^ "Navy Unit Awards". Navy Unit Awards. Archived from the original on 14 October 2004. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
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