USS Ingraham (FFG-61)
USS Ingraham , the last American guided missile frigate to be built, was the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for Captain Duncan Ingraham.
Built in Los Angeles, California
Ingraham was laid down on 30 March 1987 at the Todd Pacific Shipyards, Los Angeles Division, San Pedro, California. She was launched on 25 June 1988; sponsored by Mrs. Linda E. Carlson, wife of Vice Admiral Dudley L. Carlson, Chief of Naval Personnel; and commissioned on 5 August 1989. Ingraham was decommissioned on 30 January 2015.Prior to decommissioning, Ingraham was commanded by Commander Dan Straub. Ingrahams former homeport is at NS Everett, Washington, and was assigned to Destroyer Squadron 9.
Service history
Operation Fiery Vigil
Mount Pinatubo, a volcano located on Luzon in the Philippines, erupted on 12 June 1991. The mountain's fury blackened the skies across Angeles City and much of Luzon for nearly 36 hours. Typhoon Yunya added to the devastation when it slammed inland with fierce winds and rain. The rain eventually cleared the atmosphere of most of the choking and blinding ash, but the disaster deposited a heavy eight-inch coating of grey ash over much of the area around Naval Station (NS) Subic Bay and Naval Air Station (NAS) Cubi Point. Sailors observed that the residue gave the landscape the appearance of dry cement. The ash crushed many lightweight structures, and a chalky film covered the bay, which presented the appearance of a translucent shade of green. The disaster cut electricity and water to the base for two days, and only heavy trucks could grind their way through the morass to reach victims. Rescue workers also contended with aftershocks. The volcanic eruption and the typhoon killed more than 300 people and displaced more than 300,000 victims.Aircraft carriers and, together with Ingraham and ships from Amphibious Readiness Group Alpha, led by amphibious assault ship, participated in Operation Fiery Vigil, the evacuation of those displaced by the disaster. Abraham Lincoln transported 4,323 people, primarily USN and USAF dependents, from Subic Bay, Cubi Point, and Clark Air Base to Cebu City, Cebu, for further evacuation to Guam and the continental U.S.
Abraham Lincoln sailed more than through inshore waters during Fiery Vigil. This voyage required careful attention to detail from her Navigation Department because of the myriad of other vessels, treacherous shoals, and currents. The carrier also supported while the guided missile cruiser evacuated a further 844 people and their pets during three trips in and out of the disaster area. Lake Champlains historian noted that the devastation and the suffering of the victims "overwhelmed" her crewmen. Additional squadrons that assisted humanitarian efforts included Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 94, Composite Squadron (VC) 5, and Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 47.
January 2008 Iranian incident
Sailors on board guided missile destroyer reported seeing IT2 Menelek Brown of the ships company at 0430 on 3 January 2008, but Menelek failed to muster at 0730 that morning, while the ship was carrying out maritime security operations in the Arabian Sea. Crewmembers unsuccessfully searched the destroyer for their shipmate, and Hopper sounded "man overboard." At 1505 the ship commenced a coordinated search of the surrounding area with guided missile cruiser as well as the frigate Ingraham. A Lockheed P-3C Orion assisted the ships as they conducted an "expanding square" search from the position, but they ended their search the following day without finding Brown.On 6 January 2008, Hopper, Port Royal, and Ingraham were entering the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz when five Iranian motor boats approached them at high speed and in a reportedly threatening manner. The American ships had been in the Arabian Sea searching for a sailor who had been missing for one day. The U.S. Navy reported that the Iranian boats made "threatening" moves toward the U.S. vessels, coming as close as. The U.S. Navy ships received a radio transmission saying, "I am coming to you. You will explode after few minutes." While the American ships prepared to open fire, the Iranians abruptly turned away, the U.S. Navy officials said. Before leaving, the Iranians dropped white boxes into the water in front of the American ships. The American ships did not investigate the boxes. Officials from the two countries differed on their assessments of the severity of the incident. The Iranians claimed that they were conducting normal maneuvers, whereas American officials claimed that an imminent danger to American naval vessels existed.