The U.S.S. Davidson DE -1045 was commissioned December 7th, 1965 as a destroyer escort of the Garcia Class ocean escorts. She was actually larger than her WWII counterparts. She was designed specifically as an anti-submarine warfare ship having the latest sonar capability as well as being armed with an ASROC launcher, torpedo launchers and two 5" 38 caliber guns. The Davidson was reclassified as a frigate FF-1045 in the mid 70's. She was home ported at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii throughout her years in commission in the U.S. Navy. She was decommissioned in 1988 and then she was put into naval service as the PARAIBA D-28, a PARA class destroyer, in the Marinha do Brasil which is the Navy of Brazil. She continued her naval service for almost another 14 years until July, 2002 at which time she (he in the Marinha do Brasil) was retired and put into retirement in a reserve status.
During her United States Navy service, she made numerous WestPac cruises during the Vietnam war and was one of the many ships to be a part of the Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club. She also saw service in the Mid Eastern conflicts occurring in the Arabian Gulf in the 80's. She exemplifies service in the Destroyer Navy and the experiences young men had going to sea aboard a "Greyhound of the Sea" during the Vietnam Years. |
