USS Roark (FF-1053)
USS Roark (FF-1053) off Hawaii in 1981
History
United States
NameUSS Roark
NamesakeWilliam Marshall Roark
Ordered22 July 1964
BuilderTodd Pacific Shipyards, Seattle, Washington
Laid down2 February 1966
Launched27 April 1967
Sponsored by
  • Mrs. William M. Roark
  • Mrs. Frank F. Roark
Acquired14 November 1969
Commissioned22 November 1969
Decommissioned14 December 1991
ReclassifiedAs FF, 30 June 1975
Stricken11 January 1995
HomeportSan Diego, California
MottoVictory thru Service
FateScrapped, 2004
General characteristics
Class and typeKnox-class frigate
Displacement3,011 tons (4,100 full load)
Length
  • 415 ft (126 m) waterline
  • 438 ft (134 m) overall
Beam47 ft (14 m)
Draft24.75 ft (7.54 m)
Propulsion
  • 2 × CE 1200psi boilers
  • 1 Westinghouse geared turbine
  • 1 shaft, 35,000 shp (26,000 kW)
Speed27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph)
Range4,500 nmi (8,300 km; 5,200 mi)
Complement15 officers, 230 men
Sensors and
processing systems
  • AN/SPS-10 surface search
  • AN/SPS-40 air search
  • AN/SQS-26CX sonar
Electronic warfare
& decoys		AN/SLQ-32 Electronics Warfare System
Armament
Aircraft carried1 SH-2 Seasprite (LAMPS I) helicopter

USS Roark (FF-1053), originally designated DE-1053, was a Knox-class frigate named for William Marshall Roark, Distinguished Flying Cross recipient and first American killed in the Vietnam War to have a ship named for them.[1] Roark was laid down on 2 February 1966 by the Todd Shipyards Corporation in Seattle, Washington; launched on 24 April 1967, sponsored by Mrs. William M. Roark, widow and Mrs. Frank F. Roark, mother of namesake; and commissioned on 22 November 1969.

Namesake

William Marshall Roark was born 23 October 1938 in Sioux City, Iowa to Frank F. Roark (1906 – 1994) and Madge E. Roark (1909 – 1997). He grew up in Omaha, Nebraska and attended Omaha Central High School. He was appointed to the United States Naval Academy in 1956, he graduated and was commissioned ensign on 8 June 1960 and advanced to the rank of lieutenant, 1 June 1964.

He attended the naval flight school at Pensacola, Florida, and Corpus Christi, Texas, and subsequently reported for duty with Attack Squadron 153 on board USS Coral Sea. He was killed in action 7 April 1965 while flying an A-4 Skyhawk on a bombing mission over North Vietnam. He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

He was survived by his parents, his wife Karen and three children, Lisa, John and William.[2] His remains were recovered in March 1977.[3][4]

History

Roark in the South Pacific during "SouthPac 79", February 1979.

Since completing shakedown in the spring of 1970, Roark a unit of DesRon 21, conducted training operations out of her homeport of San Diego, California, until the end of the year. With 1971 she began preparations for her first deployment with the 7th Fleet in the Western Pacific and departed from San Diego 7 January. After stopping at Pearl Harbor and refueling at Midway Island, Roark suffered a fire in her engine room. The damage was sufficient to require her return to Pearl Harbor for repairs. Almost two months later, in March, she was underway again for WestPac. She remained in the western Pacific until July, when she started for home, arriving in San Diego, California, on 10 August. For the remainder of 1971, Roark operated out of San Diego.

The new year, 1972, brought with it another deployment to the Far East. She departed San Diego on 8 February and arrived in Subic Bay, Philippines, on 29 February. She operated in the Western Pacific, primarily in the Vietnam area until 15 August, when she pointed her bow homeward. Roark entered San Diego 30 August and remained in the vicinity for the duration of 1972 and the first eight months of 1973. She departed San Diego in August and arrived in Subic Bay on 31 August. After almost four months of deployment with the 7th Fleet, Roark sailed into San Diego on 21 December 1973.

As of summer 1984 USS Roark was homeported in San Diego but was assigned to Destroyer Squadron Nine out of Naval Station Long Beach. Roark deployed with them in August 84 for Westpac.

Roark transferred to the Naval Reserve in 1987 and was decommissioned 14 December 1991. She was disposed of by scrapping, dismantling beginning on 13 October 2004.

Honors and awards

Roark received three campaign stars for Vietnam War service.

Awards, citations and campaign ribbons

According to Navsource.org:

References

  1. ↑ "William Marshall Roark". MilitaryTimes.com. Archived from the original on 13 December 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  2. ↑ "William Marshall Roark Obituary" (PDF). USNA class of 1960. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 May 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  3. ↑ "William M. Roark". Defense POW / Missing Personnel Office. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  4. ↑ "VM: "Identification in Error on Body Returned by Hanoi" (From The New York Times, Mar. 23, 1977)" (PDF). Library of Congress. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
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