Over 3,064,780 active members

Opening unit directory

Building the branch units surface

Loading unit filters, rankings, and the branch unit grid.

Overview

Members

Units

Opening branch overview

Building the branch home surface

Loading branch highlights, featured unit context, and gallery moments.

Overview

Members

Units

USS Rathburne (FF-1057)

U.S. Navy•17 members

USS Rathburne (FF-1057) Homepage Photos Posts Members

Did you serve with the USS Rathburne (FF-1057)?

Find familiar faces
Explore unit photos
Share your photos

New to VetFriends?

Create a free account to explore unit members and photos, and reconnect with people you served with.

Create a free account

Already a member? Log in

About this Unit

USS Rathburne (FF-1057)

U.S. Navy

USS Rathburne (FF-1057) was a Knox-class frigate commissioned into the United States Navy on 16 May 1970. Named in honor of John Rathbun, a Continental Navy officer, the ship served primarily in the Pacific Fleet, undertaking anti-submarine warfare, convoy escort, and training missions during the Cold War. Rathburne participated in multiple deployments to the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean, supporting U.S. interests and allied operations. The frigate was decommissioned on 14 February 1992 and later sunk as a target during a training exercise in 2002.

About USS Rathburne (FF-1057)

About this Unit

Historical Facts

Namesake: USS Rathburne (FF-1057) was named after John Rathbun, an early naval officer in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. The spelling "Rathburne" was a variant used by the Navy for the ship.
Class and Type: Rathburne was a Knox-class frigate, originally classified as a destroyer escort (DE-1057) before being reclassified as a frigate (FF-1057) in 1975.
Commissioning: USS Rathburne was commissioned on 16 May 1970 at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington.
Vietnam War Service: Shortly after commissioning, Rathburne deployed to the Western Pacific and provided naval gunfire support off the coast of Vietnam.
Homeport: The ship was homeported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, for most of its service life, serving as part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
ASW Capabilities: As a Knox-class ship, Rathburne specialized in anti-submarine warfare (ASW), equipped with SQS-26 sonar, ASROC, and torpedo tubes.
LAMPS I Helicopter: Rathburne was modified to operate the Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System (LAMPS) I helicopter, enhancing its ASW capabilities.
Humanitarian Missions: The ship participated in rescue missions and provided assistance to Vietnamese refugees ("boat people") in the South China Sea during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Decommissioning: Rathburne was decommissioned on 14 February 1992 after more than 20 years of service and was struck from the Naval Vessel Register the same day.
SINKEX Target: In 2002, the ex-Rathburne was sunk as a target during a RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific Exercise) live-fire exercise off the coast of Hawaii, providing valuable training for U.S. and allied forces.

Opening unit directory

Building the branch units surface

Loading unit filters, rankings, and the branch unit grid.

Overview

Members

Units

USS Rathburne (FF-1057)

U.S. Navy•17 members

USS Rathburne (FF-1057) Homepage Photos Posts Members

Did you serve with the USS Rathburne (FF-1057)?

Find familiar faces
Explore unit photos
Share your photos

New to VetFriends?

Create a free account to explore unit members and photos, and reconnect with people you served with.

Create a free account

Already a member? Log in

About this Unit

USS Rathburne (FF-1057)

U.S. Navy

Unit members

Bill Morgan

U.S. Navy · 1978 - 1981

Message View Profile

Joseph Scheuring

U.S. Navy Military Retiree · 1979 - 1980

Message View Profile

Gordon Barry

U.S. Navy · 1984 - 1987

Message View Profile

STANLEY MITCHELL

U.S. Navy · 1969 - 1973

Message View Profile

View all members

Navy photos

Somewhere in Kuwait near the Iraqi border

Siezed Soviet/Iraqi Tank that was abandoned

View all photos

About USS Rathburne (FF-1057)

About this Unit

Historical Facts

Namesake: USS Rathburne (FF-1057) was named after John Rathbun, an early naval officer in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. The spelling "Rathburne" was a variant used by the Navy for the ship.
Class and Type: Rathburne was a Knox-class frigate, originally classified as a destroyer escort (DE-1057) before being reclassified as a frigate (FF-1057) in 1975.
Commissioning: USS Rathburne was commissioned on 16 May 1970 at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington.
Vietnam War Service: Shortly after commissioning, Rathburne deployed to the Western Pacific and provided naval gunfire support off the coast of Vietnam.
Homeport: The ship was homeported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, for most of its service life, serving as part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
ASW Capabilities: As a Knox-class ship, Rathburne specialized in anti-submarine warfare (ASW), equipped with SQS-26 sonar, ASROC, and torpedo tubes.
LAMPS I Helicopter: Rathburne was modified to operate the Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System (LAMPS) I helicopter, enhancing its ASW capabilities.
Humanitarian Missions: The ship participated in rescue missions and provided assistance to Vietnamese refugees ("boat people") in the South China Sea during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Decommissioning: Rathburne was decommissioned on 14 February 1992 after more than 20 years of service and was struck from the Naval Vessel Register the same day.
SINKEX Target: In 2002, the ex-Rathburne was sunk as a target during a RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific Exercise) live-fire exercise off the coast of Hawaii, providing valuable training for U.S. and allied forces.