USS REASONER (DE:FF-1063)

• Namesake Hero: USS Reasoner (DE/FF-1063) was named in honor of First Lieutenant Frank S. Reasoner, USMC, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism in Vietnam in 1965. • Class and Type: The ship was a Knox-class frigate, originally classified as a destroyer escort (DE), later re-designated as a frigate (FF) in 1975. • Launch Date: USS Reasoner was launched on August 1, 1970, at Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company in Seattle, Washington. • Commissioning: The ship was commissioned into service on July 31, 1971, and served for over two decades. • Vietnam War Service: Reasoner participated in Vietnam War operations, providing naval gunfire support and patrolling for enemy submarines and surface craft. • Unique Helicopter Operations: As a Knox-class frigate, Reasoner was equipped with a hangar and flight deck for operating the Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System (LAMPS) helicopters, enhancing her anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities. • Rescue Operations: In 1975, while deployed to the Western Pacific, Reasoner participated in the evacuation of Vietnamese refugees during Operation Frequent Wind, the final phase of the evacuation of Saigon. • Home Port: Her home port was Long Beach, California, one of the key U.S. Navy bases on the West Coast during the Cold War. • Decommissioning and Transfer: USS Reasoner was decommissioned on August 28, 1993, and struck from the Naval Vessel Register. She was transferred to Turkey in 1994, where she served as TCG Kocatepe (F-252). • Legacy: During her service, Reasoner received several awards, including the Navy “E” Ribbon and the Humanitarian Service Medal, and is remembered for her contributions both in combat and peacetime operations.