Operation Frequent Wind – Update
All hands,
I just received these notes regarding USS Quapaw’s involvement in Operation Frequent Wind:
Hi: Thanks for your email. I have forwarded this email on to Hugh Doyle.
Yes, I can confirm that your ship was in Operation Frequent Wind 29 & 30 April 1975 but was involved with the rescue of the Vietnam Navy and about 30,000 refugees 1-7 May 1975Paul H. Jacobs
Captain USN Retired
CO USS KIRK1087 {74-76}
I read the Captain’s note to you (above) and I think he omitted one word. USS QUAPAW was most certainly a part of the 50+ fleet of ships gathered for Operation Frequent Wind, but your good ship QUAPAW was not one of the ships that escorted the remnants of the Vietnamese Navy from Con Son Island to Subic Bay. The ships were KIRK (with CDS-23 embarked), COOK, TUSCALOOSA, ABNAKI, DELIVER, and LIPAN. In addition, we received logistic support from time to time during the transit from a number of ships, such as MOBILE, FLINT, and a couple others.
A few years back, we had to pester the Navy to review their own records (and correct them) so that KIRK would be recognized as one of the Frequent Wind units. It took them a while, but we were finally successful (Captain Jacobs was the key “mover and shaker” in untangling that administrative and bureaucratic mess.) As a result of that effort, our KIRK Frequent Wind shipmates were finally recognized and authorized the award of the “Vietnam Service Medal.” You might want to have someone in your USS QUAPAW Association double check with the Navy’s “Awards Manual” (it’s online) and confirm that your good ship is on the list as a part of that large force back in 1975. And if you need some help rattling the Navy’s cage, please let us know and we’ll give you our “lessons learned” when we had to do it.
Hugh Doyle
Vice President, Secretary, Historian (and Jack of the Dust!)
USS KIRK (DE/FF-1087) Association
What I find interesting is the strong rescue/salvage support in the immediate group mentioned above:
USS Lipan ATF-85
USS Abnaki ATF-96
USS Deliver ARS-23
Bravo Zulu to all involved in Operation Frequent Wind.
And many thanks to Paul Jacobs and Hugh Doyle for the information!
~Boats
________________________
Thor Hansen BM 2/c
Webmaster
http://www.ussquapaw.com