For many decades, the Port of Oswego hosted visits from a variety of vessels in the U.S. Navy. “It sparks a sense of pride among so many in Oswego County when they remember seeing and visiting a fast frigate or destroyer docked here,” said Francis Enwright, chairperson, Port of Oswego Board of Directors.
“Naval warships are being built on the Great Lakes in places like the Marinette Marine shipyard near Green Bay, WI, “Enwright said. “One of the newest Freedom class ships, the highly maneuverable littoral combat ship (LCS), may visit Oswego within the next two years. This vessel combines the functions of a frigate, mine-hunter, and an anti-submarine platform.
“An LCS like the USS Detroit, (LCS-7), commissioned in 2016, has a draft of just 13.5 feet, a 3,400-ton displacement, and is 389 feet long. Yet, its Rolls-Royce engines power it forward at 45 knots like a jet-ski. It’s exciting to think that vessels like the USS Detroit may again be visiting us. Folks in and around Oswego will want to visit the Port and see for themselves.”
For a video and virtual tour of the USS Detroit, see this story from the Detroit News: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2016/10/13/uss-detroit-us-navy/91967518/
During the 1970s and 1980s, naval vessels visited Oswego as part of a Great Lakes promotional cruise to encourage the recruitment of future sailors, as well as the chance to give local residents an opportunity to see and tour an active ship.
Among these naval visitors were the U.S.S. William C. Lawe (DD-763), in 1978, and the U.S.S. Stark (FFG-31), who visited Oswego in 1985.
According to Naval History and Heritage Command, (www.history.navy.mil) the Stark, a Perry Class fast frigate, had a displacement of 3,897 tons, was 445 feet long, a beam of 47 feet and a draft of 25 feet. Top speed was 30 knots, and it carried a crew of 215. Armament included a variety of surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missiles, a 76-millimeter rapid fire gun, six torpedo tubes, a close-in weapon system and 2 Kaman SH-2 “Seasprite” helicopters. The Stark made quite an impression on visitors and was very popular during its 4-day visit in 1985. The vessel would go on to valiant service in the middle east.
In 1987, during deployment in the Arabian Sea, the Stark was targeted by an Iraqi fighter jet and mistaken for an oil tanker when it was hit with two air-to-ground missiles. The first missile slammed into the port side nearly 13 feet above the waterline, did not detonate, but caused extensive damage. The second hit in nearly the same location and exploded in a crew compartment. Heroic action by the crew saved the ship, but 36 sailors were killed in the attack, and 21 were wounded. The ship, after repairs in Bahrain, returned home for extensive repairs and returned to serve until 1999.
Also, according to Naval History and Heritage Command (www.history.navy.mil), The Lawe, with USS Davis (DD-937) and USS Robert A. Owens, (DD/DDK/DDE-827), toured the Great Lakes in June, 1978. During this cruise, over 190,000 visitors toured the three destroyers in both United States and Canadian cities. Port visits included Ogdensburg, Oswego, and Buffalo, New York; Erie, Pennsylvania; Toledo and Ashtabula, Ohio; Detroit, Michigan; Duluth, Minnesota; Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, and Halifax, Canada. The Lawe returned to New Orleans on 27 September.
The Lawe was commissioned in December 1946 and had a displacement of 2,425 tons, was 390 feet long, a beam of 40 feet and a draft of 14 feet. Top speed was 35 knots. Her armament included six 5”/38 caliber guns, 16 40-milimeter anti-aircraft guns, 11 20-millimeter anti-aircraft guns, ten 21-inch guns, and six torpedo tubes. Among the Lawe’s deployments were the middle east, the Caribbean, and Vietnam, where the ship received two battle stars for her service.
The historical port is also home to the H. Lee White Marine Museum, historic maritime district, and fourteen companies that call it home for its domestic and international operations. The Port of Oswego’s strategic location at the crossroads of the Northeastern North American shipping market, puts them less than 350 miles from 60 million people. As one of the most productive ports in North America with nearly 120 vessels and more than one million tons of cargo moving through the port on an annual basis, the Port is a leader not only in domestic shipping, but also international shipping.
For more information, visit www.portoswego.com
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