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Ship's patches courtesy of Mike Smolinski

USS Moinester (DE-1097)


Flag Hoist / Radio Call Sign:
N - K - I - A
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row: Joint Meritorious Unit Award - Navy Unit Commendation
Second Row: Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (4) - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Third Row: Humanitarian Service Ribbon - Sea Service Deployment Ribbon - CG Special Operations Service Ribbon


Class: Knox (As Built)      FY / SCB No.: 64/199C
Displacement: 3020 tons (std), 4065 tons (full)    Dimensions: 438'(oa), 415" (wl) x 46' 9" x 24' 9"
Armament: 1 x 5"/54 Mk 42, 1 ASROC Mk16 (16 missiles), 4-324mm Mk 32 (4x1 fixed) tubes / Mk 46 torpedos
Machinery: 2 CE 1200psi boilers; 1 Westinghouse geared turbine; 35,000 shp; 1 shaft
Speed: 27 knots    Range: 4,500 nm @ 20 knots    Crew: 13 / 211
Radars: AN/SPS-10 (surface), AN/SPS-40 (air), AN/SPS-58 threat warning in some ships
Sonars: AN/SQS-26CX, AN/SQS-35 IVDS in FF-1052, 1056, 1063-1071, 1073-1076, 1078-1097

Operational and Building Data
Laid down by Avondale Marine, Avondale LA on 25 August 1972
Launched 12 May 1973, Commissioned 2 November 1974
Reclassified Frigate (FF-1097) on 30 June 1975
Reclassified Training Frigate (FFT-1097) on 31 December 1991
Assigned to Naval Reserve Force, Atlantic, at Norfolk VA 31 December 1991
Decommissioned at Mobile AL 28 July 1994, Stricken 1 November 1995

Fate: To Egypt (leased) 28 July 1994, renamed Rashid (F962),
sold to Egypt 25 March 1998, still in service

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Size Image Description Contributed
By And/Or Copyright
Moinester 96k Robert William Moinester (15 July 1943 - 31 January 1968) was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Robert and Gertrude Moinester. He entered the United States Naval Reserve on 21 July 1965 following graduation from St. John's University. After completion of training at the Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, California, LTjg Moinester was assigned to the United States Naval Support Activity, Danang, in the Republic of Vietnam.

On the morning of 31 January 1968, LTjg Moinester was serving as Officer in Charge of the Hue Ramp Detachment. Unaware that the city had been infiltrated by a large number of North Vietnamese Army units during the night, LTJG Moinester and his ramp personnel were enroute to their assigned work areas in Hue when they came under hostile mortar fire. LTjg Moinester organized his men into an infantry platoon and led them in house-to-house clearing operations under intense hostile fire. Observing enemy soldiers in a building to his front, he organized a frontal attack. Although LTjg Moinester was killed during the attack, the enemy were driven from their positions, sustaining heavy casualties. In addition to the Silver Star, LTjg Moinester was posthumously awarded the National Order of Vietnam and Gallantry Cross with Palm from the Republic of Vietnam.

USS Moinester, DE-1097, was the first ship named in his honor.
Bill Gonyo
Moinester 109k date / location unknown -
Moinester 66k 1977: location unknown © Walter Bengtson
Moinester 73k date / location unknown © Ignacio F. Lopez, Spanish Navy (ret.)
Moinester 171k undated ship portrait by © Atlantic Fleet Sales Robert M. Cieri
Moinester 132k 1 December 1981: In the Mediterranean - Port view of three U.S. ships, with lights strung up in the rigging, in port for a visit. The ships are, from front to back, the frigate Moinester, the guided missile destroyer USS Coontz (DDG-40) and the Sixth Fleet flagship, the destroyer tender USS Puget Sound (AD-38). (US Navy photo DVID #DN-SN-82-07028 by PH1 Douglas Tesner from the Defense Visual Information Center) Navsource
Moinester 189k 15 December 1981: In the Mediterranean - A port bow view of Moinester, taken from the guided missile destroyer USS Coontz (DDG-40). The two ships are practicing approaches for at-sea replenishments. (US Navy photo DVID #DN-SN-82-07027 by PH1 Douglas Tesner from the DVIC) Navsource
Moinester 94k 15 December 1981: In the Mediterranean - Commander Sixth Fleet Vadm. William H. Rowden watches from the bridge of the guided missile destroyer USS Coontz (DDG-40) as the Moinester comes alongside. The ships are practicing approaches for at-sea replenishment. (US Navy photo DVID #DN-SN-82-07024 by PH1 Douglas Tesner from the DVIC) Navsource
Moinester 78k 1 November 1984: The frigate Moinester and the guided missile destroyer USS Richard E. Byrd (DDG-23) participate in a composite training unit exercise. (US Navy photo DVID #DN-ST-87-01934 by PH3 J. Alan Elliott from the DVIC) Navsource
Moinester 93k 1 August 1986: The Moinester participates in an underway replenishment with the battleship USS Iowa (BB-61). (US Navy photo DVID #DN-ST-87-07122 by PHC Jeff Hilton from the DVIC) Navsource
Moinester 112k 1 August 1986: A port quarter view of Moinester underway alongside the battleship USS Iowa (BB-61). (US Navy photo DVID #DN-ST-87-07126 by PHC Jeff Hilton from the DVIC) Navsource
Moinester 87k 1 December 1986: NavSta Norfolk VA - A bow view of the frigates USS Truett (FF-1095) and Moinester tied up at a pier. (US Navy photo DVID #DN-ST-87-06727 from the DVIC) Navsource
Moinester 178k 1 February 1991: at sea - A starboard bow view of Moinester underway. (US Navy photo DVID #DN-ST-91-05245 by PH2 Keske from the DVIC) Navsource
Moinester 75k 1992: NavSta Guantanamo Cuba - moored at the Naval Base ©James H. Hopper III
Cdr, USN (ret.)
Moinester 189k 1 April 1993: Mobile AL - The Moinester and USS Jesse L. Brown (FF-1089) are moored together at a pier at a Mobile shipyard. (US Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-93-04164 by OS2 John Bouvia from the DVIC) Navsource

Moinester Memoribilia
Navy Times Ship in the Spotlight
© Mario DeMarco
Moinester
Courtesy of Mike Smolinski

The USS Moinester (DE-1097), DANFS history entry
located on the US Naval Historical Center web site is not available.

Crew Contact And Reunion Information

None
Note About Contacts

Contact information is compiled from various sources over a period of time and may, or may not, be correct. Every effort has been
made to list the newest contact. However, our entry is only as good as the latest information that's been sent to us. We list only
a contact for the ship if one has been sent to us. We do NOT have crew lists or rosters available. Please see the Frequently Asked
Questions section on NavSource's Main Page for that information.


Additional Resources

Destroyer Escort Sailors Association
USS Moinester Page on Destroyers Online
USS Moinester Page on Military.Com
USS Moinester Page on Navysite

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Page Last Updated 24 February 2008