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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Frontier (AD-25)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Bravo - Zulu - Sierra
 NBZS
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2)
Third Row - Korean Service Medal - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
Klondike Class Destroyer Tender:
  • Laid down, 16 August 1944, at Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., San Pedro, CA.
  • Launched, 25 March 1945
  • Commissioned USS Frontier (AD-25), 2 March 1946, CAPT. J. S. Crenshaw, in command
  • Decommissioned, 29 September 1947
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet
  • Recommissioned, 11 November 1951, CAPT. E. B. Patterson, in command
  • Decommissioned, 28 June 1968, at Naval Station, San Diego, CA.
  • Transferred to the Maritime Administration, 26 September 1968, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay Benecia, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 December 1972
  • Withdrawn for stripping, 19 June 1973
  • Returned to the Reserve Fleet, 19 July 1973
  • Final Disposition, sold for non-transportation use, 18 April 1975, to Zidell Explorations, Inc., Portland, OR. for $350,616.99, withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet, 22 April 1975
    Specifications:
    Displacement 8,165 t.(lt) 16,635 t.(fl)
    Length 492'
    Beam 69' 6"
    Draft 27' 3"
    Speed 18.4 kts. (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 48
    Enlisted 778
    Largest Boom Capacity 30 t.
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount
    four 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts
    two twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 17,465Bbls
    Diesel 4,645Bbls
    Propulsion
    one General Electric geared turbine
    two Babcox and Wilcox D-type boilers, 465psi 765°
    double General Electric Main Reduction Gear Ship's Service Generators
     four Diesel-drive 350Kw 450V A.C.
     three turbo-drive 350Kw 120V/240V D.C.
    one propeller, 8,500shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Frontier
    09032526    		 176k Christening by the ship's sponsor, Mrs. George M. Ravenscroft, and launching of Frontier (AD-25), 25 March 1945, at Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., San Pedro, CA. Dale Hargrave
    Frontier
    09032525    		 287k
    Frontier 138k Stern view of USS Frontier (AD-25) moored pierside, circa 1946, probably at San Pedro, CA. Jim Geldert
    Frontier
    09032530    		 583k USS Frontier (AD-25) entering San Francisco Bay, circa 1946-1947. Photo taken from the Golden Gate Bridge (Note bridge railing bottom right corner). Marin County coast in the background.
    Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum    		 Darryl Baker
    Frontier 62k USS Frontier (AD-25) moored to a buoy in San Diego Bay, 26 January 1952.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # USN 438366    		 Robert Hurst
    Frontier 108k USS Frontier (AD-25) moored to a buoy at Yokosuka, Japan, circa July to December 1955, with;
    USS Chevalier (DD-805),
    USS Hamner (DD-718),
    USS Theodore E. Chandler (DD-717) and
    USS Wiltsie (DD-716) alongside.
    US Navy photo    		 Phil Updike
    Frontier 79k USS Frontier (AD-25) moored in the outer harbor at Yokosuka in the fall of 1952. DesDiv 132 was nested in the outer harbor at the time. Photo was taken from
    USS O'Brien (DD-725), others in the nest were
    USS Brown (DD-546) (in foreground),
    USS Walke (DD-723) and
    USS Harry E. Hubbard (DD-748).    		 Photo by Roy C. Thomas SO1 USN USS O'Brien
    Frontier 81k USS Frontier (AD-25) anchored at San Diego.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, March 1954 issue    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Frontier 69k USS Frontier (AD-25) anchored at San Diego with destroyers to port.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, January 1956 issue    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Frontier
    09032528    		 38k USS Frontier (AD-25) underway, circa 1960, location unknown.
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships    		 Robert Hurst
    Frontier 180k USS Frontier (AD-25) at pier Bravo, Buckner Bay, Okinawa, January 1960. Secured to her starboard side are two unidentified submarines, and the destroyers,
    USS Cushing (DD-797),
    USS Ammen (DD-527),
    USS Jarvis (DD-799) and
    USS Trathen (DD-530).
    USS Wilkinson (DL-5) and the four destroyers of DESDIV 252,
    USS Walker (DDE-517),
    USS O'Bannon (DDE-450),
    USS Taylor (DDE-468), and, although obscured,
    USS Jenkins (DDE-447), are secured to the opposite side of the pier.
    US Navy photo    		 Mike Smolinski
    Frontier 90k USS Frontier (AD-25) with destroyers of DESRON 19 alongside, at Long Beach, CA., date unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, September 1960 issue    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Frontier 94k USS Frontier (AD-25) under way off Long Beach, CA., date unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Mike Smolinski
    Frontier 116k USS Frontier (AD-25) at anchor in 1962, location unknown.
    Photo by Hiroyuki Otani 1966/67 edition of "Jane's Fighting Ships"    		 Robert Hurst
    Frontier 140k USS Frontier (AD-25) under way off Long Beach, CA., date unknown. Mike Smolinski
    Frontier 90k USS Frontier (AD-25) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, March 1964 issue    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Frontier
    09032527    		 307k USS Frontier (AD-25) tending destroyers at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, HI. in March 1967. Alongside are the destroyers;
    USS Philip (DD-498),
    USS Nicholas (DD-449) and the radar picket destroyer escort
    USS Savage (DER-386).
    U.S. Navy photo from the USS Sanctuary (AH-17) 1967 cruise book    		 Robert Hurst
    Frontier 111k USS Frontier (AD-25) arriving at Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii, date unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, January 1969 issue    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Frontier 133k USS Frontier (AD-25) in dry dock, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, March 1965 issue    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Frontier 231k USS Frontier (AD-25) under way, at Pearl Harbor, circa 1965.
    US Navy photo    		 Mike Smolinski
    Frontier 106k USS Frontier (AD-25) at Pearl Harbor, HI, 12 February 1966 with USS Cochrane (DDG-21), USS Savage (DER-386) and USS Haverfield (DER-393) alongside. © Richard Leonhardt
    Frontier 217k USS Frontier (AD-25) moored pierside at Pearl Harbor, with, from to inboard; USS Forster (DER-334), unidentified DER, USS Fletcher (DD-445), USS Walker (DD-517 and USS Taylor (DD-468), circa prior to May 1970. Mike Smolinski
    Frontier 699k USS Frontier (AD-25) underway date and location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.

    For more photos and information about USS Frontier, see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
  • MARAD Vessel History Database
  • Miscellaneous and Memorabilia
    • Commanding Officers
    01CAPT. Crenshaw, John Stewardson, USN (USNA 1921-B)2 March 1946 - 21 September 1946
    02CAPT. McGirr, William Philip, USN (USNA 1925)21 September 1946 - 24 May 1947
    03CDR. Brown, James Stanley, USN24 May 1947 - 29 September 1947
     Decommissioned29 September 1947 - 11 December 1951
    04CAPT. Patterson, Earl Brown, USN11 December 1951 - 12 September 1952
    05CAPT. Novak, Frank, USN (USNA 1929)12 September 1952 - 5 August 1953
    06CDR. Foushee Sr., Clarence Lucius, USN5 August 1953 - 25 September 1953
    07CAPT. Garland, Guy Puett, USN (USNA 1929) 25 September 1953 - 27 November 1954
    08CAPT. Gilliam, Charles Robert, USN (USNA 1930)27 November 1954 - 30 January 1956
    09CAPT. Williamson, Francis Thomas, USN (USNA 1931) :RADM30 January 1956 - 21 December 1956
    10CAPT. Stuart, John McCreery, USN21 December 1956 - 28 May 1958
    11CAPT. Badger, Rodney Jenkins, USN (USNA 1935)28 May 1958 - 15 May 1959
    12CAPT. Sherman Jr., Philip Kingsland, USN (USNA 1933)15 May 1959 - 11 June 1960
    13CAPT. Pfeifer, Carl Ferdinand, USN (USNA 1939)11 June 1960 - 9 May 1961
    14CAPT. Dimpfel, Emerson Haydon, USN9 May 1961 - 25 July 1962
    15CAPT. Glenn, Everett Marsalis (Easy), USN (USNA 1940)25 July 1962 - 25 September 1963
    16CAPT. Morrow, William Berryman, USN (USNA 1942)25 September 1963 - 15 July 1964
    17CAPT. Sonntag, Frank Henry, USN 15 July 1964 - 16 July 1965
    18CAPT. Cassani Jr., Vincent Louis, USN (USNA 1944)16 July 1965 - 23 September 1966
    19CAPT. Howell, Jay Stanley, USN (USNA 1944)23 September 1966 - 18 March 1968
    20CDR. Nellis, Donald Patrick, USN18 March 1968 - 28 June 1968
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
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    Last Updated 22 September 2023