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NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive
Courtesy of Al Grazevich

Parrot (MSC 197)
ex-AMS-197

Falcon Class Motor Minesweeper:

  • Laid down as AMS-197, 23 December 1953 by the Broward Marine, Inc., Fort Lauderdale, FL
  • Launched, 27 November 1954
  • Reclassified as a Coastal Minesweeper, MSC-197, 7 February 1955
  • Commissioned USS Parrot (MSC 197), 28 June 1955
  • Decommissioned and placed in service as a Naval Reserve Training Ship 26 September 1968
  • Struck from the Navy Register 1 August 1972
  • Sold for scrap by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service, 1 December 1976.

    Specifications:

  • Displacement 362 t.
  • Length 144' 3"
  • Beam 27' 2"
  • Draft 12'
  • Speed 13.6 kts.
  • Complement 39
  • Armament: Two .50 cal. machine guns and one 81mm mortar
  • Propulsion: Two 600shp Packard diesel engines, two shafts.
    Click on thumbnail
    for full size image    		 Size Image Description Source
    Parrot 533k Original photo: Bill Gonyo
    Replacement photo: Robert Hurst
    Parrot 114k c. December 1964
    Hampton Roads, VA
    U.S. Navy photo    		 Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
    Commanding Officers
    01LTJG Richard Kern Fontaine, USN - Retired as Rear Admiral28 June 1955 - 17 July 1957
    02LTJG James McAllen Webster, USN - USNA Class of 195317 July 1957 - 12 May 1959
    03LT Peter James Doerr, USN12 May 1959 - July 1960
    04LT Claude Albert Clopton, USNJuly 1960 - April 1962
    05LT Lawrence Allen Penny, USNApril 1962 - 1963
    06LT Charles F. Laws, USN1963
    07LT Francis A. Borghoff, USN.
    08LT Theodore Lloyd Shope, USN1963 - 31 July 1964
    09LT Harold Culp "Skip" Hunter, II, USN - USNA Class of 195831 July 1964 - 2 September 1966
    10LT Jeremy Michael Boorda, USN - Awarded two Defense Distinguished Service Medals (1996), the Army Distinguised Service Medal (1996), the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal (1996), the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal (1996), four Navy Distinguished Service Medals (1981/1986/1991/1996), three Legion of Merits (1983/1984/1988), two Meritorious Service Medals, the Navy Commendation Medal and the Navy Achievement Medal - Attained the rank of Admiral in November 1991
    Became the 25th Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) 23 April 1994. The first CNO who was not a graduate of the United States Naval Academy - ADM Boorda commited suicide in May 1996    		2 September 1966 - 8 January 1968
    11LT James Edward Auer, USN8 January 1968 - 26 September 1968
    12LTJG David Michael Waters, USN (Officer-in-charge)26 September 1968 - 19 November 1968
    13LTJG Fredrick Montague, USN19 November 1968 - 31 December 1968
    14LTJG Francis Edward Callahan, USN31 December 1968 - 24 February 1972
    15LTJG David James Klich, USN24 February 1972 - 20 July 1972
    16LCDR Robert Joseph Bogle, USN.
    Courtesy Bill Gonyo, Wolfgang Hechler, Ron Reeves and Joseph M. Radigan (of blessed memory)
    View the Parrot (MSC 197) DANFS History
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