HAWES FFG 53
Ship Name and Designation History
This section lists the names and designations that the ship had during its lifetime. The list is in chronological order.
Keel Laid 26 August 1983 - Launched & Christened 18 February 1984 |
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This section lists active links to the pages displaying covers associated with the ship. There should be a separate set of pages for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Covers should be presented in chronological order (or as best as can be determined).
Since a ship may have many covers, they may be split among many pages so it doesn't take forever for the pages to load. Each page link should be accompanied by a date range for covers on that page.
- USS Hawes FFG-53 Covers Page 1 (1985-2010)
Postmarks
This section lists examples of the postmarks used by the ship. There should be a separate set of postmarks for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Within each set, the postmarks should be listed in order of their classification type. If more than one postmark has the same classification, then they should be further sorted by date of earliest known usage.
A postmark should not be included unless accompanied by a close-up image and/or an
image of a cover showing that postmark. Date ranges MUST be based ONLY ON COVERS IN
THE MUSEUM and are expected to change as more covers are added.
>>> If you have a better example for any of the postmarks, please feel free to replace the
existing example.
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Postmark Type |
Postmark Date |
Thumbnail Link To Postmark Image |
Thumbnail Link To Cover Image |
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Locy Type |
1985-02-09 |
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First Day in Commission
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Locy Type |
1985-02-09 |
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First Day in Commission. From the Bob Govern collection.
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Locy Type |
1985-06-10 |
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Note:
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Locy Type |
1991-08-23 |
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Note:
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Locy Type |
1993-05-06 |
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Note:
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Locy Type |
2000-07-07 |
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From the Thad Kaczkowski collection.
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Locy Type |
1985-06-10 |
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Note:
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Locy Type |
1989-08-14 |
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Note:
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Locy Type |
1993-05-06 |
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Locy Type |
2000-07-07 |
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From the Thad Kaczkowski collection.
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Locy Type |
2002-06-24 |
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First Day of Use, New Cachet. From the Thad Kaczkowski collection.
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Locy Type |
2008-06-16 |
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Ship's Cachet
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Locy Type F |
2008-06-16 |
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100th Anniversary of the Great White Fleet, cover serviced by Thad Kaczkowski
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Locy Type |
2010-12-10 |
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Last Day of Commission, cachet by the Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS
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Locy Type |
2010-12-10 |
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Last Day of Commission, cover sent by Elgin E. Sink
USPS Pictorial Postmark
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USPS |
2010-12-10 |
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Last Day of Commission, cover by Greytcovers
Other Information
USS HAWES earned the Combat Action Ribbon, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award Ribbon, the Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon (w/ 2 stars), the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon (w/ 1 star), the Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon, the Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (5 awards), the National Defense Service Ribbon (w/ 1 star), the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (w/ 2 stars), the Southwest Asia Service Medal (w/ 2 stars), the Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Service Medal, the Global War On Terrorism Service Medal, the Armed Forces Service Ribbon (w/ 2 stars), the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (w/ 7 stars), the United Nations Medal, the Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) and the Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) during her Naval career.
NAMESAKE - Rear Admiral Richard Ellington Hawes, USN (February 12 1894 - December 30 1968).
Richard Ellington Hawes was born in Thomson, Ga. on February 12 1894 and attended the Univ. of Georgia and Mercer Univ. where he excelled in sports. He passed up the bar exam to coach and play professional baseball. When the U.S. entered WWI in 1917, Hawes enlisted in the Navy as a Fireman Second Class and fifteen months later accepted a temporary appointment to Ensign. He reverted to Warrant Boatswain in 1920. In 1926 he joined USS FALCON ASR 2 and played a key role in the salvage of S-51 off Block Island, for which he received the Navy Cross. He also assisted in the salvaging of the submarine USS S-4 off Provincetown, Ma. in December 1927. In 1929, Hawes was commissioned an Ensign by a special act of Congress for his role in the salvage of S-51 and S-4. In January 1940, Lt. Hawes assumed command of USS Pigeon ASR 6.
On December 10 1941 USS Pigeon was docked at the Cavite Navy Yard when Japanese warplanes attacked. Since Pearl Harbor, Hawes had main steam pressure up and the crew aboard, ready to get underway. Lashed to USS Quail AM 15, which provided steering for both, they cleared the docks and headed for the safety of the bay. By this time Cavite had become an inferno. Seeing that the submarine Seadragon (SS 194) was about to be engulfed by bombs and fire in her berth, Lt. Hawes maneuvered USS Pigeon back to the flaming dock to haul the helpless submarine stern first from her berth. Another submarine and a minesweeper had just been sunk by direct hits. The heat and flames were so intense that they blistered the ship's paint, singed off body hair, and melted the brim of Hawes' cap. But Pigeon's crew managed to rig a line to USS Seadragon and tow her to safety, for which Hawes received his second Navy Cross and Pigeon was awarded the first Presidential Unit Citation of the war. Except for the brief periods when he was in transit or putting USS Chanticleer ASR 7 and USS Anthedon AS 24 into commission, Hawes spent virtually all of World War II at sea in the Pacific in command of his three ships. Like Hawes himself, his ships always had a reputation for efficiency and readiness. Hawes was promoted to Captain on March 25 1945. On December 1 1952 he was transferred to the retired list and promoted to Rear Admiral. Rear Admiral Hawes died at his home in Thomson, Ga. on December 30 1968.
The ship's sponsor is Mrs. Ruth Hawes Watson, widow of Rear Admiral Hawes.
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