TRATHEN DD 530

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.

Fletcher Class Destroyer Keel Laid March 17 1942 - Launched October 22 1942 USS TRATHEN DD-530 Commissioned May 28 1943 - Decommissioned January 18 1946 Recommissioned August 1 1951 - Decommissioned May 11 1965 Struck from Naval Register November 1 1972 Hulk used as target November 1973 then scrapped

Naval Covers

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).

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1. Covers Page 1    (1951-64)

 

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.

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Postmark Type --- Killer Bar Text	Date From to Date To	Thumbnail Link To Postmark Image	Thumbnail Link To Cover Image

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1st Commissioning May 28 1943 to January 18 1946

 

Locy Type 2z*

1945-10-18

Note:

 

Locy Type 9efsu

1945-10-18

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2nd Commissioning August 1 1951 to May 11 1965

 

Locy Type FDPS 2r

1951-09-17

First Day of Postal Service, 2nd Commissioning.

 

Locy Type 2(n)

1964-09-01

Note:

 

Locy Type 2r

1955-12-07

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Locy Type 9ef(nu) (USS)

1964-09-01

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Locy Type 9efu

1955-12-07

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Other Information

TRATHEN received eight battle stars for her World War II service and one battle star for her Korean War service.

NAMESAKE - Lieutenant Commander James Trathen, USN.
James Trathen, born at sea off the coast of Maine on 28 August 1811, entered the Navy as an Acting Volunteer Lieutenant on 26 August 1861, just two days short of his 50th birthday. He was initally assigned to command the bark Midnight, which he took south in November 1861 for duty with the Gulf Blockading Squadron. Patrolling off the coast of Texas, independently for a large part of the time - Midnight from time to time bombarded the Texas coast positions of the Confederate army. With only a two week rest period at Key West in June 1862, Trathen's bark remained on blockade duty through August, when she was ordered north.
Trathen assumed command of the steamer Mount Vernon and joined the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron in October 1862. Patrolling off Wilmington, North Carolina, his command captured eight merchantmen attempting to run the cordon of Union ships off Confederate shores. On 31 July 1863, under the heavy guns of Fort Fisher, Captain Trathen daringly captured the steamer Kate. On 16 May 1865 he was promoted to lieutenant commander. Trathen died in Washington D.C., on 16 January 1874.

 

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