VANDEGRIFT FFG 48

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.

Oliver Hazard Perry Class Guided Missile Frigate Keel Laid 13 October 1981 - Launched & Christened 15 October 1982 USS VANDEGRIFT FFG-48 Commissioned 24 November 1984 - Decommissioned 31 March 2015

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).

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.

1. USS Vandegrift FFG-48 Covers Page 1    (1984-2015)

 

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.

 

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

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Ship Postmarks

 

Locy Type FDC 2-1(n+)(USS)

1984-11-24

First Day of Commissioning, Cachet by -

 

Locy Type 2-1(n+)(USS)

1986-01-14

Collectors Request, Official Ships Cachet.

 

Locy Type 2-2n+(USS,FPO AP 96682-1502)

2011-09-21

Postmark from the USCS Postmark Survey 2011-12.

 

Locy Type 9-1(n+u)(USS)

1986-01-14

Collectors Request, Official Ships Cachet.

 

Locy Type 9-2n+ (USS, FPO AP 96682-1502)

2003-05-04

Official Ship's Cachet

 

Locy Type 9-2n+(USS,FPO AP 96682-1502)

2011-09-21

Postmark from the USCS Postmark Survey 2011-12.

 

Locy Type 11-2n+ (USS, FPO AP 96682-1502)

2004-12-15

Official Ship's Cachet, from the Thad Kaczkowski collection.

 

Locy Type 13-2n+ (USS,FPO AP 96682-1502)

1995-01-22

Official Ship's Cachet. This postmark was initially classified as Type F [V-16b] is now Type 13-2n+ (USS, FPO AP 96682-1502). It was reclassified as Type 13 following a review by the Postmark Committee of the USCS on July 25, 2008.

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USPS Pictorial Postmark

 

USPS Pictorial Postmark "Last Day In / Commission Sta." San Diego CA

2015-03-31

Last Day of Commission, cachet by Greytcovers

 

Other Information

USS VANDEGRIFT earned the following awards during her Naval career - Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon, Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon w/ 2 stars, Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (2 awards), Navy Expeditionary Medal, National Defense Service Medal w/ 1 star, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal w/ 1 star, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon w/ 10 stars and the Navy & Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon w/ 5 stars.

NAMESAKE - General Alexander Archer Vandegrift, USMC (March 13 1887 - May 8 1973)
Gen. Vandergrift served in the US Marine Corps from 1909 to 1949 and saw combat in the following theaters of war: Capture of Cayotepe (Nicaragua), U.S. occupation of Vera Cruz (Mexico), The Banana Wars (Haiti) and World War II (Battle of Guadalcanal and Battle of Empress Augusta Bay).
In March 1942 he was promoted to Major General and assumed command of the First Marine Division. For outstanding services as Commanding General of the First Marine Division, Reinforced, during the attack on Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Gavutu in the Solomon Islands on August 7 1942, he was awarded the Navy Cross, and for the subsequent occupation and defense from August 7 to December 9 1942, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.
Gen. Vandegrift was the first Marine to hold the title of four-star General and was the 18th Commandant of the Marine Corps from January 1 1944 to June 30 1946. For his outstanding service as Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen Vandegrift was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal.
Gen. Vandergrift's decorations, medals, and honors include: Medal of Honor, Navy Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, Presidential Unit Citation (US) with one bronze star, Navy Unit Commendation with one bronze star, Expeditionary Medal with three bronze stars, Nicaraguan Campaign Medal, Mexican Service Medal, Haitian Campaign Medal with one star, World War I Victory Medal with West Indies Clasp and one star, Yangtze Service Medal, American Defense Service Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with four bronze stars, American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal. He received the following foreign decorations: Haitian Distinguished Service Medal; Medaille Militaire with one silver star Haiti; Honorary Knight Commander, Military Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire; Companion (Honorary) of the Military Division of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath; Cruz de Aviacion de Primera Clase, Peru; Abdon Calderon of the 1st Class, Ecuador; Knights Grand Cross in the Order of Orange-Nassau with Swords, Netherlands; the Order of Pao-Tine (Precious Tripod) with Special Clasp; China and Legion of Honor (Grand Officer); France.

The ships sponsor is eleven-year old (at the time) Miss Serina Vandegrift, the great-granddaughter of General Vandegrift.

 

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