USS Roark (FF-1053)

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Career (US)
USS Roark (FF-1053)
Class and type:	Knox-class frigate
Ordered:	July 22, 1964
Builder:	Todd Pacific Shipyards, Seattle, Washington
Laid down:	February 2, 1966
Launched:	April 27, 1967
Acquired:	November 14, 1969
Commissioned:	November 22, 1969
Decommissioned:	December 14, 1991
Reclassified:	As FF, June 30, 1975
Struck:	January 11, 1995
Status:	To Naval Reserve Force, 1987 Scrapped, 2004
Homeport:	San Diego, California
General Characteristics
Displacement:	3,011 tons (4,100 full load)
Length:	415′ (126m) waterline 438′ (134m) overall
Beam:	47′ (14m)
Draught:	24.75′ (7.5m)
Propulsion:	2 × CE 1200psi boilers 1 Westinghouse geared turbine 1 shaft, 35,000 SHP (26 MW)
Speed:	27 knots
Range:	4,500 miles (7,242 km)
Complement:	15 officers, 230 men
Sensors and processing systems:	•AN/SPS-10 surface search •AN/SPS-40 air search •AN/SQS-26CX sonar
Electronic warfare and decoys:	AN/SLQ-32 Electronics Warfare System
Armament:	•1 × 5″/54 gun •4 × 21″ torpedo tubes (4×1, fixed) •1 × 8-tube ASROC + Harpoon launcher •1 × 8-cell BPDMS Sea Sparrow launcher
Aircraft carried:	1 SH-2 Seasprite (LAMPS I) helicopter
Motto:	Victory thru Service

USS Roark (FF-1053), originally designated DE-1053, was a Knox class frigate named for William Marshall Roark. Roark was laid down on 2 February 1966 by the Todd Shipyards Corporation in Seattle, Washington; launched on 24 April 1967, sponsored by Mrs. William M. Roark and Mrs. Frank F. Roark; and commissioned on 22 November 1969, with Commander Wayne L. Beech in command.

Since completing shakedown in the spring of 1970, Roark a unit of DesRon 21, conducted training operations out of her homeport of San Diego, California, until the end of the year. With 1971 she began preparations for her first deployment with the 7th Fleet in the western Pacific and departed from San Diego 7 January. After stopping at Pearl Harbor and refueling at Midway Island, Roark suffered a fire in her engine room. The damage was sufficient to require her return to Pearl Harbor for repairs. Almost two months later, in March, she was underway again for WestPac. She remained in the western Pacific until July, when she started for home, arriving in San Diego, California, on 10 August. For the remainder of 1971, Roark operated out of San Diego.

The new year, 1972, brought with it another deployment to the Far East. She departed San Diego on 8 February and arrived in Subic Bay, Philippine Islands, on 29 February. She operated in WestPac, primarily in the Vietnam area until 15 August, when she pointed her bow homeward. Roark entered San Diego 30 August and remained in the vicinity for the duration of 1972 and the first eight months of 1973. She departed San Diego in August and arrived in Subic Bay on the 31st. After almost four months of deployment with the Seventh Fleet, Roark sailed into San Diego on 21 December 1973.

Roark transferred to the Naval Reserve in 1987 and was decommissioned December 14, 1991. She was disposed of by scrapping, dismantling October 13, 2004.

Roark received three battle stars for Vietnam service.

This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.