- USS Boone (FFG-28)
USS "Boone" (FFG-28) is the twentieth ship in the
United States Navy 's "Oliver Hazard Perry" class of guided missilefrigate s.The frigate was named for Vice Admiral Joel Thompson Boone, M.D. (1889–1974). FFG-28, the first U.S. ship to bear the Admirals name, was ordered January 23rd, 1978, launched January 16, 1980 by
Todd Pacific Shipyards , and commissioned May 15, 1982. She has since racked up numerous awards and commendations.Namesake
Joel Thompson Boone was born in St. Clair,
Pennsylvania . He graduated fromMercersburg Academy in 1909, and went on to Hahnemann Medical College inPhiladelphia . After his graduation in 1913 he joined the Naval Reserve Medical Corps. Boone was transferred to the regular Navy in May 1915. He served on active duty untilDecember 1 ,1950 .Boone received official commendation throughout his Naval career.
Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels recognized Boones service with the Marines inHaiti in 1915. Boone served on board the battleship USS "Wyoming" (BB-32) from September 1916 to August 1917, when he transferred to theU.S. 6th Marine Regiment and was sent toFrance . With the Marines and later with the 2nd Infantry Division of theAmerican Expeditionary Force , he received many awards for valor. Chief among them was theMedal of Honor , but Boone also received the Distinguished Service Cross; theSilver Star with five Oak Leaf Clusters; thePurple Heart (two Oak Leaf Clusters), one of which was a special award from GeneralJohn Pershing ; four awards from the French Government theLegion of Honor ,Croix de Guerre , the Gold Medal of Honor, and Order of the Fourragre; and the Italian (Croce di Guerra) with Diploma from Italy.Boone received the Medal of Honor for action at Vierzy, France, during the Aisne-Marne offensive of 18-20 July 1918. He administered first aid along the front during the Marine attack on Soissons. He put himself in extreme danger by leaving relative safety in a ravine to aid the wounded lying in the open field. And without regard to artillery fire, he replenished supplies by motorcycle twice in the same day. After the St. Mihiel offensive in September 1918, Boone served with the Second Army Division as Assistant Division Surgeon.
Between 1922 and 1933, he was physician for three presidents:
Warren Harding ,Calvin Coolidge , andHerbert Hoover . DuringWorld War II , Boone was Senior Medical Officer at San Diego Naval Air Station and later commanded a Naval Hospital inSeattle, Washington . Boone represented the Naval Medical Corps at Japan's surrender on board thebattleship USS "Missouri" (BB-63),September 2 ,1945 .Boone was placed on the retired list
December 1 ,1950 and was promoted toVice Admiral . He died onApril 2 ,1974 and is buried atArlington National Cemetery .Currently
USS "Boone" is assigned to Destroyer Squadron 14 and was the recipient of the 2005 DESRON 14 Battle "E". On
16 February 2007 , "Bunker Hill" was awarded the 2006 Battle "E" award. [http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=27895]"Boone" is homeported in Mayport, Florida, and is a member of the Navy Reserve.
External links
* [http://www.boone.navy.mil// USS "Boone" Official site]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/07/0728.htm navsource.org: USS "Boone"]
* [http://www.navysite.de/ffg/FFG28.HTM navysite.de: USS "Boone"]
* [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/us_navy_pages/frigates/pages/boone_ffg_28_page_1.htm MaritimeQuest USS Boone FFG-28]Further reading
*cite book
author=Milton F. Heller III
title=The Presidents' Doctor : An Insider's View of Three First Families
publisher=Vantage Pr; 1st ed edition (August 2000)
year=2000
id=ISBN 0-533-13159-6
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