USS Oliver Hazard Perry FFG-7
from USS Kawishiwi AO-146 - 1972
Guided Missile Frigate

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Photo by Tom Sparkman

<>My last day at sea was aboard FFG 7.  She was on shakedown or refresher training out of Mayport and I went along for the ride.Wide passageways, large staterooms for officers, nice quarters for enlisted men.  All things that seemed strange to me.  This was in 1982.  I didn't realize that it was going to be my last day at sea.  At least it was aboard a, then, modern ship. I was in engine room central, whatever you call it these days.  This Frigate has a constant speed jet engine, like on those jets Boeing makes.  Variable speed propeller.  Back in my days on K you lit off the boilers about 6 hours or so before you get underway.   < style="font-family: arial;">On this ship, so the chief said, "See that red button there?"  I said "Yes".  He then said, "Push that button and you have full power, ready to get underway in 60 seconds."   < style="font-family: arial;">I was sure impressed.  I then told him that I'd heard the ship can go from full ahead to a dead stop in one ship lenght with that constant speed engine and variable speed propeller. He then told me that was a lie.  However, when you did that maneuver the ship stood on its bow and everything not nailed down went forward in a split second. Then I was really, really impressed.  Tom