USS ''Firm'' (AM-444/MSO-444) was an in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. ''Firm'' was launched 15 April 1953 by J. M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp.,

Tacoma, Washington Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Pa ...

; sponsored by Mrs. Joseph S. Martinac; and commissioned 12 October 1954. She was reclassified MSO-444 on 7 February 1955.

Service history

From her home post at

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

, headquarters for Mine Force, Pacific Fleet, ''Firm'' sailed for training and exercises along the west coast, interrupted during 1955 for her conversion to flagship for Mine Division 94. Between 1 March 1956 and 2 November 1956, and again between 3 November 1958 and 31 May 1959, she served in the

Far East The ''Far East'' was a European term to refer to the geographical regions that includes East and Southeast Asia as well as the Russian Far East to a lesser extent. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons. The ter ...

with the

7th Fleet The Seventh Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. It is headquartered at U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is part of the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of ...

, exercising with ships of the Korean, Chinese Nationalist, and Thai navies, as well as visiting a wide number of Oriental ports and taking part in fleet training schedules. Through 1962, ''Firm'' continued her west coast operations out of

Long Beach Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

. Beginning in April 1965, ''USS Firm'' was assigned to Operation Market Time, a program instituted to curb the Communist infiltration of arms and other contraband into South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. As a member of Mine Division 72, MD-91 and MD-33, usually serving as flagship, ''Firm'' made five deployments to Vietnam over a seven-year period (until 1971), performing its duties with distinction and earning the Vietnam Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, two Navy Meritorious Unit Commendations, and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry. ''Firm'' was decommissioned 5 July 1972. She was transferred to the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

as BRP ''Davao del Sur'' (PM-92) on 17 July 1972. Returned to United States custody on 1 July 1977, the ship was struck from the

Naval Vessel Register The ''Naval Vessel Register'' (NVR) is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from t ...

the same day, and on 8 July sold for scrapping to Ming Hing and Co., Kowloon, Hong Kong.

References

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External links

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Navy Unit Page

- A year-by-year detailed account of ''Firm''s history, including photographs {{DEFAULTSORT:Firm (Am-44) Aggressive-class minesweepers Ships built in Tacoma, Washington 1953 ships Cold War minesweepers of the United States Vietnam War minesweepers of the United States Aggressive-class minesweepers of the Philippine Navy