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About the Ship's Coat of Arms

About the Name "Halyburton"

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USS Halyburton (FFG 40)

USS HALYBURTON was the 31^st OLIVER HAZARD PERRY - class guided missile frigate and the sixth ship in that class built by Todd in Seattle. USS HALYBURTON held a decommissioning ceremony at her homeport of Mayport, Fla., on September 6, 2014, and was officially decommissioned and stricken from the Navy list two days later. Also on September 8, the ship left Mayport under tow for Philadelphia, Penn., to be laid up.

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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS HALYBURTON. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

• Click here to view the list.

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• Click here to see which USS HALYBURTON memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.

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About the Ship's Coat of Arms:

(Click on the crest for a larger version)

The ship's crest was designed to represent the heroic action on the Island of Okinawa in World War II for which Pharmicist's Mate Second Class William David Halyburton, Jr. was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. The Scarlet and gold bars in the shield denote service in a land action with the U.S. Marines; the alternating colors of the bars symbolize the exchange of fire with an opposing force. The heraldic lion rampart in the midst of the field denotes a single act of great courage, i.e., Halyburton placing himself in the line of fire, in complete disregard for his own safety, in order to shield from further harm, and render medical aid to, a fallen Marine, thereby giving his own life in exchange. The lion is blue, the color of the Medal of Honor ribbon, and is strewn with thirteen stars, as is that decoration, the nation's highest.

The gold laurel wreath, inverted, is symbolic of the posthumous awards to Pharmicist's Mate Halyburton in addition to the Medal of Honor: The Purple Heart, the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. The anchor and cross denote naval service and the provision of medical care on the battlefield.

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About the Ship's Name, about Pharmacist's Mate Second Class William David Halyburton, Jr.:

USS HALYBURTON is named for the late Pharmacist's Mate Second Class William David Halyburton, Jr. , USN. A native of Canton, North Carolina, he was a graduate of New Hanover High School, Wilmington, North Carolina. His enrollment at Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina, where he planned to prepare himself for the ministry, was put aside to go into the service.

His citation is as follows:

"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepedity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with a Marine Rifle Company in the 2d Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, during action against the enemy Japanese forces on Okinawa Shima in the Ryukyu Chain on 10 May 1945. Undaunted by the deadly accuracy of Japanese counterfire as his unit pushed the attack through a strategically important draw and up the hill into an open fireswept field where the Company advance squad was suddenly pinned down under a terrific concentration of mortar, machinegun, and sniper fire with resultant severe casualties. Moving steadily forward despite the enemy's merciless barrage, he reached the wounded Marine who lay farthest away and was rendering first aid when his patient was struck for the second time by a Japanese bullet. Instantly placing himself in the direct line of fire, he shielded the fallen fighter with his own body and staunchly continued his ministrations although constantly menaced by the slashing fury of shrapnel and bullets falling at his sides. Alert, determined, and completely unselfish in his concern for the helpless Marine, he persevered in his efforts until he himself sustained mortal wounds and collapsed, heroically sacrificing himself that his comrade might live. By his outstanding valor and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of tremendous odds, Petty Officer Halyburton sustained and enhanced the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life in the service of his country."

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USS HALYBURTON History:

USS HALYBURTON was laid down on September 26, 1980, at Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle, launched in October 1981, delivered on December 22, 1983, and commissioned at Seattle on January 7, 1984. During her early years she settled into the normal Atlantic Fleet cycle of workups, training, maintenance, and forward deployment. In 1986, she spent the first months of the year preparing for a Mediterranean deployment, and operations took her to the Gulf of Sidra on April 14, 1986. At 0145 on April 15, 1986, she was at general quarters in support of the joint U.S. strikes against Libya, placing her directly inside one of the most tense naval confrontations of that decade.

In 1988, she was in the Persian Gulf during the later phase of the Iran-Iraq "Tanker War", and on July 30, 1988, she began her first escort operations, taking ships into and out of the Gulf while escorting tankers through waters still threatened by mines, missiles, and small-boat attack. During the Gulf War period, the Navy's daily chronology for February 1991 recorded that an embarked SH-60 suffered engine failure while taking off from USS HALYBURTON, made an emergency water landing, and that all three crewmen were rescued although the helicopter was lost. In 1992, the ship's continuing law-enforcement work was significant enough to be cited in connection with a second Joint Meritorious Unit Award, and in 1993 she served with Standing Naval Forces Mediterranean, where the official record states that she became the first U.S. Navy ship to challenge, board, search, and divert merchant vessels in the Adriatic Sea suspected of violating sanctions.

In 1995, HALYBURTON transited the Panama Canal on June 13, 1995, en route to counter-drug operations in the eastern Pacific, showing the broadening of her mission set in the post-Cold War era.

The official command history from 1996 captures her in unusual detail: she completed a Selected Restricted Availability, hosted HNLMS URK and HNLMS HELLEVOETSLUIS on April 17, 1996, got underway on April 23, 1996 for weapons onload at Yorktown, completed Tailored Ship's Training Availability from April 29, 1996 to May 3, 1996, underwent extensive engineering and combat-systems workups through the summer, rescued the crew of AMANDA AND JESSICA in July, visited Bar Harbor during the town's bicentennial, and ended the year by departing on December 10, 1996, in company with USS NICHOLSON (DD 982), stopping at Bermuda, Las Palmas, Livorno, and La Maddalena as part of Middle East Force 1-97.

On January 18, 2001, USS HALYBURTON departed Naval Station Mayport for Group Sail operations in the Puerto Rican operating area, refueled at Key West on January 23, entered Roosevelt Roads from January 27 to January 28, visited St. Thomas from February 2 to February 6, and returned on February 9, 2001. She sailed again on March 9, 2001, with HSL-44 Detachment 5 embarked, for a counter-drug deployment that quickly took her through the Panama Canal and into the eastern Pacific. She called at Balboa on March 15, 2001, returned there from March 29 to March 31, anchored off Esmeraldas, Ecuador, on April 5 to transfer 149 migrants rescued from FORTUNA, revisited Balboa from April 11 to April 13 and April 29 to May 3, and on May 11, 2001, recovered about 3,300 pounds of cocaine after the interdiction of a go-fast boat in the eastern Pacific.

She returned briefly to Mayport on May 18 for a mid-deployment Intermediate Maintenance Availability, got underway again on June 4, visited Roosevelt Roads from June 8 to June 9, called at Oranjestad, Aruba, on June 19, returned to Balboa from June 25 to June 26, then made a week-long visit to Callao beginning July 2, conducted bilateral work with the Peruvian Navy, revisited Callao several times in July, anchored off Salinas, Ecuador, and reached Malaga, Colombia, on August 2 before taking part in the Pacific phase of Unitas 42-01. After further movements off Bahia Malaga and Manta, and another stay at Vasco Nunez de Balboa from August 16 to August 19, she transited the Panama Canal on August 20, visited Freeport from August 23 to August 27, and returned to Mayport on August 28, 2001 after a five-and-a-half-month deployment in the U.S. Fourth Fleet area.

She then offloaded ammunition at Earle from October 3 to October 5, trained as a school ship at Newport from October 7 to October 12, returned on October 15, and began a five-month Partial Restricted Availability. On February 25, 2002, Commander William C. McQuillen relieved Commander Warren E. Rhodes III. Through 2002, the ship completed sea trials, local operations, engineering preparations, workups, and a visit to Gloucester from August 30 to September 2 for the Schooner Festival, then sailed again on November 5 for Puerto Rican Group Sail operations before returning on November 21.

A major deployment followed on January 10, 2003, when USS HALYBURTON left Mayport as part of NATO's Standing Naval Force Atlantic in support of Operation Active Endeavour. During that 2003 cruise, she stopped briefly at Rota on January 21, visited Rotterdam on January 25, Gdynia from January 31 to February 3, Kiel from February 8 to February 9, Portsmouth from February 13 to February 15, Rota again from February 19 to February 24, March 1 to March 4, March 12 to March 14, and March 18 to March 26, performed Strait of Gibraltar escort duties from March 14 to March 18, visited Gaeta from March 29 to April 1, Aksaz from April 10 to April 15, Souda Bay from April 24 to April 29 and May 9 to May 13, returned to Aksaz from May 21 to May 28, called at Valletta on June 6, Palma de Mallorca from June 26 to July 1, Rota from July 3 to July 4, stood off Dakar on July 7 for President of the United States security operations, refueled at Santa Cruz de Tenerife from July 10 to July 12, and returned to Mayport on July 21, 2003 after more than six months away. She then offloaded ammunition at Yorktown from September 8 to September 13, saw Commander Herbert M. Hadley relieve Commander McQuillen on September 15, entered a Selected Restricted Availability on September 17, and carried out sea trials from December 16 to December 19, 2003.

USS HALYBURTON visited New York for Fleet Week from May 26 to May 30, 2004, then Mobile from July 1 to July 5, before departing Mayport on October 8, 2004, for Joint Interagency Task Force South counter-narcotics operations and Operation Caper Focus. During that deployment, she visited Cartagena beginning October 15, Colon from October 18 to October 19, Vasco Nunez de Balboa on October 20, Golfito on October 26, Manta from November 7 to November 10, Balboa from November 17 to November 23, Golfito again on November 30, Acapulco from December 10 to December 13, Balboa from December 24 to December 28, transited the Panama Canal northbound on December 29 in support of Operation Caribbean Shield, and reached Cartagena again on December 31, 2004. She returned to Mayport on April 8, 2005, and USS HALYBURTON and USS BOONE (FFG 28) were credited with seizing nearly eight metric tons of cocaine during that deployment.

Commander William D. Byrne relieved Commander Hadley on May 20, 2005. Another major deployment began on June 30, 2006, when the frigate left Mayport on a surge deployment. From July 12 to July 14, 2006, she and USS CARNEY (DDG 64) took part in the Silent Forces Exercise with the Peruvian and Spanish navies in Peruvian coastal waters. By July 23 she was off Antofagasta for the Pacific phase of Unitas 47-06, and by August 18 she was participating in PANAMAX 2006, the multinational canal-defense exercise focused on the Panama region. After a maintenance pause in Norfolk, she got underway again on October 6, 2006, with USS SAMUEL B. ROBERTS (FFG 58) and USS ROOSEVELT (DDG 80) to cross the Atlantic for Neptune Warrior. She reached Rotterdam on November 5, visited Philadelphia from December 1 to December 3 during Army-Navy week, took part in the Southeast Anti-Submarine Warfare Integrated Training Initiative on the way home, and returned to Mayport on December 8, 2006, after steaming more than 20,000 miles and visiting nine countries.

Commander Everett S. Pratt relieved Commander Byrne on December 15, 2006. In 2007, she was again in the eastern Pacific on counter-narcotics operations, departing Salaverry, Peru, on October 11 after a three-day port visit and returning to Mayport on November 30, 2007. Commander Michael P. Huck assumed command on June 27, 2008. On February 21, 2009, USS HALYBURTON sailed with the EISENHOWER (CVN 69) Carrier Strike Group, reached Souda Bay on March 12, and on April 11, 2009, joined USS BAINBRIDGE (DDG 96) off Somalia during the hostage crisis involving MAERSK ALABAMA and Captain Richard Phillips. She later visited London on July 16 and returned to Mayport on July 31, 2009. Commander John R. Schmidt relieved Commander Huck on December 12, 2009. In 2010, she made visible domestic appearances at Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston on March 12 for St. Patrick's Day festivities and at Port Everglades on April 26 for Broward Navy Days Fleet Week.

HALYBURTON's last operational years came in the early 2010s. On January 3, 2011, with HSL-42 Detachment 2 embarked together with two MQ-8B Fire Scouts and one Seahawk, USS HALYBURTON departed Mayport for a deployment in support of counter-piracy and maritime-security operations, marking the first operational deployment of the Navy's MQ-8B aboard a ship. She called at Funchal on January 11, assisted a Yemeni fishing dhow adrift for ten days on January 28, rescued thirteen people from the Greek-flagged merchant vessel IRENE SL on March 19, reached Muscat on April 7, and lost one MQ-8B near Zliten, Libya, on June 21, 2011, while it was conducting a targeting mission during the Libyan civil war. Commander Bertram C. Hodge relieved Commander Schmidt on August 2, and the ship returned to Mayport on August 3, 2011.

In 2012, she participated in the War of 1812 Commemoration Fleet Exercise on June 26 and then departed Mayport on August 10, 2012 for a Middle East deployment in support of Operation Ocean Shield. She reached Souda Bay on August 28, pulled into Djibouti by November 1 before participating in the at-sea phase of Cutlass Express 2012-2, and visited Dar es Salaam on November 8. She was in Victoria, Seychelles, by January 1, 2013, and on January 3, 2013, Commander David E. Fowler relieved Commander Hodge there. On January 5 and January 6, 2013, USS HALYBURTON, operating with FS SURCOUF, disrupted a piracy attempt on a merchant vessel about 260 miles off Somalia. The French boarding team apprehended twelve men from two suspect craft. She visited Souda Bay on January 19, refueled at Funchal on January 31, and returned to Mayport on February 9, 2013.

Her final deployment began on January 15, 2014, when she left with HSM-46 Detachment 4 for Joint Interagency Task Force South counter-narcotics operations in the U.S. Fourth Fleet area. She refueled at Guantanamo Bay on January 18. On February 6, 2014, her embarked MH-60R supported search-and-rescue efforts after a Panamanian Bell 412 crashed during a drug-interdiction operation near Mansukum, Guna Yala, in support of Operation Martillo. Six wounded were transported, though Lieutenant Vinda Agustin Santos died in the crash. Later calls included Cartagena in late February, Coxen Hole on Roatan in mid-March, Guantanamo Bay again from April 8 to April 11, Oranjestad on May 26, and Port Everglades on June 3 to embark Tigers. USS HALYBURTON returned to Mayport on June 4, 2014, held her decommissioning ceremony on September 6, 2014, and was officially decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on September 8, 2014, after which she departed Mayport under tow for Philadelphia.

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USS HALYBURTON Patch Gallery:

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USS HALYBURTON Image Gallery:

The photo below was taken by me and shows the HALYBURTON at Naval Station Mayport, Fla., on July 31, 2000.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the decommissioned HALYBURTON laid up at the former Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on October 21, 2014.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the decommissioned HALYBURTON laid up at the former Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on October 7, 2018.

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