USCGC Rush (WHEC-723)

USCGC Rush (WHEC-723) was a United States Coast Guard high endurance Hamilton-class cutter. The ship was named after Secretary of the Treasury Richard Rush. Rush was launched on November 16, 1968 and was decommissioned on February 3, 2015 after 45 years of Coast Guard service.

For other ships with the same name, see USRC Rush and USS Rush.
USCGC Rush (WHEC-723)
History
United States
Name: USCGC Rush
Namesake: Richard Rush
Builder: Avondale Shipyards
Cost: $20 million
Launched: 16 November 1968
Homeport: Honolulu, Hawaii
Identification:
Motto:
  • Kia'i Kai No Ka Oi
  • (Watch Over the Rainbow)
Fate: Transferred to the Bangladesh Navy
General characteristics
Displacement: 3,250 tons
Length: 378 ft (115.2 m)
Beam: 43 ft (13.1 m)
Draft: 15 ft (4.6 m)
Propulsion:
Speed: 29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph)
Range: 14,000 miles
Endurance: 45 days
Boats & landing
craft carried:		 2 Over-the-Horizon type
Complement: 167 personnel
Sensors and
processing systems:		 AN/SPS-40 air-search radar
Armament:

As of January 2017, the ship serves in the Bangladesh Navy as BNS Somudra Avijan.

History

Construction

As all Hamilton-class cutters, Rush was constructed at Avondale Shipyard near New Orleans, Louisiana and launched November 16, 1968, she was the fifth Coast Guard Cutter to be named after Secretary of the Treasury Richard Rush, the nation's eighth Secretary of Treasury.

Record Storm

Rush was based out of USCG Base Sand Island, Honolulu, Hawaii, and performed regular patrols of Alaskan waters and the Bering Sea. Rush has the distinction of having ridden out "the most powerful storm, at least in terms of depth of pressure, to affect Alaska in modern history" of October 25, 1977.[1] Under command of Captain Norman Fernald, Rush sustained damage to her sonar dome and superstructure, but completed her patrol.

Eastwood affair

The Rush assisted in the rescue of East Wood affair, an incident of piracy in early 1993 aboard the cargo ship East Wood (also Eastwood). Chinese illegal immigrants took control of East Wood before being taken back by her crew.

Decommissioning

On February 3, 2015, the United States Coast Guard officially decommissioned Rush with a ceremony held in Honolulu, Hawaii.[2]

Bangladesh Navy

The Coast Guard has transferred Rush (now BNS Somudra Avijan) to the Bangladesh Navy as part of a Foreign Military Sale through the Foreign Assistance Act.[3]

Rush is the Bangladesh Navy's second Hamilton-class cutter acquisition. The Bangladesh Navy's first Hamilton-class cutter acquired was USCGC Jarvis, given to Bangladesh in 2013. Jarvis is now named BNS Somudra Joy. The Bangladesh Navy designates these former Hamilton-class cutters as a "patrol frigate."

Awards

USCGC Rush has earned numerous awards in her storied history. Many of the Ship's awards were earned for heroic participation in the Vietnam War, as part of Operation Market Time. Awards listed were current to May 2014.[4]
1st Row Coast Guard Commendation Medal
2nd Row Combat Action Ribbon Presidential Unit Citation w/ Hurricane Katrina clasp Secretary of Transportation Outstanding Unit Award
3rd Row Coast Guard Unit Commendation w/ Operational Distinguishing Device and four stars Navy Unit Commendation Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation w/ Operational Distinguishing Device and six stars
4th Row Coast Guard E Ribbon w/ seven stars Coast Guard Bicentennial Unit Commendation National Defense Service Medal w/ service star
5th Row Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Vietnam Service Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
6th Row Humanitarian Service Medal Special Operations Service Ribbon Coast Guard Sea Service Ribbon
7th Row Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation Vietnam Campaign Medal

Notes
  3. "USCG Transfers Cutter Rush Over To Bangladesh Navy". VesselFinder. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  4. Medals and Awards Manual, p. 2-5 to 19-1

References

United States Coast Guard. (2008). Medals and Awards Manual: COMDTINST M1650.25D. Washington, DC, U.S. Government Printing Office.

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