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SEEN OFF WEST SEATTLE: USS Bunker Hill, decommissioned and under tow

October 10, 2023 3:03 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Seen at sea | West Seattle news

Thanks to Gary Jones for the photo and ship ID. Seen passing West Seattle, under tow and headed into Kitsap County waters, that’s the decommissioned guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52). It was decommissioned two and a half weeks ago in a ceremony at Naval Base San Diego (this online Navy story has lots of history). According to this online report, it’s being taken to Bremerton to “serve as a ‘logistics support asset’.” (A reference to another ship in that role explains that term as “spare-parts hulk.”)

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5 Replies to "SEEN OFF WEST SEATTLE: USS Bunker Hill, decommissioned and under tow"

  • Mark Lorbiecki October 10, 2023 (3:44 pm)

    I am very grateful for your identification of the ship. I want to raise a niggling point but one that might resonate with other Navy veterans. After decommissioning, the prefix USS is no longer appropriate as it is not before the ship is commissioned. The proper identification is Bunker Hill, formerly CG-52. A small point but no one wants seem to be equating a United States Ship or USS to a spare-parts hulk. Again, thank you to Gary Jones. I really do appreciate the news of Bunker Hill making the transit. Mark Lorbiecki

    • WSB October 10, 2023 (4:18 pm)

      Thank you. I looked up the Navy Style Guide and tweaked slightly to conform with that. – TR

    • sbre October 10, 2023 (5:09 pm)

      Great to learn, thanks Mark.

  • Rhonda October 10, 2023 (4:53 pm)

    The military can NEVER have too many spare parts. She’ll continue to serve her country well in this capacity.

  • Ex-Westwood Resident October 11, 2023 (9:32 am)

    Another way to identify decommissioned US Navy ships is to identify them with the “Ex”, i.e. the above ship is the Ex-USS Bunker Hill CG-52.

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