>From the “Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships,” 

(1969) Vol. 4, p.291.





McCLOY





	Lieutenant Commander John McCloy, recipient of two 

Medals of Honor, was born 30 January 1876 at Brewster, N.Y.  

He enlisted in the U.S. Navy 7 March 1903, was warranted 

boatswain 30 July 1903 and commissioned ensign 1 July 1917.  

He received his first Medal of Honor “for distinguished 

conduct in the presence of the enemy in battles of the 13th, 

20th, 21st and 22nd of June 1900, while with the relief 

expedition of the Allied Forces in China.”  His second Medal 

of Honor was awarded to him “for distinguished conduct in 

battle and extraordinary heroism; engagement of Vera Cruz, 

April 22, 1914.”  Immediately after World War I, he 

commanded minesweeper CURLEW clearing the mines of the North 

Sea mine barrage.  For this work he was decorated with the 

Navy Cross.  He retired from active duty, as lieutenant, 

15 October 1928 and on 23 February 1942 was promoted to 

lieutenant commander, retired.  He died 25 May 1945 at 

Leonia, N.J., and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.





DE-1038

Displacement:  2,650 t. (full load)

Length:  371’6”

Beam:  40’8”

Draft:  14’

Speed:  25+ k.

Complement:  193

Armament:  3 3”; 2 torpedo tubes; ASROC, DASH

Class:  BRONSTEIN



	McCLOY was laid down by the Avondale Shipyards, Inc., 

Westwego, La., 15 September 1961; launched 9 June 1962; 

sponsored by Mrs. Arthur Winstead; and commissioned 21 

October 1963 at Charleston, S.C., Comdr. Thomas Sherman in 

command.



	Following outfitting and shakedown, McCLOY, assigned to 

Escort Squadron 10, reported to her home port, Newport, 

R.I., in January 1964.  In October, after further 

specialized training, she commenced training sonar 

technicians.  Employed primarily as a schoolship throughout 

1965, she also tested new ASW weapons systems for the 

Operational Test and Evaluation Force.  During this period 

she enhanced her training and testing capabilities as well 

as her operational abilities by participating in joint 

United States-Canadian exercises in the spring and fall and 

in ASW exercises at the end of the year.



	In 1966, cruises saw her in the Bermuda area for NATO 

exercises (April); off the New England and Virginia coasts 

for convoy escort and ASW exercises (June, July, and 

August); and in the Caribbean for fleet tactical exercises 

(November-December).  From 16 January until 24 May 1967 she 

participated in Match Maker II.  This operation, which took 

McCLOY from the Caribbean to northern Europe, was conducted 

jointly by American, Dutch, British, and Canadian ships.  In 

what was called "Cross Pollinization," McCLOYmen transferred 

to the Dutch destroyer LIMBURG (D-814) and the British 

frigate BERWICK (F-115) while men of those ships came on 

board the American escort vessel.



	McCLOY spent the last half of 1967 and the first months 

of 1968 at Boston, undergoing overhaul.  She got underway 

again in March and sailed south, the next month, for 

refresher training at Guantanamo Bay.  Returning to Newport 

in June, she departed again 8 July for another extended 

cruise.  On the 11th, she arrived at San Juan where she 

joined naval units of the United States, Brazil, and 

Colombia for UNITAS IX.  On the 15th, they commenced a 

clockwise circumnavigation of South America which first 

involved ships and planes of eight nations in exercises in 

the Atlantic, then around the Horn to the Pacific for more 

of the same, and finally through the Panama Canal back into 

the Caribbean before the end of the year.  She continues her 

operations in the Atlantic into 1969.



	[Redesignated frigate FF-1038 on 30 June 1975, McCLOY 

was decommissioned on 14 December 1990, stricken from the 

Navy Register on 4 October 1991 and transferred to Mexico on 

16 November 1993.  Renamed frigate NICOLAS BRAVO (E-40), as 

of May 1998, she is still on active duty with the Mexican 

Navy.



K. Jack Bauer and Stephen S. Roberts, “Register of Ships of 

the U. S. Navy, 1775-1990,” p.241.

Internet Site:  

	United States Naval & Shipbuilding Museum

		www.uss-salem.org

“Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World, 

1998-99,” p.510.]





Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com