US NAVY Ship USS PONCE Challenge Coin 1971 2012 Proud Lion

Description: VISIT MY STORE / VISITA MI TIENDASOBRE 1,000 SUBASTAS MENSUALES / OVER 1,000 MONTHLY AUCTIONS GANE $1 x CADA $20 COMPRADO / EARN $1 PER $20 BOUGHTANA, TNA, NTCA, ECI, CC>CC, NGC, USNS - U.S.S. PONCE - Honoring the City of Ponce PUERTO RICO Medalla ConmemorativaCeremonia de Rehabilitación y Rededicación, Abril 17,2012.SPANISH :Esta subasta es por una (1) hermosa y limitadísima medalla del barco (Ciudad de) Ponce, de la Marina de Guerra Norteamericana. El Navy sigue la tradición de ponerle nombres de ciudades a buques medianos (los portaaviones tienen nombres de presidentes, los acorazados: nombres de estados, etc) El Ponce (botado en 1971) honra la ciudad americana de Ponce del Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, honrado posteriormente con el submarino nuclear San Juan (1986) y anteriormente Crucero de Guerra San Juan en 1941, el USS Culebra Island, y el super famoso carguero USS Mayaguez, por estar en la última batalla de la guerra de Vietnam. La medalla del Ponce consiste en 1oz de bronce esmaltado y bimetálico con niquel cromado, 38mm diámetro y 3mm de grueso. El Ponce, con 40 años de servicio, estaba destinado a ser decomisionado y desmantelado en el 2011, pero debido a sus multiples capacidades como transporte de equipo y tropas de asalto a gran velocidad, porta helicópteros, y barre minas, ademas de su valiosa aportación a los rebeldes de Libia, transportando equipos a Iraq, y manteniendo el Golfo Pérsico limpio de las minas de Irán, sumado a la crisis económica americana, se decide: no sólo que sale mas barato remodelarle que hacer un barco nuevo, sino que tambien se le convierte en la primera "base de operaciones" flotante de la armada americana. Así que con pintura y capota, a sus 42 años el barco de nombre Boricua sigue vacilando por el mundo... Esta medalla se hace para la ceremonia de re-dedicación, luego de un año de reparaciones, en abril del 2012. Se hicieron estas 300 piezas con error: el fabricante escribió AFSB(1)-15, en vez de AFSB(I)-15. Se tuvo que hacer 300 piezas correctas y repartirse entre los marinos. Las piezas malas se repartieron entre los familiares, contratistas civiles, y marinos, que se quedaron sin la buena. Tuve la suerte de contactar el oficial que las comisionó, rematándole y conseguiendo todo el lote sobrante sin repartir, íntegro. Nadie mas en el mundo la tiene para revender o repartir.ANVERSO:Muestra al León rugiente (símbolo de Ponce, ciudad cuyo nombre existe en homenaje a Ponce de León), común en la heráldica española, simbolizando fuerza y coraje. Sus pezuñas significan que anda listo para atacar. Le flanquean 2 banderines con 7 estrellas que son los 7 mares, y un tridente de Neptuno, el dios mitológico griego que reina los mares. El nombre United States Ship PONCE está encadenado a las letras iniciales de su propósito Afloat Forward Staging Base (Interim -hasta que un barco nuevo lo sustituya) -15 (#15 de 15 barcos de su tipo) Todo simboliza el deseo de Estados Unidos en dominar los mares manteniendo la paz (color blanco) y la mision del Ponce el ayudarle hacer esto. REVERSO: Bella composición bimetálica donde el barco, que sobresale por su brillo, aparece tridimencional, como casi saliendo de entre las aguas, sujetado por un león feroz que le protege en todo momento. La frase "el león orgulloso" es la que usan sus 500 tripulantes cada vez que representan a su barco en actividades atléticas contra equipos de otros barcos de la armada.ENGLISH :Howdy! This auction is for one (1) Naval military medal recently given during the newly finished refurbishment and consequent re-dedication ceremony of the Amphibious Transport Dock, now Afloat Forward Staging Base USS Ponce 15. The medal is dollar sized 38mm and is made of a bronze core, enameled on one side and bimetal with chromed nickel plate on the other. It is one of only 300 made. This medal had an error: Instead of carrying the designation AFSB(I)-15, it has AFSB(1)-15. As it was not going to be well received by the brass, a corrected version was hastily made and given out to most sailors. The wrong version was given out to family members, civilian contractors, and remainder sailors who did not received the corrected version. I was able to purchase the entire lot of the remaining pieces left from that ceremony. HISTORY IN ENGLISH: (From Wikipedia) USS Ponce (LPD-15), an Austin-class amphibious transport dock, is the only ship of the United States Navy that is named for Ponce in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, which in turn was named after the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon, the first governor of Puerto Rico and European discoverer of Florida. Her Keel was laid down on 31 October 1966 by the Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company of Seattle, Washington. She was launched on 20 May 1970 sponsored by Mrs. John J. Hyland, and commisioned on 10 July 1971 Name: USS Ponce Namesake: Ponce, Puerto Rico, City In The Commonwealth Of Puerto Rico Ordered: 17 May 1965 Builder: Lockheed Shipbuilding Laid down: 31 October 1966 Launched: 20 May 1970 Commissioned: 10 July 1971 Homeport: Norfolk, Virginia Status: Deployed Badge: Class & type: Austin-class amphibious transport dock Displacement: 8883 tons light, 16591 tons full, 7708 tons dead Length: 173.7 meters (570 ft) overall, 167 meters (548 ft) waterline Beam: 30.4 meters (100 ft) extreme, 25.6 meters (84 ft) waterline Draft: 6.7 meters (22 ft) maximum, 7 meters (23 ft) limit Speed: 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) Complement: 29 officers, 487 men Armament: • 8 × .50 caliber gun mounts • 2 x 20 mm Phalanx CIWS 2 x 25 mm Mk 38 Mod 2[1]1980s and 1990s On 2 February 1982 during a towing exercise while en route to Portsmouth, England, Ponce collided with USS Fort Snelling (LDS-30), causing minor damage to Ponce's port side, mainly to the accommodation ladder and flight deck catwalk. On 14 February 1984, while attempting to move an assault craft to Radio Island, near Moorhead City, North Carolina, Ponce suffered a major casualty when her stern gate was damaged and eventually lost. She was later repaired in Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. On 5 August 1990 as part of Operation Sharp Edge to remove US citizens caught in civil war in Liberia, Ponce, together with other 3 ships, inserted a United States Marine Corps reinforced rifle company into the U.S. Embassy compound in Monrovia for increased security. In 1991 June -December Ponce completed a six month deployment to the Mediterranean Sea, and was part of Operation Desert Shield and supported Operation Desert Storm. In the first half of 1992, Ponce completed a four month maintenance availability in Norfolk. In June she took on midshipmen for a training cruise off the Virginia Capes, which earned her the "CORTRAMID '92 Surface Warrior of the Week". In September she arrived in Miami for Hurricane Andrew relief efforts. In October she commenced counter drug operations in the Caribbean with a USCG Law Enforcement Detachment on board. On 17 March 1993 the Ponce departed on a six-month deployment to the Mediterranean Sea with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit in support of Operations “Deny Flight” and “Provide Promise”. She was accompanied by the USS Saipan and USS Pensacola. During the deployment she operated bilaterally with Greek units in exercise "Alexandros '93" and conducted amphibious landing exercises with the Tunisians in "Phiblex '93".2000s On 29 August 2001 Ponce crewmembers boarded two derelict Italian boats, a 19-foot motorboat and a 12-foot sailboat, in the Straits of Messina, between Sicily and Calabria. The civilian vessels were adrift, creating a navigational hazard. A boarding party in a rigid hull inflatable boat found both derelicts unmanned, though the motorboat was well stocked. They towed both boats back to Ponce, which flooded her welldeck, brought the boats aboard, carried them into Catania, and turned them over to the Italian Coast Guard. On 10 January 2003 Ponce received orders to depart Norfolk, VA., and take on Marines from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina for the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. That duty kept Ponce at sea through February. At the end of February, she became the flagship of the Commander of Mine Countermeasure Squadron Three, designated as Commander, Task Group 55.4. The Task Group included a US Navy special clearance team, two explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) units, a detachment of MH53E Sea Dragon helicopters from Helicopters Mine Countermeasures Squadron 14, a United Kingdom unit and an Australian team. The ships involved included the mine coastal hunters USS Cardinal (MHC-60) and Raven (MHC-61), mine counter measure ships Ardent (MCM-12) and Dextrous (MCM-13), and Dock Landing Ship Gunston Hall (LSD-44). After breaking the Squadron's pennant at her yardarm, Ponce's crew (and Gunston Hall's) enjoyed liberty ashore in Manama, Bahrain, beginning on 28 February. On 5 March, however, the amphibious ships got underway again. Humanitarian aid to Iraq was being blocked by naval mines in the Khawr Abd Allah river and the port of Umm Qasr. The weeks-long minesweeping operation was directed from Ponce, the flagship of the Task Group. The Group used a variety of methods, including MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopters towing magnetic minesweeping sleds, trained marine mammals, unmanned underwater vehicles and EOD divers. On 28 March a 200-yard-wide channel was declared safe, and RFA Sir Galahad (L3005) docked at Umm Qasr Port and began offloading hundreds of tons of food and water. Work continued for weeks after that, widening the channel. On 25 March 2005, Ponce again departed Norfolk, deploying with the Kearsarge Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) for six months. Following a port visit to Augusta Bay, Sicily, Ponce spent three months in the Persian Gulf conducting operations in support of the global War on Terrorism. While in the Gulf, she made port visits to Bahrain and Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates. Ponce departed the Gulf in August 2005. On 19 August, Ponce was in the Gulf of Aqaba awaiting the underway movement of the USS Ashland to allow the USS Ponce to dock pier side. While the USS Ashland was in the process the Katyusha rocket attack occurred on the USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) and Ashland. Ponce remained in the Gulf for over a week in response to the attack. Ponce conducted port visits to Malta and Rota, Spain before returning to Norfolk on 27 September.2010s On 2 March 2011, Ponce, along with Kearsarge, traveled through the Suez Canal in response to the 2011 Libyan civil war. Later, the U.S. Sixth Fleet commander (C6F) relieved the commanding officer and executive officer of Ponce. As a result of a hazing inquiry, Vice Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr., relieved Cmdr. Etta Jones, Ponce's commanding officer, due to demonstrated poor leadership, and failure to appropriately investigate, report, and hold accountable sailors found involved in hazing incidents. Additionally, she failed to properly handle a loaded weapon during a security alert which endangered some of her ship's crew. The relief of the executive officer, Lt. Cmdr. Kurt Boenisch, was attributed to failure to provide support to the command and to his commanding officer. On 26 October 2011, Ponce began a three week tour which would take her to Port Canaveral, Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and her namesake City of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Upon her return to Norfolk, in December 2011, she was to begin the process of decommissioning. On 2 December 2011, Ponce came home to await decommissioning on 30 March 2012, when she would be towed to the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Naval Shipyard and be placed with the mothball fleet, likely to await being sold for scrap in consideration of her age and accumulation of rust; however a contract was let for a rush retrofit for the ship to be re-deployed as the first of a planned series of mine-countermeasures warships for use in keeping open strategic sea lanes. On 17 April 2012, Ponce received a new commanding officer when Capt. Jon P. Rodgers relieved Cmdr. Cole Hayes. On 1 June 2012, Ponce deployed to the Fifth Fleet area in the Middle East. She arrived in Bahrain on 5 July. Ponce participated in International Mine Countermeasures Exercise 2012 (IMCMEX 2012) between 16 and 27 September 2012, demonstrating the capabilities her "stop-gap" role was intended to fill. On 29 October 2012, Ponce rescued seven Bahraini fishermen whose vessel was foundering in a hailstorm.Afloat Forward Staging Base On 24 January 2012, the Military Sealift Command posted a bid request to retrofit the USS Ponce on a rush-order basis. In response to requests from United States Central Command, the ship was converted to a staging base for mine countermeasures helicopters and ships/boats. The ship was expected to be completely transformed in an estimated four to five months, and the target date for re-deployment to her new role was met. The ship is operated jointly by active-duty Navy officers and sailors, as well as being crewed by government civilian mariners from Military Sealift Command --- some of whom, on her initial cruise in her new role, were more than 60 years old. The USS Ponce was modified as an Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB) to support mine-sweeping MH-53 Sea Dragon helicopters and small mine-clearance vessels. MSC issued requests for proposal to upgrade and refit the ship. The work included upgrading the ship’s navigation systems, bringing habitability up to MSC standards and general refurbishment. The Ponce was designated as AFSB(I) 15 ("I" for the interim nature of the ship in this role, until purpose-built vessels come on line in 2015). The ship is now in the Persian Gulf to serve as the Pentagon's first floating staging base for military operations or humanitarian assistance."PONCE UPON A TIME" November 23, 2011Posted in: Christenings & Commissionings, ship The following blog post was written by Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Fuels) 2nd Class Robert De Soto, assigned to USS Ponce (LPD 15). Over its nearly 41-year history, the ship has made numerous visits to Puerto Rico, but only three to the namesake city of Ponce. This particular visit to the warship’s namesake city holds special significance because it’s the ship’s last port call before beginning its decommissioning process in December and final relief of duty in early 2012. Heading to our ship’s namesake city of Ponce, Puerto Rico, we sailed on to the horizon as small shapes of mountainous landscape appeared in the distance. I shifted from the port to starboard catwalk to see which offered the best view as the land masses grew bigger. At first look, Ponce was not what I had imagined a “pueblo” of the “Island of Enchantment” to look like. Cargo cranes filled the skyline as a small city lay scattered around a beautiful backdrop of green slopes. We were greeted by a group of local dancers and musicians playing and dancing to music on the pier. My first place to visit was called “La Guancha” where small restaurants and cantinas filled a boardwalk. I tried a beef steak called a “churasco” which reminded me of a Mexican dish I’ve had before called “carne asada,” a nice reminder of my home in Los Angeles. The locals were polite and friendly although I feel military personnel seem to get this sort of quiet acknowledgement everywhere we go. The weather was very temperate considering the time of year. I was told by family that the weather back in Norfolk was already dropping down to the low 40’s while I was lounging in 80 degree weather down at the Hilton hotel. Here, there was a pool surrounded by palm trees. A small private beach lay on the outskirts of the hotel providing an area to lie out on the sand and soak up the sun. This was beginning to feel like the island experience I had imagined. My second day out confirmed what I had imagined. At first I was reluctant to go out because I was exhausted just having come off duty. A couple of shipmates had asked me to go with them to San Juan (I am able to speak a little Spanish). We drove around the city of Ponce and saw all the local favorite restaurants and attractions. Then it was off to San Juan. Our first stop was San Cristobal Castle. I looked up in amazement at the aging towers looming over the Northern Coast. I imagined how soldiers must have once felt looking out at the same ocean hundreds of years before. We drove through downtown which blended the small streets of a Spanish village with the shops of a major city. My trip was complete. On our way back to the ship I couldn’t help but think of how fortunate I was to have the opportunity to not only see the namesake city of our ship but the island on which it is on as a whole. A feeling of pride enveloped me as I felt that I was helping to carry this name around the world in support of a better way of life and the freedom that I was getting to enjoy. I will remember this visit for the rest of my life. ENVIO / SHIPPING : EMPAQUE / PACKAGINGEnviamos dentro de mica, cartón, cápsula, o protector acrílico, envuelto entre cartón grueso o burbuja, dentro de sobre o caja sellado con cinta adhesiva a los 4 lados. Haremos todo lo posible por resolver su problema y ganar su satisfacción. Algunas medalla o moneda quizá sea enviada en cápsula de acrílico como cortesía nuestra. Debido a que usted pagó por la medalla o moneda, y no por la cápsula, nosotros no somos responsables de reemplazar cápsulas recibidas rotas. Debido a que las medallas vienen con alguna que otra imperfección de fábrica, es normal que una medalla contenga algún rayacito o cantacito mínimo de lo cual no somos responsables. Las antiguedades que vendemos tienen imperfecciones por vejez, uso y desgaste, que pudieran no reflejarse en las fotos. Por eso sólo reemplazaremos o devolveremos dinero en caso de mercancía recibida gravemente dañada. Clientes que abusen con reclamaciones exageradas e infundadas serán bloqueados en el futuro. Items are put inside plastic wrap, coin flip or capsule, foam insert, card protector, bank note jacket, FDC jacket, or similar protective method, then shipped padded within card board or bubble wrap inside an envelope or box. We’ll do everything we can to help you and get your 5 stars. Some medals or coins may be shipped inside plastic capsules as a courtesy of ours. Because you paid for a medal or coin, and not for an acrylic capsule, we are not to be held responsible over capsules received cracked or broken. Medals received from the factory will feature minor scratches or nicks over which we shouldn't be held responsible. Likewise, vintage items we sell may feature imperfections due to age, tear, and wear, which may not reflect on the photos. Due to this, we will only replace or provide refund on items received greatly damaged. Clients maliciously seeking to take advantage of the system by placing bogus or exaggerated claims will be blocked from making future business with us.GASTOS DE ENVIO/ SHIPPING CHARGESSUBASTAS pagan envío: 1er ítem gano pagará $2.99 o más; cada ítem adicional pagará $1.99 de envío. (a menos que se indique lo contrario)AUCTION ITEMS will pay: 1st Auction item won pays either $2.99 or MORE. Each additional item will pay $1.99 each. (unless otherwise noted) EXTRANJEROS / INTERNATIONAL BUYERSPara más seguridad y proteger su inversión, utilizamos el Sistema de Envío Global Ebay. Si desea método alterno debe informarme antes de comprar. El comprador pagará los gastos de envío, incluyendo seguro y código de seguimeinto. NO ENVIAMOS SIN SEGURO PAGO.To insure your investment, we use Ebay’s Global Shipment system. If you want another method we must be asked prior to any purchase. Buyers will pay all shipping charges, to include insurance and tracking. WE WON’T SHIP ITEMS UNINSURED!PAGO TARDE / LATE PAYMENT POLICYPara facilitar y aligerar el proceso de envíos, hemos automatizado nuestro sistema de cobro: EBay procesará todo comprador malicioso que no haya saldado su compra en 7 días.Due to the large amount of items being sold, and to streamline expedient shipping process, effective APRIL 3, 2014 Ebay's automated non-payer assistant will start processing orders not paid within 7 days of purchase.NO EXCEPTIONS! TIEMPO DE ENVIO / WAITING TIMETodos los artículos serán procesados y enviados dentro de 10 dias laborables a partir de la fecha de pago. Visitamos el correo sólo 1 vez por semana, y NO somos responsables por artículos que tarden más de lo debido por culpa del sistema postal. CON SU COMPRA, USTED APRUEBA LO ARRIBA ESCRITO Y SE COMPROMETE A NO QUEJARSE POR RETRASOS EN EL RECIBO DE SUS ARTICULOS, SOBRE LO CUAL NO TENEMOS CONTROL.All items will be processed and shipped within 10 working days from date paid. We ship items only Once a week, and we are definitely not liable for items that might take longer to arrive than expected due to our postal system’s mismanagement. BY PURCHASING FROM US YOU UNDERSTAND OUR POLICIES, AND YOU AGREE NOT TO FILE ANY MALICIOUS COMPLAINT IN REGARDS OF ANY DELAY INCURRED, OVER WHICH WE HAVE NO CONTROL.CANCELACION / PURCHASE RETRACTIONNo cancelamos compras, favor seguir reglas de Ebay.Se puede retraer una puja de artículo en subasta a más de 12 horas antes de terminar la subasta. Se puede retraer una puja de artículo en subasta a menos de 12 horas antes de terminar la subasta, únicamente si se retrae la puja en menos de 1 hora de cometido el error y a más de 1 hora de que cierre la subasta. Toda compra a de artículo a precio fijo necesita del cliente una aprobación de la compra. Una vez el cliente confirma la compra del artículo a precio fijo, el cliente queda comprometido a pagarla.No Purchase Cancellation Allowed:Please remember that every bid is binding. Bidding on multiple identical items should be done only if you intend to buy all of the items. A bid on eBay is considered a contract, and you're obligated to purchase the item. You can retract from bidding if the listing ends in more than 12 hours, or if the listing ends in less than 12 hours, but only if you retract the bid within one hour of placing it. No retraction is allowed within the last 59 minutes of an auction closing. You cannot retract a purchase made through a Buy It Now listing. Once you confirm your purchase, you are obligated to pay the seller.

Price: 17.99 USD

Location: Mansfield, Texas

End Time: 2024-02-18T01:27:10.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD