▁is ▁the ▁nin th ▁, ▁named ▁in ▁honor ▁of ▁Hospital man ▁Francis ▁Col ton ▁Hamm ond , ▁a ▁Medal ▁of ▁Honor ▁recip ient . ▁ ▁Const ruction ▁ ▁She ▁was ▁originally ▁designed ▁as ▁a ▁Kno x - class ▁ocean ▁esc ort ▁( DE - 1 0 6 7 ), ▁and ▁was ▁built ▁by ▁Tod d ▁Sh ip y ards , ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Division , ▁San ▁Pedro , ▁California . ▁The ▁ship ' s ▁ke el ▁was ▁laid ▁on ▁ 1 5 ▁July ▁ 1 9 6 7 . ▁She ▁was ▁launched ▁on ▁ 1 1 ▁May ▁ 1 9 6 8 ; ▁spons ored ▁by ▁Mrs . ▁Ph yll is ▁Hamm ond ▁Smith ▁( wid ow ▁of ▁Hospital man ▁Hamm ond ). ▁The ▁ship ▁was ▁commission ed ▁at ▁Long ▁Beach ▁Naval ▁Sh ip yard , ▁Long ▁Beach , ▁California ▁on ▁ 2 5 ▁July ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁with ▁Commander ▁John ▁E . ▁El more ▁in ▁command . ▁ ▁Design ▁and ▁description ▁The ▁Kno x - class ▁design ▁was ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁ ▁modified ▁to ▁extend ▁range ▁and ▁without ▁a ▁long - range ▁miss ile ▁system . ▁The ▁ships ▁had ▁an ▁overall ▁length ▁of ▁, ▁a ▁beam ▁of ▁ ▁and ▁a ▁draft ▁of ▁. ▁They ▁disp la ced ▁ ▁at ▁full ▁load . ▁Their ▁crew ▁consisted ▁of ▁ 1 3 ▁officers ▁and ▁ 2 1 1 ▁en list ed ▁men . ▁ ▁The ▁ships ▁were ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁one ▁West ing house ▁ge ared ▁steam ▁tur bine ▁that ▁drove ▁the ▁single