Accession NumberP525Title (extended title only)Plaque - USS O'BrienDescriptionLarge sized wooden plaque with raised brass plate motif and logo of USS O’Brien – Gold presentation plate inscribed with ‘To The Mayor of Freemantle (sic) Mr. Richard Utting – with great appreciation From the Officers and Crew of USS O’Brien (DD-975) Date22nd July 1998ProvenanceUSS O'Brien (DD-975) was a Spruance-class destroyer built by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries at Pascagoula, Mississippi. It was named for Captain Jeremiah O'Brien and his five brothers: Gideon, John, William, Dennis and Joseph. The O'Briens were crew members on board the sloop Unity, which captured HMS Margaretta at the entrance to Machias harbor on 12 June 1775. O’Brien was decommissioned on 24 September 2004, and was later sunk as part of a training exercise in 2006.
The ship had served in the Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean and Persian Gulf theatres. It also served in East Timor during InterfetRelevance to the CityThe City of Fremantle has a long association with the US Navy. USS O’Brien visited Fremantle on a few occasions. This plaque likely dates from the 1998 visit