| abstract | - USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) is a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, and the third United States Navy ship of that name. It was named in honor of John Paul Jones' famous frigate, which he had named the French language equivalent of "Good Man Richard," in honor of Benjamin Franklin, the U.S. Ambassador to France at the time. The name Bonhomme Richard is derived from the pen name of Benjamin Franklin, the author of Poor Richard's Almanac. The contract to build her was awarded to Ingalls Shipbuilding on 11 December 1992, and her keel was laid down on 18 April 1995. She was launched on 14 March 1997, delivered to the Navy on 12 May 1998, and commissioned on 15 August 1998. On 23 April 2012, the Bonhomme Richard switched homeports San Diego, California to Sasebo, Japan when she took the place of the USS Essex (LHD-2) as the command ship for Expeditionary Strike Group Seven.
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