USN

Shore Intermediate Maintenance Activity (SIMA) Newport, RI, was established to provide essential maintenance and repair services to the U.S. Navy’s Atlantic Fleet ships homeported or visiting the Newport area. Originating during the Cold War era, SIMA Newport played a critical role in ensuring fleet readiness by performing a wide range of technical and logistical support functions, including ship repairs, equipment overhauls, and technical training. The unit worked closely with other naval commands and supported numerous deployments and operations through its skilled workforce. With changes in naval force structure and the drawdown of homeported ships in Newport, SIMA Newport was eventually disestablished in the late 1990s, marking the end of an important chapter in the region’s military support history.

U.S. Naval Communication Station Harold E. Holt, located near Exmouth, Western Australia, was commissioned in 1967 as a joint facility between the United States and Australia. Its primary mission was to provide very low frequency (VLF) radio communications to allied naval forces, particularly submarines operating in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Named after Australian Prime Minister Harold E. Holt, who disappeared in 1967, the station became a key component of Western defense during the Cold War era. Over time, control and operations shifted more towards the Royal Australian Navy, with the U.S. presence gradually reduced.

USS **Basilone (DD-824)** was a Gearing-class destroyer of the United States Navy, named in honor of Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone, a Medal of Honor recipient from World War II. Commissioned in 1949, Basilone served extensively during the Cold War, participating in NATO exercises, Mediterranean deployments, and patrols in the Atlantic. The destroyer also supported operations during the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War, providing naval gunfire support and escort duties. Decommissioned in 1977, USS Basilone was later transferred to the Hellenic Navy of Greece, where she served as *Nearchos* until her retirement.

The USS Bigelow (DD-942) was a Forrest Sherman-class destroyer commissioned by the United States Navy in 1957. Named after Medal of Honor recipient Elmer Charles Bigelow, the ship served primarily in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, participating in various fleet exercises and NATO operations during the Cold War. Bigelow was notable for her role in the naval quarantine during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 and for providing gunfire support during the Vietnam War. After over two decades of service, she was decommissioned in 1982 and eventually scrapped in 1992.

USS Cayuga (LST-1186) was a Newport-class tank landing ship commissioned by the United States Navy in 1970. Designed for rapid deployment of tanks, vehicles, and troops directly onto shore, Cayuga played a significant role during the Vietnam War, providing logistical support and participating in amphibious operations. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, she served with the Pacific Fleet, supporting training exercises, humanitarian missions, and fleet maneuvers. The ship was decommissioned in 1994 after over two decades of distinguished service.

USS Claude V. Ricketts (DDG-5) was a Charles F. Adams-class guided missile destroyer commissioned into the United States Navy in 1962, originally named USS Biddle before being renamed in honor of Admiral Claude V. Ricketts in 1964. The ship served extensively during the Cold War, participating in NATO exercises, Mediterranean deployments, and crisis response operations, including the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Lebanon crisis of 1982. Claude V. Ricketts was notable for being the first American naval ship to operate as a fully integrated multinational crew under the "Mixed Manning Demonstration" with personnel from several NATO countries. After a distinguished career spanning over two decades, the destroyer was decommissioned in 1989 and subsequently scrapped.

USS Compass Island (AG-153) was a United States Navy auxiliary vessel commissioned in 1956, originally converted from the Liberty ship SS Garden Mariner. Designed as a navigational research ship, she played a crucial role in developing and testing the shipboard inertial navigation systems that would later be used in the Navy’s ballistic missile submarine fleet. Compass Island was instrumental in supporting the Polaris missile program by providing a stable platform for cutting-edge navigation experiments. She was decommissioned in 1971, after making significant contributions to naval navigation and missile guidance technologies.

USS Corry (DD-817) was a Gearing-class destroyer commissioned by the United States Navy in 1946. Named after Lieutenant Commander William M. Corry, a World War I naval aviator and Medal of Honor recipient, the ship served primarily in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, participating in NATO exercises and Cold War operations. Corry underwent modernization under the FRAM I (Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization) program in the early 1960s, enhancing her anti-submarine warfare capabilities. The destroyer was decommissioned in 1981 and subsequently transferred to the Hellenic Navy of Greece, serving as Kriezis until her final decommissioning.

USS Dyess (DD-880) was a Gearing-class destroyer commissioned by the United States Navy in 1945. Named in honor of Lieutenant Colonel Aquilla J. Dyess, a Marine Corps hero of World War II, the ship served with distinction during the Cold War era. Dyess participated in multiple Mediterranean deployments with the 6th Fleet, supported Korean War operations, and conducted various Atlantic and Caribbean exercises. The destroyer was decommissioned in 1970 and later transferred to the Greek Navy, where she served as Kimon before being retired.