USS BROWNSON (DD-868)

USS **Brownson** (DD-868) was a Gearing-class destroyer commissioned by the United States Navy in 1945, shortly after the end of World War II. Named in honor of Rear Admiral Willard H. Brownson, she served primarily in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, participating in numerous NATO exercises and Cold War operations. Brownson was modernized as part of the Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) program in the early 1960s, enhancing her anti-submarine warfare capabilities. She also saw action during the Vietnam War, providing naval gunfire support before being decommissioned in 1976 and subsequently transferred to the Hellenic Navy.