USS Charles P. Cecil (DD-835)

• Namesake: The USS Charles P. Cecil (DD-835) was named after Rear Admiral Charles Purcell Cecil, a naval officer who was killed in an aircraft accident in 1944 during World War II. • Class: She was a Gearing-class destroyer, part of a large and distinguished class of US Navy destroyers built during and after World War II. • Commissioning: The ship was commissioned on 29 June 1945, just as World War II was ending, and thus missed combat in that conflict. • Korean War Service: USS Charles P. Cecil saw action during the Korean War, providing gunfire support and screening aircraft carriers. • Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM): She underwent a major FRAM I modernization in the early 1960s, upgrading her anti-submarine warfare capabilities. • Cuban Missile Crisis: In 1962, the ship participated in the naval "quarantine" (blockade) of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis, helping to intercept Soviet ships. • Vietnam War: The destroyer served off the coast of Vietnam, providing naval gunfire support and escorting aircraft carriers during the conflict. • Collision Incident: In 1967, while operating in the Mediterranean, the Charles P. Cecil collided with the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal, suffering significant damage but remaining afloat. • NATO Exercises: The ship participated in numerous NATO exercises, serving with the US Atlantic Fleet and operating alongside allied navies during the Cold War. • Transfer to Greece: Decommissioned by the US Navy in 1979, she was transferred to the Hellenic Navy, where she served as Apostolis (D216) until 1993.