USS CHARLES R WARE (DD 865)

• Namesake: USS Charles R. Ware (DD-865) was named in honor of Lieutenant Charles Rollins Ware, a naval aviator who was killed during the Battle of Midway in World War II and posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. • Class and Commissioning: She was a Gearing-class destroyer, commissioned on 21 July 1945 at the close of World War II. • Post-WWII Service: Although too late for World War II combat, Ware participated in occupation duties in the Pacific, including visits to Japan, China, and Korea in 1946. • Cold War Operations: The ship served extensively in the Atlantic and Mediterranean during the Cold War, often as part of the U.S. Sixth Fleet, supporting NATO operations and monitoring Soviet naval activity. • Korean War Involvement: USS Charles R. Ware operated as a plane guard for aircraft carriers during the Korean War, helping to rescue downed pilots and supporting carrier operations off Korea. • Rescue Mission: In 1957, the destroyer played a key role in rescuing the crew of a crashed seaplane in the Mediterranean, demonstrating the ship's versatility and crew's readiness. • FRAM Modernization: She underwent Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) in the early 1960s, receiving updated antisubmarine warfare equipment, including ASROC and DASH drone helicopters. • Cuban Missile Crisis: During the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, Ware was deployed in the Atlantic as part of the naval quarantine, helping to enforce the U.S. blockade of Cuba. • Arctic Circle Crossing: The ship participated in NATO exercises above the Arctic Circle, earning the "Blue Nose" distinction for her crew, a naval tradition for crossing into Arctic waters. • Final Fate: Decommissioned in 1974, USS Charles R. Ware was sold to the Greek Navy, where she served as Bouboulina (D-76) until her final decommissioning and scrapping in 1997.