USS ERNEST G. SMALL (DDR-838)

USS Ernest G. Small (DDR-838) was a Gearing-class destroyer commissioned by the United States Navy in 1945. Named after Medal of Honor recipient Ernest G. Small, the ship served with distinction in World War II's final months and was later active during the Korean War, providing naval gunfire support and screening aircraft carriers. In 1951, she was severely damaged by a mine off the coast of Korea but was repaired and modernized, returning to service as a radar picket destroyer (DDR). USS Ernest G. Small continued to serve through the Cold War, participating in various operations and deployments until her decommissioning in 1970.