USS Harlan R. Dickson (DD-708)

• Namesake: USS Harlan R. Dickson (DD-708) was named after Lieutenant Harlan Rockey Dickson, a naval aviator who was killed in action during the Battle of Midway in June 1942. • Class: She was an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer, one of the highly successful classes of destroyers built for the US Navy during World War II. • Commissioning: The ship was commissioned on 17 February 1945, too late to see action in World War II, but she played an important role in postwar operations. • Postwar Service: After shakedown and training cruises, she helped with the occupation of Japan and participated in postwar operations in the Pacific. • Korean War: Although not deployed to Korea, USS Harlan R. Dickson helped maintain readiness during the Korean War and participated in NATO exercises in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. • Cuban Missile Crisis: The ship played a part in the naval quarantine of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, helping enforce the blockade. • Rescue Operations: On 13 February 1947, she rescued 18 crew members from the burning merchant ship SS John A. Quitman off Bermuda. • Training Ship: In her later years, she served as a Naval Reserve training ship, helping to train thousands of reservists and midshipmen. • Decommissioning: USS Harlan R. Dickson was decommissioned on 1 July 1972 after 27 years of service and was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on the same day. • Final Fate: She was sold for scrap in 1976, concluding a distinguished career that spanned nearly three decades of US naval history.