USS John Young (DD-973)

• Spruance-class Destroyer: USS John Young (DD-973) was a Spruance-class destroyer, one of the largest and most technologically advanced destroyer classes built by the United States Navy during the Cold War era. • Namesake: The ship was named after Captain John Young, a decorated officer who served in the U.S. Navy during the American Revolutionary War and was one of the first officers of the Continental Navy. • Commissioning: USS John Young was commissioned on 20 May 1978, at the Ingalls Shipbuilding yard in Pascagoula, Mississippi. • Vietnamese Boat Lift: In 1979, USS John Young was involved in the rescue of Vietnamese boat people fleeing their country after the Vietnam War, providing humanitarian assistance in the South China Sea. • Operation Earnest Will: The ship participated in Operation Earnest Will in the late 1980s, escorting reflagged Kuwaiti oil tankers through the Persian Gulf during the Iran-Iraq War to protect them from Iranian attacks. • Counter-Narcotics Operations: In the 1990s, USS John Young was deployed to the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific for counter-narcotics operations, interdicting illegal drug shipments. • Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercises: The destroyer regularly participated in RIMPAC, the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise, strengthening alliances with Pacific Rim nations. • Upgrade with Tomahawk Missiles: The ship was upgraded to carry Tomahawk cruise missiles, significantly enhancing its strike capability and keeping it relevant in modern naval warfare. • Final Deployment and Decommissioning: USS John Young’s final operational deployment was to the Persian Gulf in 2001-2002, after which she was decommissioned on 30 September 2002. • Sunk as a Target: On 13 April 2004, the ship was sunk as a target during a training exercise off the coast of Hawaii, serving one final time to help train U.S. and allied forces.