USS Keppler (DD-765)

• Name and Namesake: USS Keppler (DD-765) was named in honor of Reinhardt J. Keppler, a U.S. Navy sailor posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for heroic actions during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in World War II. • Gearing-class Destroyer: Keppler was a Gearing-class destroyer, one of the most prolific classes of destroyers built by the United States during and after World War II. • Launch and Commissioning: She was launched on June 24, 1946 by Bethlehem Steel Company in San Francisco and commissioned into service on May 23, 1947. • Korean War Service: USS Keppler served in the Korean War, participating in naval gunfire support, screening aircraft carriers, and patrolling the Sea of Japan. • Cold War Deployments: Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Keppler took part in numerous Atlantic and Mediterranean deployments, supporting NATO exercises and U.S. foreign policy. • Cuban Missile Crisis: In October 1962, Keppler took part in the naval quarantine of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis, helping enforce the U.S. blockade. • Vietnam War: Keppler saw combat service during the Vietnam War, providing naval gunfire support and carrier escort duties for U.S. operations off the Vietnamese coast. • Famous Rescue: In 1966, she rescued survivors from the Greek freighter SS Ioannis P. Goulandris, which had collided with another ship off the U.S. East Coast. • FRAM I Modernization: Keppler underwent the Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM I) program in the early 1960s, which upgraded her anti-submarine warfare capabilities to meet Cold War threats. • Decommissioning and Fate: USS Keppler was decommissioned on July 1, 1972, and later sold for scrap in 1975, ending her notable 25 years of active service.