USS McCaffery (DD-860)

• Namesake: USS McCaffery (DD-860) was named after Lieutenant Colonel Joseph P. McCaffery, a U.S. Marine who was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for heroism during the Battle of Tarawa in World War II. • Gearing-class Destroyer: McCaffery was a Gearing-class destroyer, the last and most advanced class of destroyers produced by the United States during World War II. • Commissioning: The ship was launched on January 12, 1945, and commissioned on July 26, 1945, just before the end of World War II. • Korean War Service: USS McCaffery served in the Korean War, performing a variety of duties including screening aircraft carriers, shore bombardment, and patrol duties. • Cuban Missile Crisis: In 1962, McCaffery participated in the naval quarantine of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis, helping enforce the U.S. blockade against Soviet ships. • Vietnam War Deployments: The destroyer took part in multiple Vietnam War deployments, providing gunfire support, search and rescue, and carrier escort operations in the Gulf of Tonkin. • FRAM Modernization: In the early 1960s, McCaffery underwent the Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) program, receiving upgrades in anti-submarine warfare capabilities, new radar, and sonar systems. • Arctic Operations: The ship participated in NATO’s "Operation Strikeback" in 1957, operating above the Arctic Circle and earning the Blue Nose certificate for crossing the Arctic Circle. • Rescue Operations: In 1958, McCaffery rescued the crew of a burning vessel in the Atlantic, demonstrating the versatility and humanitarian capabilities of U.S. Navy destroyers. • Decommissioning and Fate: USS McCaffery was decommissioned on September 30, 1973, after nearly 30 years of service, and was eventually sold for scrap in 1974.