USS RICH DD820

USS RICH (DD-820) was a Gearing-class destroyer commissioned by the United States Navy in July 1946. Named in honor of Lieutenant (junior grade) Ralph McMaster Rich, a Navy pilot killed in action during World War II, the ship served extensively during the Cold War era. Throughout her career, USS RICH participated in numerous NATO exercises, Mediterranean deployments with the 6th Fleet, and provided support during the Cuban Missile Crisis and Vietnam War. Decommissioned in 1977, she was later sold for scrap, having served over three decades as a vital component of the U.S. Navy's destroyer force.