USS Richmond K Turner DLG-20

• Namesake: USS Richmond K. Turner (DLG-20/CG-20) was named after Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner, a prominent World War II naval commander known for his leadership in amphibious operations in the Pacific Theater. • Class and Type: The ship was a Leahy-class guided missile cruiser, originally designated as a “destroyer leader” (DLG-20) before being reclassified as a cruiser (CG-20) in 1975. • Commissioning: USS Richmond K. Turner was commissioned on June 13, 1964, at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. • Vietnam War Service: The ship served multiple tours in the Vietnam War, providing naval gunfire support, search and rescue operations, and acting as a plane guard for aircraft carriers. • Missile Armament: She was among the first ships equipped with the Terrier surface-to-air missile system, designed for fleet air defense during the Cold War. • Middle East Deployments: In the 1980s, Richmond K. Turner participated in Operation Earnest Will, escorting reflagged Kuwaiti tankers in the Persian Gulf during the Iran-Iraq War. • Lebanon Peacekeeping: In 1983, the ship provided naval gunfire support for U.S. Marines in Beirut, Lebanon, during the multinational peacekeeping mission. • Technological Upgrades: Over her career, the ship received several upgrades, including the addition of Tomahawk cruise missile launchers, enhancing her strike capabilities. • Decommissioning and Fate: USS Richmond K. Turner was decommissioned on April 13, 1995, and later sunk as a target during a fleet training exercise in 1998. • Nicknamed "The Rich Kid": Crew members affectionately called the ship “The Rich Kid,” a play on her namesake’s initials and the ship’s reputation for advanced technology and capabilities.