USS Strong (DD-758)

• Namesake: USS Strong (DD-758) was named in honor of Rear Admiral James H. Strong, who distinguished himself at the Battle of Mobile Bay during the American Civil War. • Class and Type: She was an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer, a class known for improved anti-aircraft capabilities and better seakeeping over their predecessors. • Commissioning: USS Strong was commissioned on 8 March 1945, near the end of World War II, at the Bethlehem Steel Company in San Francisco, California. • World War II Service: Though commissioned during WWII, she saw only brief service in the Pacific as the war ended shortly after her arrival, performing occupation and patrol duties off Japan. • Korean War Action: The destroyer served valiantly during the Korean War, providing naval gunfire support, screening aircraft carriers, and participating in blockade operations along the Korean Peninsula. • Notable Rescue: On 16 September 1950, USS Strong rescued 18 survivors from the South Korean steamer Chinnampo, which had been sunk by enemy action during Korean War operations. • Cold War Deployments: Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, she took part in numerous peacetime deployments, including patrols in the Taiwan Strait and participation in Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) exercises. • Vietnam War Service: USS Strong provided naval gunfire support during the Vietnam War, assisting ground forces and conducting search and rescue operations for downed pilots. • Modernization: In the early 1960s, she underwent Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) upgrades, which extended her service life and improved her anti-submarine warfare capabilities. • Final Fate: Decommissioned on 31 October 1973, USS Strong was transferred to Greece, where she served as HS Apostolis (D216) until being scrapped in the 1990s.