USS Truxtun (DLGN-35)

• Name and Class: USS Truxtun (DLGN-35) was the lead ship of her class of nuclear-powered guided missile cruisers, originally designated as a "destroyer leader" (DLGN) before being reclassified as a cruiser (CGN-35) in 1975. • Namesake: The ship was named after Commodore Thomas Truxtun, a distinguished naval officer during the Quasi-War with France and one of the first six captains appointed to the U.S. Navy by President George Washington. • Nuclear Power: Truxtun was only the fourth nuclear-powered surface ship in the U.S. Navy, following USS Long Beach, USS Enterprise, and USS Bainbridge. She had a unique nuclear power plant, not shared with any other ship. • Commissioning: USS Truxtun was commissioned on 27 May 1967 at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, with Captain Harold M. Ryan as her first commanding officer. • Vietnam War Service: The ship saw extensive service in the Vietnam War, providing plane guard, search and rescue, and anti-aircraft support for aircraft carriers operating on Yankee Station in the Gulf of Tonkin. • Operation Frequent Wind: In 1975, Truxtun participated in Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of Saigon, helping to protect U.S. and allied ships during the final days of the Vietnam conflict. • Persian Gulf Deployments: Truxtun served multiple tours in the Persian Gulf, supporting operations during the Iran Hostage Crisis and Operation Earnest Will, escorting reflagged Kuwaiti tankers during the Iran-Iraq War. • Humanitarian Mission: In August 1980, Truxtun rescued 42 Vietnamese refugees from a small boat in the South China Sea, exemplifying the Navy's humanitarian outreach during the Southeast Asian refugee crisis. • Unique Armament: Truxtun was initially armed with Terrier surface-to-air missiles, ASROC anti-submarine rockets, torpedoes, and later upgraded with Standard missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and Phalanx CIWS for close-in defense. • Decommissioning and Fate: Truxtun was decommissioned on 11 September 1995 after nearly 30 years of service. Her nuclear reactors were defueled and removed, and her hull was scrapped by 1999 in Bremerton, Washington.