U.S. Navy

USS Laffey (DD-724) was an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer commissioned by the United States Navy in February 1944. She played a pivotal role during World War II, notably surviving an intense kamikaze attack at Okinawa on April 16, 1945, where she earned the nickname "The Ship That Would Not Die." Laffey also provided anti-aircraft and gunfire support during the Normandy Invasion and later served during the Korean War. After decades of distinguished service, she was decommissioned in 1975 and is now preserved as a museum ship in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

USS Macdonough (DDG-39) was a Farragut-class guided missile destroyer in the United States Navy, commissioned in 1959. Named after Commodore Thomas Macdonough, the ship played a vital role during the Cold War, serving primarily with the Atlantic Fleet. Macdonough participated in key operations such as the Cuban Missile Crisis quarantine in 1962 and undertook multiple Mediterranean deployments with the Sixth Fleet. After three decades of service, the USS Macdonough was decommissioned in 1992 and subsequently scrapped.

USS Mansfield (DD-728) was an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer commissioned by the United States Navy in 1944. She served with distinction during World War II, participating in operations off Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and providing vital gunfire support and rescue missions. During the Korean War, Mansfield was actively engaged in bombardment missions and blockade duties along the Korean Peninsula, earning several battle stars. The destroyer continued her service through the Vietnam War, supporting naval operations before being decommissioned in 1971. Throughout her career, USS Mansfield earned 5 battle stars for World War II, 5 for Korea, and 3 for Vietnam.

USS Mariano G. Vallejo (SSBN-658) was a Benjamin Franklin-class fleet ballistic missile submarine commissioned by the United States Navy in 1966. Named after the Californian military leader and statesman Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, the vessel conducted strategic deterrent patrols armed with Polaris and later Poseidon ballistic missiles during the height of the Cold War. Over nearly three decades of service, she completed numerous patrols as part of the U.S. Navy's nuclear deterrence mission. USS Mariano G. Vallejo was decommissioned in 1995 and subsequently scrapped under the Nuclear-Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program.

USS Maury (AGS-16) was a survey ship of the United States Navy, originally launched as the Liberty ship SS Simon Newcomb in 1944. Converted and commissioned as AGS-16 in 1945, Maury played a critical role in hydrographic surveying operations across the Pacific, supporting both post-World War II occupation forces and Cold War naval operations. The ship's advanced sonar and mapping capabilities contributed significantly to safe navigation and the development of accurate maritime charts. USS Maury was decommissioned in 1969, leaving a legacy of vital contributions to naval oceanography and hydrography.

USS McCloy (DE-1038) was a Knox-class destroyer escort commissioned into the United States Navy in 1963. Named after Medal of Honor recipient Chief Boatswain’s Mate John McCloy, the ship served primarily in anti-submarine warfare roles during the Cold War era. McCloy participated in numerous NATO exercises, Mediterranean deployments, and Atlantic patrols, contributing to joint operations and maritime security. After over two decades of service, she was decommissioned in 1988 and later transferred to the Egyptian Navy.

USS MCKEAN (DD-784) was a Gearing-class destroyer commissioned by the United States Navy in 1945. She served with distinction in the Pacific during the final months of World War II and participated in the Korean War, providing naval gunfire support and screening for carrier task forces. Throughout the Cold War, USS MCKEAN was active in various operations, including deployments to the Western Pacific and support missions during the Vietnam War. After decades of service, she was decommissioned in 1981 and later transferred to the Turkish Navy, where she served as TCG Iskenderun.

USS **Moale (DD-693)** was an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer commissioned by the United States Navy in 1944. She served with distinction in the Pacific Theater during World War II, participating in major operations including the Battle of Leyte Gulf and the Okinawa campaign, where she provided anti-aircraft and fire support. During the Battle of Surigao Strait, Moale played a crucial role in the night torpedo attack against the Japanese Southern Force. After the war, she continued to serve during the Korean War and later as a training ship before being decommissioned in 1973.

USS Navasota (AO-106) was a Cimarron-class fleet oiler commissioned by the United States Navy in 1946. She played a crucial logistical role, supplying fuel to naval vessels during major operations, including the Korean War, Vietnam War, and Cold War deployments. Throughout her service, Navasota conducted numerous underway replenishments, ensuring sustained fleet operations across the Pacific and other theaters. After decades of distinguished service, she was decommissioned in 1975 and later transferred to the Military Sealift Command as USNS Navasota (T-AO-106), before being retired and scrapped.

USS Neosho (AO-143) was a Neosho-class fleet oiler commissioned by the United States Navy in 1954. Designed to support underway replenishment operations, Neosho played a crucial role in refueling ships at sea, enhancing the Navy's global reach during the Cold War. The vessel participated in numerous exercises and deployments, including Mediterranean and Atlantic operations, supporting both peacetime and crisis response missions. After decades of distinguished service, USS Neosho was decommissioned in 1992 and later struck from the Naval Vessel Register.

USS Nitro (AE-2) was an ammunition ship commissioned by the United States Navy in 1921. Serving primarily in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, Nitro played a crucial logistical role, supplying munitions to fleet units during both peacetime operations and World War II. During the war, she supported Allied forces by providing vital ordnance during key campaigns, including the invasions of North Africa and Southern France. After distinguished service, USS Nitro was decommissioned in 1945 and subsequently scrapped in 1949.

USS O’Brien (DD-725) was an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer commissioned by the United States Navy in February 1944. She saw extensive action during World War II, participating in the Normandy Invasion, where she provided naval gunfire support and was damaged by enemy shore batteries. O’Brien later served in the Pacific, supporting operations at Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa, surviving a severe kamikaze attack in April 1945. After the war, she continued to serve through the Korean and Vietnam Wars before being decommissioned in 1972.

USS O'Callahan (DE/FF-1051) was a Garcia-class destroyer escort, later reclassified as a frigate, commissioned by the United States Navy in 1968. Named in honor of Chaplain Lieutenant Commander Joseph T. O’Callahan, a Medal of Honor recipient from World War II, the ship served extensively during the Cold War, conducting anti-submarine warfare operations and participating in training and goodwill missions across the Pacific. USS O'Callahan played a vital role in supporting U.S. naval presence, including operations off the coast of Vietnam in the early 1970s. She was decommissioned in 1989 and later transferred to the Pakistan Navy, where she served as PNS Aslat before being scrapped.

USS Observation Island (EAG-154) was originally built as a Mariner-class cargo ship and launched in 1953. In 1958, she was converted into a missile range instrumentation ship by the United States Navy, playing a key role in the development and testing of the Polaris submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). Observation Island served as the platform for the first successful at-sea launch of a Polaris missile in 1960, marking a significant milestone in U.S. strategic deterrence. She continued to provide vital missile tracking and telemetry support for various missile programs throughout the Cold War before being decommissioned in 1994.

USS Parsons (DDG 33) was a Charles F. Adams-class guided missile destroyer commissioned by the United States Navy in 1961. Originally built as a Forrest Sherman-class destroyer (DD-949), she was converted and re-designated as a guided missile destroyer in 1966. Throughout her service, Parsons participated in major operations during the Vietnam War, providing naval gunfire support and plane guard duties for aircraft carriers. The ship continued to serve in the Pacific Fleet until her decommissioning in 1982, after which she was eventually scrapped.

USS PICKING (DD-685) was a Fletcher-class destroyer commissioned by the United States Navy in 1943. She served with distinction in the Pacific Theater during World War II, participating in key operations such as the Leyte Gulf landings and the Battle of Okinawa. After the war, PICKING was decommissioned but later recommissioned for service during the Korean War, providing naval gunfire support and screening aircraft carriers. The ship continued to serve through the early years of the Cold War before being decommissioned for the final time in 1969.

USS Recovery (ARS-43) was a Bolster-class rescue and salvage ship commissioned by the United States Navy in 1946. Designed for towing, salvage, and rescue operations, she served primarily in the Atlantic Fleet, supporting fleet exercises and assisting distressed vessels. Throughout her career, Recovery participated in notable missions, including recovery operations for downed aircraft and support during the space program by retrieving space capsules. After decades of service, she was decommissioned in 1994, leaving a legacy of dedicated support to naval operations and maritime safety.

USS Rentz (FFG-46) was an Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigate of the United States Navy, commissioned on June 30, 1984. Named in honor of World War II Navy chaplain Lieutenant Commander George S. Rentz, the ship served primarily in the Pacific Fleet. Throughout her service, USS Rentz participated in numerous operations, including counter-narcotics missions in the Eastern Pacific and multinational exercises such as RIMPAC. After three decades of service, she was decommissioned on May 9, 2014, and later sunk as a target during a training exercise.

USS Richard E. Kraus (DD-849) was a Gearing-class destroyer commissioned into the United States Navy in May 1946. Named in honor of Marine Private First Class Richard E. Kraus, a Medal of Honor recipient, the ship served extensively during the Cold War, participating in Atlantic and Mediterranean deployments and NATO exercises. Modernized under the Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) program in the 1960s, she supported anti-submarine warfare operations and provided naval gunfire support during the Vietnam War. Decommissioned in 1976, the USS Richard E. Kraus was later transferred to the Hellenic Navy, where she served as Nearchos (D65) until 1994.

USS Roark (DE-1053) was a Knox-class destroyer escort commissioned by the United States Navy in 1970. Named in honor of Lieutenant William Marshall Roark, a naval aviator killed in action during the Vietnam War, the ship served primarily in the Pacific Fleet. Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, USS Roark participated in numerous training exercises, patrol missions, and deployments to the Western Pacific, supporting U.S. interests during the Cold War. The vessel was decommissioned in 1991 and subsequently struck from the Naval Vessel Register.

USS Southerland (DD-743) was a Gearing-class destroyer commissioned by the United States Navy in December 1944. She served with distinction in the Pacific Theater during the final months of World War II, providing escort, anti-aircraft, and shore bombardment support. During the Korean War, Southerland supported United Nations forces with gunfire missions and patrol duties. She continued her service through the Vietnam War, participating in carrier escort and naval gunfire support operations before being decommissioned in 1981.

USS **Stark** (FFG-31) was an Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigate commissioned into the United States Navy on October 23, 1982. The ship is most remembered for the tragic incident on May 17, 1987, when it was struck by two Exocet missiles fired by an Iraqi aircraft while patrolling the Persian Gulf, resulting in the deaths of 37 sailors and injuries to 21 others. Despite severe damage, the crew’s heroism and damage control efforts saved the ship from sinking, and USS Stark was able to return to port for repairs. The incident led to changes in U.S. naval procedures and highlighted the risks faced by American forces in volatile regions.

USS Stump (DD-978) was a Spruance-class destroyer commissioned by the United States Navy on 19 August 1978. Named after Admiral Felix Stump, the ship served primarily in the Atlantic and Caribbean, participating in numerous exercises, deployments, and operations, including enforcing sanctions during Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield. USS Stump was recognized for its excellence in anti-submarine warfare and received multiple awards for its operational readiness and efficiency. After nearly 26 years of distinguished service, the destroyer was decommissioned on 22 October 2004 and later sunk as a target during naval exercises in 2006.

USS Tinosa refers to two submarines in the United States Navy, the most notable being USS Tinosa (SS-283), a Gato-class submarine commissioned in 1943 during World War II. Tinosa (SS-283) earned distinction for her aggressive patrols in the Pacific, sinking several enemy vessels and surviving numerous depth charge attacks. One of her most famous actions occurred during her second war patrol, when she encountered a Japanese tanker and experienced repeated torpedo malfunctions, highlighting critical flaws in U.S. torpedo design. After the war, Tinosa was decommissioned in 1953, having earned nine battle stars for her wartime service.