Joseph M Keys

USS Cone (DD-866) was a Gearing-class destroyer commissioned by the United States Navy in 1945, near the end of World War II. Named in honor of Rear Admiral Hutch I. Cone, the ship served extensively during the Cold War, including deployments in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Caribbean with the 6th Fleet. USS Cone participated in Korean War operations, providing naval gunfire support and screening for carrier task forces. After decades of service, she was decommissioned in 1973 and later transferred to the Ecuadorian Navy, where she served as BAE El Oro.