Vietnam
While in WestPac, her primary duty was plane guard for Constellation (CVA-64) in the Tonkin Gulf. At one time, she was called on to provide gunfire support to ground forces ashore for a three-day period. She returned to Norfolk, via the Mediterranean, on 17 December 1966. After east coast operations in the spring and summer of 1967, Stormes deployed to the 6th Fleet from 14 November 1967 to 23 April 1968. She sailed to South America in July 1968 to hold antisubmarine warfare operations as part of UNITAS IX and to visit ports in Puerto Rico, Brazil, and St. Lucia. After resuming her normal operations from Norfolk in September, Stormes deployed to the Mediterranean with DesRon 32 on 6 January 1969. The six-month tour ended upon her return to Norfolk on 31 May. The remainder of the year and into June 1970, she operated from her homeport as a dedicated participant of the Squeeze Play ASW exercises.
When Stormes returned to Norfolk from her last east coast port call on 18 June, she began preparing for inactivation.
Stormes was placed out of commission, in reserve, on 5 December 1970. She was struck from the Navy list on 16 February 1972. Stormes was sold to Iran on 16 February 1972 and serves that country's government as Palang (DDG-9).
Stormes received one battle star for World War II, three for service in Korea, and one for service in Vietnam.
Read more about this topic: USS Stormes (DD-780)
Famous quotes containing the word vietnam:
“I told them I’m not going to let Vietnam go the way of China. I told them to go back and tell those generals in Saigon that Lyndon Johnson intends to stand by our word, but by God, I want something for my money. I want ‘em to get off their butts and get out in those jungles and whip hell out of some Communists. And then I want ‘em to leave me alone, because I’ve got some bigger things to do right here at home.”
—Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908–1973)
“I was proud of the youths who opposed the war in Vietnam because they were my babies.”
—Benjamin Spock (b. 1903)
“That’s just the trouble, Sam Houston—it’s always my move. And damnit, I sometimes can’t tell whether I’m making the right move or not. Now take this Vietnam mess. How in the hell can anyone know for sure what’s right and what’s wrong, Sam?”
—Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908–1973)