USS Elliot ( DD - 967 ) USS " Elliot " ( DD - 967 ) was a in the United States Navy . Built by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries at Pascagoula , Mississippi , the ship was named for Lieutenant Commander Arthur J . Elliot II , USN ( 1933 – 1968 ) , who as commanding officer of Patrol Boat River Squadron 57 , was killed in action in the Republic of Vietnam on 29 December 1968 . 1977 – 1981 . " Elliot " got underway on 24 January 1977 for her maiden voyage , transiting from Pascagoula , Mississippi , to San Diego , California , via the Panama Canal . She was assigned to the U . S . Pacific Fleet as a unit of Destroyer Squadron 9 ( DesRon 9 ) , under the administrative control of Commander , Cruiser Destroyer Group Five and Commander , Naval Surface Forces Pacific . After arrival , " Elliot " conducted five weeks of shakedown training and participated in a combat exercise . Following these evolutions , she returned to her builders for a post shakedown yard availability . After leaving the yard , " Elliot " sailed to Rockland , Maine arriving on 25 August . Neighboring Thomaston was the hometown of the sailor for whom the ship was named . During a four day stay , the ship hosted several thousand guests and embarked 650 guests for a six hour guest cruise . On 24 September " Elliot " reported to Long Beach Naval Shipyard for a six month restricted yard availability during which her NATO Sea Sparrow and Harpoon missile systems were installed . On 1 August 1978 " Elliot " shifted from the operational command of Destroyer Squadron Nine to Destroyer Squadron 31 ( DesRon 31 ) . " Elliot " departed for her first deployment , a seven month Western Pacific tour , on 21 February 1979 as flagship of DesRon 31 in company with the aircraft carrier . On 31 March , " Elliot " departed Subic Bay , Philippines with " Ranger " , for operations in the Indian Ocean . Less than a week later , " Elliot " was transiting the Strait of Malacca in lead of " Ranger " when the carrier was involved in a collision with the oil tanker M / V " Fortune " resulting in the carrier having to return to Subic Bay for repairs . " Elliot " arrived in Diego Garcia on 12 April . " Elliot " then joined a battle group centered around and participated in operations in the Gulf of Aden to maintain a U . S . military presence in the area . " Elliot " returned to Subic Bay on 15 June . " Elliot " was awarded the Navy Expeditionary Medal for Indian Ocean contingency operations . " Elliot " arrived back at her homeport from her first deployment on 9 September 1979 . Also notable on this deployment was " Elliot " tailing Soviet carrier " Minsk " for five days of observation of operations . " Elliot " began her second deployment in 1980 . On 23 January 1981 , " Elliot " suffered a main bearing casualty resulting in one of her gas turbine engines having to be replaced . This replacement was completed at Subic Bay in 2 days . On 21 April " Elliot " encountered the first of several refugee boats . Over the next eight days " Elliot " picked up 158 refugees for which the crew was awarded the Humanitarian Service Medal . Port visits on this deployment included stops in Hawaii , Guam , Korea , Thailand , Hong Kong , Philippines , Japan , and Singapore . She returned from this deployment on 23 May . 1981 – 1985 . On 1 June 1981 " Elliot " was transferred to Destroyer Squadron 21 . " Elliot " reported to Todd Pacific Shipyard in Seattle , Washington on 17 August for the first private sector overhaul ever conducted of a " Spruance " - class destroyer . Among other refurbishments and installations during this overhaul " Elliot " received an SLQ - 32 ( V ) 2 electronic warfare system . " Elliot " completed overhaul on 30 April 1982 . She returned to her homeport of NS San Diego on 21 May . On 1 July " Elliot " was reassigned from DesRon 21 to DesRon 17 . " Elliot " departed San Diego , California on 13 April 1983 for the third deployment of her career . Port visits on this deployment included stops in Hawaii , Philippines , Korea , Japan , Thailand , Guam and Hong Kong . On 31 July , a small boat was spotted by the forward lookout . A total of 68 Vietnamese refugees were subsequently rescued and were turned over to state officials in Subic Bay . " Elliot " was again awarded the Humanitarian Service Medal for her rescue operation . During August , " Elliot " endured being at sea through the combined forces of two typhoons , though no significant damage resulted . On 1 September , " Elliot " departed Sasebo , Japan on four hours ' notice , to respond to the downing of KAL 007 . " Elliot " steamed at 32 knots ( 60 km / h ) for a thousand miles ( 1 , 900 km ) and arrived first on station . She remained on scene until 14 September . " Elliot " returned from her third deployment on 18 November 1983 . On 27 January 1984 , " Elliot " conducted a safe weapons offload at the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station . Shortly after departing this facility , " Elliot " struck a subsurface obstruction in the Seal Beach channel , causing some limited damage to the underwater hull and the starboard propeller . On 2 February , " Elliot " commenced a planned three month selected repair availability ( SRA ) period in San Diego . On 30 April , " Elliot " proceeded to the Todd Shipyard facilities in San Pedro , California for repairs to her starboard propeller and sonar dome . In May , " Elliot " shifted operational command to Destroyer Squadron 5 . In October , " Elliot " participated in Fleet Week ' 84 festivities with 18 other ships in San Francisco , California . " Elliot " hosted more than 10 , 000 visitors during this event . 1985 – 2003 . On 10 July 1985 , " Elliot " departed on her fourth deployment as part of the battle group . Port visits on this deployment included stops in Hawaii , Japan , Korea , Philippines , Brunei , and Hong Kong . In mid - September " Elliot " was engaged in an exercise with Republic of Korea ships . During the exercise , " Elliot " rendered on - scene assistance to the which was disabled during a collision with the merchant ship " Kansas Getty " . On 1 December " Elliot " departed Subic Bay in company with the battle group for transit to Pearl Harbor , Hawaii arriving on 12 December . " Elliot " returned to her San Diego homeport on 21 December , ending her fourth deployment . In May 1986 " Elliot " began a two month selected repair availability which included installation of flight deck modifications necessary to support LAMPS Mk III helicopter operations . On 11 October " Elliot " arrived at San Francisco to participate in Fleet Week ' 87 festivities . In January 1987 , " Elliot " departed on her fifth deployment . Highlights off this deployment included operations in the Bering Strait . " Elliot " received a major overhaul in the 1988 / 1989 time frame , receiving , among other things , VLS , Phalanx CIWS , new TACAN and an upgraded Sea Sparrow system including MK 23 TAS radar . " Elliot " departed San Diego on 9 September 1989 to participate in PACEX - 89 , said to be the largest major naval exercise in the Pacific since the close of World War II . " Elliot ' s " course took it north to the Gulf of Alaska , then on to the Bering Sea , the northwest Pacific , East China Sea , and the Sea of Japan . " Elliot " made its sole port stop at Sasebo , Japan before returning home on 9 November 1989 . During PACEX - 89 , " Elliot " conducted joint operations with other units of the Pacific Fleet as well as elements of the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force . " Elliot " and its battlegroup were also overflown by two Soviet TU - 95 Bear D reconnaissance aircraft . Another highlight was the group photograph " Elliot " participated in as one of fifty ships gathered in formation . " Elliot " departed San Diego for WestPac - 90 on 1 February 1990 as part of the Carrier Battlegroup " Charlie . " Ports visited included Pearl Harbor , Hawaii ; Pusan , Korea ; Subic Bay , Philippines ; Singapore ; Pattaya Beach , Thailand ; Diego Garcia , BIOT ; Muscat , Oman ; Fremantle ; and Hong Kong . " Elliot " also participated in Team Spirit 1990 exercises with the South Korean military . While transiting the South China Sea on 20 April 1990 , " Elliot " rescued 35 Vietnamese refugees left adrift in a derelict boat and claiming to be the victims of pirates . " Elliot ' s " captain , CDR Timothy LaFleur , made the determination to embark the refugees and scuttle their boat . After the refugees were fed and clothed ( many in clothes donated by crewmembers ) , " Elliot " turned them over to a representative of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in Singapore on 21 April . " Elliot " returned from deployment on 1 August 1990 , one day before Iraq invaded Kuwait . " Elliot " then entered the NASSCO yards on 9 September 1990 and remained there until 17 December , thus spending the majority of the Persian Gulf War on the sidelines . " Elliot " deployed for WestPac - 91 on 31 July 1991 with COMDESRON 17 embarked . Port visits were made to Pearl Harbor ; Subic Bay ; Phuket , Thailand ; Bahrain ; Oman ; Abu Dhabi , UAE ; and Hong Kong . On 21 October , while deployed off the coast of Kuwait , " Elliot " was alerted by the French DGSE ship " Le Berry " to the presence of a drifting Iraqi LUGM - 145 mine approximately 12 nm offshore from Kuwait ' s Mina Al - Ahmadi port . Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit One , Detachment 31 team members were flown in from Bahrain . With the assistance of " Elliot ' s " air detachment the mine was safely detonated , resulting in a plume of water hundreds of feet tall . " Elliot " spent the Christmas holiday in Hong Kong before returning to San Diego on 20 January 1992 . " Elliot " reported to Southwest Marine Shipyard , San Diego in May 1992 for a yard period where she remained until August . On 16 November " Elliot " departed San Diego for a five week counter narcotics cruise . This cruise included a port stop in Puerto Vallarta , Mexico . " Elliot " returned from this cruise on 21 December . In June 1993 , " Elliot " arrived in Portland , Oregon for the Portland Rose Festival . On 9 July " Elliot " departed San Diego for her next deployment . Port visits on this deployment included Hawaii , Guam , Singapore , United Arab Emirates , Bahrain , Diego Garcia , Australia , and Fiji . By late August , " Elliot " was operating off the coast of Iran . " Elliot " continued operating in this region into November , serving as anti - air warfare commander and Persian Gulf force over - the - horizon track coordinator for portions of this time period . She also frequently conducted contingency strike operations exercises . During these operations , " Elliot " participated in boardings of merchant vessels in support of United Nations Security Council resolutions . " Elliot " operated out of San Diego , California until she was decommissioned on 2 December 2003 . Fate . The decommissioned " Elliot " and were sunk off the eastern coast of Australia as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre on 25 June 2005 . Both ships are now artificial reefs in the Coral Sea located near 25 degrees south latitude , 155 degrees east longitude , or roughly 100 nautical miles ( 190 km ) east of Fraser Island , Queensland , Australia .