USS Reeves ( DLG - 24 ) USS " Reeves " ( DLG / CG - 24 ) , a United States Navy ship named for Admiral Joseph Mason Reeves ( Commander - in - Chief of the US Fleet , 1934 – 1936 ) , was a " Leahy " - class cruiser built by the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard , in Bremerton , Washington . " Reeves " began her history as a " Leahy " - class destroyer leader ( DLG - 24 ) when her keel was laid down on 1 July 1960 . She was launched on 12 May 1962 and commissioned on 15 May 1964 . Mrs . Joseph M . Reeves , Jr . , daughter - in - law of Vice Adm . Reeves , was the ship ' s sponsor . " Reeves " was later reclassified as a guided missile cruiser ( CG - 24 ) on 30 June 1975 . On 12 November 1993 , " Reeves " was decommissioned and stricken from the Navy Register at Pearl Harbor Naval Base . " Reeves " remained in mothballs until she was sunk as a target ship on 31 May 2001 . " Reeves " Operational History . The 1960s . Following an extended trial and shakedown period , " Reeves " was homeported at Long Beach where she underwent availability and further training . On 10 April 1965 , she departed for her first tour with the 7th Fleet in the western Pacific ( WESTPAC ) . Deployed for just over six months , she operated primarily in support of Allied operations off the coast of the Republic of Vietnam , serving as an anti - aircraft warfare ( AAW ) picket , first with TG 77 . 3 built around aircraft carrier USS " Oriskany " ( CVA - 34 ) , then with TG 77 . 6 centered on aircraft carrier USS " Midway " ( CVA - 41 ) . Returning to Long Beach on 3 November 1965 , she conducted local operations for the remainder of the year and into 1966 . On 26 May 1966 , she got underway for Japan and a two - year nonrotated tour with the 7th Fleet . Arriving at her new homeport of Yokosuka on 16 June , she departed shortly thereafter and on 7 July and anchored at Da Nang , R . V . N . to begin another tour off the embattled coast . For the next two years , she regularly sailed south from Japan for combat air - sea rescue ( CSAR ) tours off Vietnam , compiling a total of 493 days underway , 312 of which were spent in the Gulf of Tonkin . " Reeves " rotated back to the United States in August 1968 and operated out of Long Beach for the remainder of the year , participating in local operations , as well testing and evaluating radar systems . In early 1969 , " Reeves " was ordered to Maine for overhaul and modernization at Bath Iron Works . Arriving on 31 March , she was placed out of commission ( special ) on 10 April and the extensive modification work began . The 1970s . " Reeves " was recommissioned 29 August 1970 at Bath . She spent the period from 10 September – 19 November making the passage from Bath to her new home port at Pearl Harbor . The uncommonly long duration of the passage was due to frequent stops along the way at various ports for additional work to be done and by a three - week refresher training ( REFTRA ) period in the vicinity of Guantanamo Bay , Cuba . After arriving at Pearl Harbor , " Reeves " engaged in numerous exercises and operations in the waters around Hawaii . June 1971 found " Reeves " steaming westward for another deployment in the Gulf of Tonkin . " Reeves " returned to Pearl Harbor on 20 December 1971 and remained in the Hawaii and west coast areas until September 1972 where she participated in various operations and exercises , notably a Midshipman cruise in July . She departed Hawaii on 18 September , headed for her second WESTPAC deployment since recommissioning , arriving at Subic Bay Naval Base , Philippine Islands 14 days later . After six months in the western Pacific , stationed off the coast of Vietnam , " Reeves " sailed into port at Pearl Harbor on 17 March 1973 . She remained in the Hawaiian Islands into 1980 . She was reclassified a guided missile cruiser ( CG - 24 ) , on 30 June 1975 . The " Reeves " , after a period of dry - dock and training exercises in the mid - Pacific from after October 1977 , deployed to the Strait of Hormuz in late January 1980 as a response to the embassy hostage situation with Iran of November the year prior . " Reeves " earned three battle star s for Vietnam service . The 1980s . During most of the 1980s , " Reeves " was forward deployed to the WESTPAC and homeported in Yokosuka . During that time , she served as the AAW picket for Battle Group Alpha centered around " Midway " ( CV - 41 ) . Her nickname during that time was , " the Only Cruiser in Town " . In March 1986 , she participated in a Team Spirit exercise off the coast of the Republic of Korea . Later that year , " Reeves " conducted REFTRA in the Philippines which was quickly followed her involvement in special operations ( SPECOPS ) . SPECOPS consisted of conducting surveillance operations on the Soviet aircraft carrier " Minsk " off the coast of Vladivostok , which was home to the Soviet Pacific Fleet . During this operation , " Reeves " blasted either the Bruce Springsteen song " Born in the U . S . A . " or Jefferson Starship ' s " Layin ' It on the Line " over the ship ' s 1MC when in the proximity of Soviet naval vessels . On 5 November 1986 , " Reeves " led the USS " Rentz " ( FFG - 46 ) and USS " Oldendorf " ( DD - 972 ) into the harbor of Qingdao ( Tsing Tao ) , the People ' s Republic of China ( PRC ) for a historic six - day port visit . This would be the first time that U . S . Navy vessels had moored in China since the repair ship USS " Dixie " ( AD - 14 ) departed in 1949 in the face of the communist advance which forced the evacuation of Americans from China . The visit was hosted by soldiers and sailors of the Chinese People ' s Liberation Army Navy ( PLAN ) . During the port call hundreds of Navy men took advantage of several tours , arranged by their Chinese hosts , that included stops at Qingdao ’ s carpet , embroidery , jade and shell factories . Others made it a point to sample the beer at the city ’ s world - renowned Tsingtao brewery . A fortunate few were able to leave the port city on tours to Qufu , birthplace of Confucius , the capital city of Beijing , the Forbidden City , and the Great Wall of China . The port visit was important because it provided visible evidence of growing Sino - American cooperation . Adm . James Lyons , commander of the United States Pacific Fleet , was embarked in " Reeves " during the visit . Shortly after arriving in Qingdao , he said there are " three pillars " in the US - China military relationship ; high level visits , military exchanges and a limited amount of military technology cooperation . " I see this port visit as strengthening all three pillars , " he said . Throughout their stay , the crews of the visiting ships held lectures and discussion sessions on Navy shipboard organization , management , training , propulsion , logistics and weapons systems for their Chinese hosts . At the time such navy - to - navy orientations were conducted with many countries . However , this was the Navy ’ s first opportunity for such an exchange with China . During May 1987 , " Reeves " found herself involved with yet another Team Spirit exercise . " Reeves " was deployed to the Persian Gulf from July to December 1987 where she participated in the first of nine Operation Earnest Will tanker reflagging operations beginning on 23 July . Her primary duty was to escort commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz . In March 1988 she was involved again with the Team Spirit exercises . On 26 June 1989 , " Reeves " and USS " Fife " ( DD - 991 ) rescued 92 Vietnamese refugees in the South China Sea , about southwest of the Philippines . The refugees were pulled from their sinking vessel and provided with medical assistance and other care before being delivered to a United Nations refugee organization in Thailand a week later . On 30 October 1989 an F / A - 18 Hornet aircraft from the mistakenly dropped a 500 pound general - purpose bomb on the deck of " Reeves " during training exercises in the Indian Ocean , creating a five - foot hole in the bow through the line locker one compartment forward of the fore missile house , sparking small fires , sending shrapnel back to the fantail and injuring five sailors . " Reeves " was south of Diego Garcia at the time of the incident . Fate of " Reeves " . " Reeves " was decommissioned on 12 November 1993 , stored at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility ( NISMF ) , Pearl Harbor . She was ultimately used as a target ship on 31 May 2001 during a sink exercise ( SINKEX ) off the coast of Queensland , Australia during a joint U . S . and Australian naval exercise . Her final resting place is where she lies at a depth of . Following are two press releases issued in conjunction with the sinking of " Reeves " . Reclassification of " Reeves " from DLG to CG . In 1975 , the " double - end " " Leahy " - class guided missile destroyer leaders ( DLG ) were reclassified as guide missile cruisers ( CG ) , as were other similar ships . The class was given an AAW upgrade during the late - 1960s and early 1970s , with Terrier launchers modified to fire Terrier or Standard SM - 1ER missiles . The 3 " / 50 guns were replaced by Harpoon missile launcher , the Terrier launchers were upgraded to fire the Standard SM - 2ER missile , and 2 Phalanx CIWS were added . All were upgraded under the late - 1980s New Threat Upgrade ( NTU ) program , which included combat system capability improvements to the ship ' s Air Search Radars ( AN / SPS - 48 E and AN / SPS - 49 ) , Fire Control Radars ( AN / SPG - 55 B ) , and Combat Direction System ( CDS ) . These improvements provided an accurate means of coordinating the engagement of multiple air targets with SM - 2 Extended Range missiles . During the NTU overhaul , all spaces were renovated , berthing and food service areas were refurbished , and the engineering plant was fully overhauled . Role of " Reeves " . Modern guided missile cruisers , such as " Reeves " , performed primarily in a Battle Force role . These ships were multi - mission ( AAW – anti - air warfare , ASW – anti - surface warfare , ASUW – anti - submarine warfare ) surface combatants capable of supporting carrier or battleship battle groups , amphibious forces , or of operating independently and as flagships of surface action groups . Due to their extensive combat capability , these ships were designated as Battle Force Capable ( BFC ) units .