USS Towers ( DDG - 9 ) USS " Towers " ( DDG - 9 ) was a " Charles F . Adams " - class guided missile destroyer of the United States Navy notable for action in the Vietnam War . The ship was named in honor of Admiral John Henry Towers . " Towers " was laid down on 1 April 1958 at Seattle , Washington , by the Todd Pacific Shipyards ; launched on 23 April 1959 ; sponsored by Mrs . Nathaniel Rotoreau , Jr . ; and commissioned on 6 June 1961 at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard , Bremerton , Washington , Comdr . L . D . Cummins in command . 1960s . Homeported at San Diego , California , " Towers " carried out trials and local operations off the southern California coast into September 1961 . She then conducted her shakedown cruise to Callao and Lima , Peru ; Balboa , Panama Canal Zone ; and Acapulco , Mexico , before she deployed to the Western Pacific ( WestPac ) for the first time in the early spring of 1962 . She arrived at Sydney , Australia , on 30 April to represent the United States during the 20th observance of the anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea and shifted to Melbourne a week later . She then continued her WestPac deployment with visits to Yokosuka and Sasebo , Japan ; Buckner Bay , Okinawa ; Subic Bay , Philippines ; Keeling , Taiwan ; and Bangkok , Thailand . She then returned home via Guam and Hawaii . Following a routine schedule of local operations out of San Diego from 1 January to 17 May 1963 , " Towers " departed her home port on 18 May , bound for the Far East . En route , she stopped at Pearl Harbor and Midway and later took part in exercises and operations off Japan and in the Philippines . She returned to San Diego on 28 November 1963 and operated along the southern California coast through the end of 1964 . " Towers " departed San Diego on 5 January 1965 , bound for her third WestPac tour . As American forces became increasingly involved in the Vietnam War , escalating from an advisory capacity to active combat , the Navy ' s role in Vietnamese coastal waters expanded . " Towers " participated in three main facets of the U . S . 7th Fleet ' s operations in the Gulf of Tonkin and the South China Sea . She performed screening and plane - guard duties for fast carrier task forces on Yankee Station , providing protection with her missiles and her rapid - fire 5 - inch battery . In addition , she conducted search and rescue ( SAR ) patrols on the northern station ; and made interdiction patrols in conjunction with Operation Market Time . Upon the conclusion of this tour , the guided missile destroyer sailed for home on 10 May . En route to the Hawaiian Islands , she participated in Operation Sailor Hat , a special blast test to determine deficiencies in modern ship construction , and arrived home at San Diego on 26 June . From 31 January to 6 February 1966 , " Towers " participated in Operation Buttonhook , a joint United States and Canadian exercise off the west coast of Canada and the United States which emphasized antisubmarine warfare ( ASW ) techniques . Following availability at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard during March , " Towers " took part in Operation Gray Ghost from 12 to 22 April . This exercise dealt with air control intercept tactics and antiaircraft warfare ( AAA ) measures to prepare the ship for her upcoming deployment to the Gulf of Tonkin , off Vietnam . In addition , the ship trained to become proficient in tactics to utilize against possible motor torpedo ( PT ) boat attacks . Departing San Diego on 4 June 1966 , " Towers " steamed west , via Pearl Harbor , Guam , and Subic Bay , to Vietnam . She expended some 3 , 266 rounds of 5 - inch ammunition between 2 and 17 July , off target areas which included the " Rung Sat Special Zone . " Her target assessment included the destruction of 17 enemy buildings and damage to 118 more , the sinking of three sampans , the killing of 11 Viet Cong soldiers , and the destruction of a bridge . The guided missile destroyer returned to Subic Bay for upkeep and further training in PT - boat countermeasures before she returned to the Gulf of Tonkin to take up her position on the northern SAR station on 1 August . For the next month , she deployed with , keeping on the alert to spot downed pilots and to direct friendly helicopters to the rescue . On 6 August 1966 , " Towers " directed an HU - 16 helicopter to the site of a downed aviator some 69 miles from the ship . The next day , " Towers " directed another HU - 16 to a spot behind the enemy - held island of Cac Ba , where two Air Force men had bailed out . The helicopter successfully rescued them from behind communist lines . In the next two weeks , the ship participated in two more rescues — picking up two more Air Force pilots in one and a Navy flyer in the other . " Towers < nowiki > ' < / nowiki > " most daring rescue came on the last day of her tour on the SARA station . On 31 August 1966 , a Navy plane was hit by antiaircraft fire over Haiphong , and the pilot bailed out of his doomed aircraft directly over the enemy harbor . As he floated down under his parachute to face what seemed certain capture , " Towers " and closed to within visual range of Haiphong harbor . Then " King ' s " helicopter sped in under the guidance of " Towers " ' experienced controllers and picked up the pilot , whisking him out of danger from beneath the enemy ' s very nose . After a brief rest and recreation period , " Towers " returned to the SAR station again on 1 October 1966 . However , flying weather turned out to be poorer at this time of year , and air operations were sharply curtailed . Hence , " Towers " spent much of her time patrolling the Gulf of Tonkin . Sailing for home on 21 November 1966 , " Towers " departed Yokosuka and ran into heavy seas while en route to the west coast , suffering minor storm damage before she arrived at her home port on 3 December . After operations at sea from January 1967 to mid - March , " Towers " underwent a major overhaul at Hunters ' Point Naval Shipyard from 14 April to 19 October . The guided missile destroyer then operated out of San Diego through the spring of 1968 . " Towers " then readied herself for her next WestPac deployment . Her preparation included screening and shore bombardment exercises with , the world ' s only active battleship . Departing San Diego on 5 September 1968 , " Towers " made stops at Pearl Harbor and Subic Bay before arriving off the I Corps tactical zone to commence " Sea Dragon " operations . While escorting and screening " New Jersey " , " Towers " knocked out two artillery and three antiaircraft gun sites ; destroyed 55 meters of trenches ; sank two logistics craft ; set off 19 secondary explosions ; and killed an estimated 10 enemy soldiers . On 1 October 1968 , the ship rescued two downed airmen just south of the demilitarized zone ( DMZ ) . The flyers , Capt . James Spaith , USMC , and his observer , 1st Lt . U . S . Grant , USMC , had been shot down when their Douglas A4F " Skyhawk " had been hit while spotting gunfire for " New Jersey " . Following upkeep at Subic Bay , she planeguarded on " Yankee Station " for and returned to the I Corps operating zone for urgent gunfire support duties . She provided support for Operation Daring Endeavor launched to destroy enemy troop concentrations south of Da Nang . Commended for her part in this action , " Towers " remained on the scene from 17 to 30 November . She again provided anti - rocket support out of Da Nang from the 21st through the 25th . In addition , she provided gunfire for Korean marines : and the Army ' s 101st Airborne Division . " Towers " then sailed north to the Philippines for up keep at Subic Bay before proceeding to Singapore for rest and recreation . She arrived back on " Yankee Station " three days before Christmas , to assume the role of escort commander for . After two days of this duty , however , the guided missile destroyer was back in the IV Corps operating area on night - harassment fire duties against the communist ground forces . New Year ' s Day 1969 found the ship still engaging the enemy in the IV Corps ' zone , supporting Vietnamese ranger battalions . During this period , " Towers " ' 5 - inch rifles wreaked havoc upon Viet Cong and North Vietnam ese troop concentrations , bunkers , sampans , and footbridges . The ship then spent a few days at Hong Kong before she returned to the " gunline " , once more at Da Nang . She supported the U . S . 3rd Marine Division , operating north and south of Da Nang , blasting enemy troops and structures , again in support of Korean marines and the 101st Airborne . During the latter period , she again stood duty at Da Nang , her guns ready to reply to communist rocket sites . " Towers " furnished gunfire support for South Vietnamese Army ( ARVN ) units in January 1969 and shelled shore targets for the 3rd Marine Division and the 101st Airborne Division , both north and south of Da Nang . From her anchorage inside Da Nang harbor , the guided missile destroyer fired frequent night harassment and counter - rocket site fire against communist positions in the surrounding countryside . Her damage assessments for this duty included destruction of targets such as troop concentrations , bunkers , footbridge s , and supply - carrying sampans . Shifting again to " Yankee Station " , " Towers " joined the screen of on station with TG 77 . 5 until 7 February . She then sailed for Subic Bay for three days of upkeep before proceeding on to Yokosuka . Departing Japanese waters on 21 February , " Towers " soon headed east and brought this WestPac deployment to a close when she sailed into San Diego harbor on 4 March 1969 . 1970s . " Towers " spent much of the year 1970 on routine local operations in the vicinity of her home port in preparation for future WestPac deployments . On 4 September , while conducting refresher training out of San Diego , the ship directed a helicopter to rescue the pilot from an F - 8 Crusader that had crashed nearby . The embarked evaluation team from the Fleet Training Group gave the ship a grade of " outstanding " during this " unscheduled evolution . " Deploying again to WestPac on 7 January 1971 , " Towers " proceeded to Vietnamese waters , via Pearl Harbor and Midway . While she proceeded west on 20 January , one of the other ships in her convoy , , suffered a major engine room fire which stopped her dead in the water . " Towers " turned - to and lent a hand . After the fire was extinguished , the guided missile destroyer took " Roark " in tow until arrived and took over the towing . " Towers " arrived back on the gunline on 8 February and provided gunfire support until the 21st , when she moved to " Yankee Station " to provide plane - guard service for . On 6 March , a member of the carrier ' s flight deck force was blown over the side during launching operations . " Towers " quickly sped to the scene , rescued the sailor , and returned him to his ship . A short visit to Subic Bay followed , as did another tour on the gunline and the northern SAR station . The ship then returned to Subic Bay for upkeep and then made still another tour as plane guard and screen for . She departed WestPac on 1 July . Arriving at San Diego on the 15th , " Towers " operated out of her home base into the early spring of 1972 . Gunnery exercises , underway training evolutions ( with emphasis on ASW and AAW tactics ) ; plane - guarding for ; and an upkeep and inport period all followed as the ship prepared for her upcoming WestPac deployment . Events in Vietnam , however , forced a change in plan for " Towers " and rapidly accelerated her return to the war zone . Although not scheduled for deployment until September , she departed the west coast on 20 June , bound once more for - the gunline . A massive Viet Cong and North Vietnamese assault had battered South Vietnamese forces in key Quang Tri Province and resulted in emergency measures for the supporting naval forces offshore . During the voyage from the west coast to the South China Sea , the ship assisted in the rescue of six crewmen from a downed B - 52 Stratofortress near Guam and received a commendation from the United States Secretary of the Navy . A curtailed two - day upkeep period at Subic Bay preceded the ship ' s sailing on 13 July for the gunline . Heavy commitments and long hours of gunfire support duty in support of ARVN troops followed from 17 to 28 July as " Towers " participated in Operation Lamson 72 . From 29 July to 5 August , the ship operated on " Linebacker " strikes against targets to the northward of the DMZ , in North Vietnam , as part of Task Unit 77 . 1 . 2 . On several occasions during this time , she came under fire from communist shore batteries . The intense gunfire support duties assigned to the ship soon wore out the linings of her two 5 - inch guns , so the ship sailed for Sasebo , where she spent the week from 9 to 15 August undergoing a re - gunning . She soon returned to the " gunline " and supported ARVN troops off Huế . The destroyer also fired night " Linebacker " strikes on 24 and 25 September , rounding out the month with gunfire support missions fired for the 1st ARVN division . A visit to Hong Kong for needed rest and recreation for her crew soon followed , and an upkeep period at Subic Bay preceded the ship ' s return to Vietnamese waters on 21 October . She supported the ARVN 22d Division near Qui Nhon and around Quang Tri . She then again visited Subic Bay and Kaohsiung , Taiwan , before returning to the gunline again from 3 to 8 December . For the rest of the month , " Towers " fired gunfire support missions against North Vietnamese troop concentrations near Quang Tri . Spirited exchanges of gunfire with enemy shore batteries took place on numerous occasions during this period . She finished the year 1972 again serving as plane guard for " Constellation " on " Yankee Station " and closed out her grueling seven - month deployment on the last day of the year , when she sailed for Yokosuka . From there , she returned home via Midway and Pearl Harbor . This deployment turned out to be the destroyer ' s last in support of the Vietnam War . The " Vietnamization " plan placed the burden of self - defense on the shoulders of the South Vietnamese , as American land , sea , and air forces were withdrawn from combat in January and February 1973 . " Towers " operated out of San Diego from 1973 through 1976 , pursuing a regular schedule of local operations , routine upkeep and overhaul periods , and underway training evolutions . She departed San Diego on 30 July 1976 for her first extended overseas deployment in three years . She conducted exercises and local operations in the Far East , participating in Exercise " Sharkhunt XVII " with the Taiwanese Navy before shifting to the Indian Ocean for an extended cruise . She then took part in " Midlink 76 " with units of the Iranian , Pakistani , British , and American Navies in mid - November before participating in " Multiplex / Missilex - 76 " with United States 7th Fleet units in the South China Sea . Following port visits to Hong Kong from 6 to 12 January and Bangkok from 29 January to 4 February 1977 , " Towers " engaged in a coordinated ASW exercise , " Sharkhunt XX " , with the Taiwanese Navy from 22 to 25 February . She returned to San Diego on 21 March to complete a seven - month , three - week deployment . Post - deployment operations off the west coast were highlighted by a port visit to Vancouver , British Columbia , from 9 to 17 July for the annual sea festival . " Towers " ' last significant operations at sea for the year occurred during the period 12 to 16 September when she conducted naval gunfire support exercises on the range at San Clemente Island . On 23 September , the guided missile destroyer commenced a four - month availability at San Diego which took her into the new year . Post - availability trials commenced on 26 January 1978 , and " Towers " spent the next nine months evaluating her radar detection and tracking system during numerous at - sea operations for that purpose . On 14 November , the ship got underway for Long Beach where she entered the Naval Shipyard on the 15th for commencement of a regular overhaul which took her into 1979 . 1980s . In January 1980 , " Towers " ' ships ' company received news that the ship ' s home port would change to Yokosuka , Japan , in October . The crew spent the next nine months preparing for the homeport change , which required passing a series of service inspections , repairing engineering casualties and preparing for overseas deployment . In July , " Towers " underwent a special availability at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard , arriving on the 13th for repairs to her missile launcher system . The repairs only took two weeks since replacement parts were obtained from the decommissioned guided missile cruiser . Departing San Diego on 14 October , " Towers " sailed for Japan , arriving in Yokosuka via Pearl Harbor on 10 November . Following an upkeep period through 12 December , the warship conducted a short familiarization cruise in Japanese waters until the 19th whereupon she began a holiday leave and upkeep period . After a series of local operations and exercises , including an ASW exercise with Japan Maritime Self - Defense Force ( JMSDF ) warships , " Towers " sailed to the Middle East in mid - April to relieve guided missile cruiser as radar picket ship in the Persian Gulf . Concluding operations on 14 May , she slowly made her way home , visiting Thailand , Singapore , and Subic Bay , as well as rescuing 138 Vietnamese refugees from three small craft in the South China Sea before putting into Yokosuka on 11 June . Less than a month later , " Towers " was on hand for another rescue on 4 July , this time picking up 26 survivors from a South Korean freighter that had gone down in bad weather 25 miles east of Hong Kong . A planned restricted availability at Yokosuka followed , during which the yard replaced both propellers as well as the sandblasted and repainted the hull . Maintenance problems hampered the warship over the next few months , but the guided missile destroyer managed to conduct multiple training evolutions with two aircraft carrier battle groups as they transited the area . " Towers " resumed local operations in early February 1982 with an anti - submarine warfare ( ASW ) exercise off Sasebo with JMSDF ships " Kurama " and " Sagami " . During the exercise , the warship successfully fired practice torpedoes at submarine . After a cruise to Okinawa and Hong Kong later in the month , " Towers " joined carrier " Midway " and the rest of Battle Group Alpha for an operational " tune - up " prior to Exercise Team Spirit ' 82 in mid - March . Operations with the battle group continued off and on until 5 May , when the guided missile destroyer shifted to the carrier " Ranger " Battle Group . Over the next three days she conducted close - in AAW defense and plane guard duties for " Ranger " during " war - at - sea " exercises . In company with " Reeves " , " Towers " successfully fired two SM - 1 missile s before steaming to Subic Bay on 22 May for a two - week upkeep period . Following Naval Gunfire Support ( NGFS ) qualifications , the guided missile destroyer returned to Yokosuka on 18 June . Following a restricted availability through July 1982 , " Towers " resumed the familiar pattern of operations out of Yokosuka . These included battle group training evolutions with " Midway " , ASW exercises with Japanese warships as well as investigating and shadowing Soviet warships in the northern Pacific , a regimen that lasted through September . On 12 October , she got underway with Battle Group Alpha for a voyage to the Indian Ocean , stopping at Subic Bay the next day and then sailing for Singapore . While en route , the warship rescued 65 Vietnamese refugees from a small craft in the South China Sea and transferred them to " Midway " for further processing . The warships then conducted exercises with Singapore naval and air units in late October , visited Pattaya beach , Thailand , in early November , and conducted battle group operations while en route to Japan , arriving at Yokosuka via Hong Kong on 10 December . In mid - January 1983 , " Towers " commenced Team Spirit ' 83 , a joint exercise off South Korea , followed by the periodic Nuclear Weapon s Certification inspection . After a short period at Yokosuka ( 10 – 27 February 1983 ) , the warship conducted another set of battle group operations . Unfortunately , during the afternoon watch on 2 March , while en route to Chinhae , Korea , a ruptured steam line in number one fire room inflicted serious injuries on FNs Pino and Jones and BT2 Dyer ; all were med - evaced by helicopter to " Midway " . FN Pino died from his injuries . " Towers " subsequently returned to Sasebo for repairs between 2 – 19 March . Following more battle group operations , the ship returned to Chinhae for a Nuclear Technical Proficiency Inspection ( 23 – 27 March ) , thereafter participating in FleetEx 83 - 1 , a major northern Pacific exercise involving carriers , and " Midway " . Gunnery exercises in April , a joint midshipmen cruise with the JMSDF out of Kure and Valiant Usher 83 , a combined amphibious assault exercise off the coast of Korea , rounded out the summer . After a maintenance availability in Yokosuka ( 13 – 25 August ) , " Towers " sailed south with DesRon 15 , bound for the Indian Ocean . During the transit , the guided missile destroyer helped track a Soviet Echo II guided missile submarine and her escorts through the Malacca Straits . On 20 September , she arrived at Diego Garcia to refuel , subsequently transiting to Phuket , Thailand , for a five - day visit . After a stop at Subic Bay on 11 October , the warship supported the final salvage stages of salvage work at the Korean Air Lines Flight 007 crash site ( 22 October – 6 November ) before reaching Yokosuka on 9 November . " Towers " underwent a major overhaul at Yokosuka during most of 1984 , receiving the Harpoon anti - ship missile system , improved electronics equipment and major work on boiler tubes and brickwork . Conducting her first sea trials after the overhaul ( 4 – 7 September ) , she departed Yokosuka ahead of schedule on 17 October for two months of combat systems certification in the Hawaiian operating areas . Following a series of service inspections in January and February 1985 , " Towers " conducted refresher training off South Korea and out of Subic Bay before sailing south for Cobra Gold ' 85 , a joint training exercise with the Thai military held 7 – 16 July . During her transit south , " Towers " rescued another group of Vietnamese refugees , her fourth such humanitarian rescue in her career . Subsequent to Cobra Gold , the guided missile destroyer steamed to the North Arabian Sea via Singapore and Diego Garcia , arriving on station on 4 August . Battle group operations remained fairly quiet , with the warship tasked to track Soviet or Indian aircraft on a periodic basis . Tragedy struck on the night of 7 August , however , when Liberty 603 , an E - 2C from VAW - 115 , impacted the water off " Midway " ' s flight deck . The search and rescue effort , in which " Towers " participated , yielded three of the five crew members ; Lt . ( j . g . ) Kevin R . Kuhnigk , USNR , and Ens . Christopher Mims , USNR , however , perished in the mishap . After a " war - at - sea " exercise in the Indian Ocean , Battle Group Alpha steamed southeast to western Australia , where " Towers " enjoyed five days of liberty in Geraldton , Australia ( 13 – 19 September ) . Thereafter , she participated in Valiant Usher ' 85 , a joint exercise with Australian forces , and AnnualEx 85 , a joint U . S . - Japanese operation , before reaching Yokosuka on 15 October . After a series of local operations and individual ship exercises , " Towers " participated in Exercise Team Spirit 86 off Korea in late February and early March 1986 . Upon her return home on 3 April 1986 , the guided missile destroyer underwent and passed four major inspections ; a command security inspection , ( 24 April ) a combat systems readiness test ( 14 – 19 April ) , a Board of Inspection and Survey visit ( 5 – 9 May ) and a boiler inspection ( 12 May ) . After celebrating her 25th anniversary on 29 May , " Towers " hosted a celebration in her home port for crew and their families , as well as local dignitaries . She then returned to certifications , service exams and inspections , tasks that kept the crew busy until mid - September when she sailed for Guam . After participation in multinational exercise CrowEater ' 86 , the guided missile destroyer sailed south for a series of port visits in eastern Australia , stopping at Cairns , Sydney , Adelaide and Brisbane before returning home on 15 November via Cairns and Guam . The new year got off to a good start with the crew receiving " outstanding " in all areas during the 5 – 8 January 1987 command inspection . Local operations followed , including training for the annual March – April Exercise Team Spirit ' 87 . On 15 – 19 May " Towers " took part in the Shimoda Black Ship Festival , celebrating the visit of Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry ' s squadron to Japan in July 1853 . She spent the rest of the summer in preparation for another Indian Ocean deployment , upon which she embarked on 15 October . After a stop at Subic Bay in November , the warship sailed to the Persian Gulf , beginning the new year moored alongside the destroyer tender for availability at Masirah , Oman . Upon completion , " Towers " , in company with frigate , sailed to Karachi , Pakistan , for a five - day port visit ( 14 – 18 January 1988 ) during which the commanding officer called upon the CNO of the Pakistan Navy . The guided missile destroyer subsequently made her way to the Republic of the Maldives for a four - day port visit and then to Diego Garcia for five days . After a stop at Pattaya Beach , Thailand , in mid - February , " Towers " accomplished her fifth rescue of Vietnamese refugees on 29 February , picking up 126 survivors of a " grossly overloaded " boat with a broken - down engine and no food or water . Continuing on home , the guided missile destroyer stopped at Subic Bay and Hong Kong before participating in the annual bilateral exercise Team Spirit 87 off South Korea ( 16 March – 3 April ) . Following local exercises , " Towers " participated in a joint exercise with the Japanese in the Philippine Sea ( 13 – 19 May ) , an ASW exercise in the Sea of Japan ( 11 – 14 June ) , before putting to sea on the 23rd for Exercise Mekar 88 alongside ships of the Royal Malaysian Navy ( 7 – 13 July ) . She combined that operation with Exercise Cobra Gold 88 off Thailand ( 24 July – 1 August ) , upon completion of which she returned to Yokosuka for a 90 - day restricted availability . Upon completion of repairs , which included replacing both 5 - inch gun mounts , the warship conducted sea trials and gunnery drills starting on 9 November 1988 . During those evolutions , however , some shells fell both within Japanese territorial waters and near a Japanese Maritime Safety Agency ship . The Japan government protested the incident and the Navy relieved " Towers " ' commanding officer " for cause without relief . " Despite the embarrassing incident , the warship resumed local operations soon after . Departing Yokosuka on 6 January 1989 , " Towers " sailed south for refresher training out of Subic Bay . Engineering trouble hampered these evolutions , however , and the guided missile destroyer put into the Ship Repair Facility ( SRF ) there for repairs in late January . Detailed inspections quickly determined that the guided missile destroyer had suffered damage to turbine blades as well as both propellers . " It was amazing " , one technician commented later , " that the whole turbine did not disintegrate . " The guided missile destroyer finally put to sea for exercises with the " Midway " Battle Group in June . After a month - long stay at Yokosuka starting on 15 July , " Towers " sailed south for more exercises with the battle group . While in transit to Pattaya Beach in late August , however , the warship received the news that Lt . Col . William R . Higgins , USMC , kidnapped by Iranian - supported terrorists in Beirut , Lebanon , the previous February , had been murdered . Ordered to the Indian Ocean for contingency operations , as well as to oversee the end of tanker convoy operations in the Persian Gulf , " Towers " patrolled the those waters until early October . She then sailed south for a port visit to Mombasa , Kenya , 18 – 21 October , before arriving in Subic Bay on 27 November . Although " Towers " departed 1 December , an attempted coup d ' état in the Philippines kept her there for a week of contingency operations before she arrived home on 11 December . Although the guided missile destroyer continued intermittent local operations in early 1990 , " Towers " received word of future decommissioning and began inactivation inspections in April . She got underway for the last time on 18 June , to serve as plane guard for " Midway " , and visited Pusan , South Korea , before returning to Yokosuka on the 30th . On 17 July the ship moved to drydock for inactivation procedures and she was decommissioned at Yokosuka on 1 October 1990 . Later towed to the Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility at Pearl Harbor and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 26 May 1992 , she was , ultimately , sunk by guided missile frigate in a fleet training exercise ( SinkEx ) off the coast of California on 9 October 2002 . Decommissioning and sinking exercise ( Sinkex ) . The ship was decommissioned 1 October 1990 , and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 27 May 1992 . Originally expected to be converted to a barge , the ship was sunk as a target in 2002 . " Towers " received one Navy Unit Commendation , one Meritorious Unit Commendation , and four battle star s for her service in Vietnam .