USS Gridley ( DLG - 21 ) Her keel was laid down by the Puget Sound Bridge and Drydock Company of Seattle , Washington . She was launched on 31 July 1961 sponsored by Mrs . Stuart D . Rose , great - granddaughter of Captain Gridley , and commissioned on 25 May 1963 with Captain P . A . Lilly in command . 1960s . After outfitting at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton , Washington , " Gridley " made a goodwill visit to British Columbia and then conducted acceptance trials out of her homeport , Long Beach , California . The new cruiser returned to Puget Sound Shipyard from 8 November to 9 December 1963 , after which she joined the Pacific Fleet as flagship of Destroyer Squadron 19 . Following shakedown out of San Diego , California , early in 1964 , " Gridley " departed Long Beach 8 April and steamed via Pearl Harbor to Australia for commemoration of the Battle of the Coral Sea , arriving Adelaide , South Australia , on 5 May . The frigate next headed for the Philippines , stopping at Subic Bay on 29 May through 31 May , before proceeding to Okinawa on 2 June and Sasebo , Japan , on 8 June . Heading south once more , she returned to Subic Bay and visited Hong Kong . On 4 August , she got underway for the South China Sea escorting aircraft carrier " Constellation " ( CVA - 64 ) to strengthen American naval forces off Vietnam after Communist motor torpedo boats had attacked destroyer s " Maddox " ( DD - 731 ) and " Turner Joy " ( DD - 951 ) in the Gulf of Tonkin . But for a brief visit to Subic Bay , she remained on station serving screening and picket duty , coordinating antiaircraft warfare efforts , and relaying communications . Before she left the fighting zone 6 September , the ship ' s competent and dedicated service won her the Navy Unit Commendation . She departed Subic Bay on 7 November and reached Long Beach on 21 November . " Gridley " operated along the West Coast until heading back to the Western Pacific 10 July 1965 . Stopping at Pearl Harbor and Yokosuka en route , she steamed to the South China Sea to support aircraft carriers of the Seventh Fleet as the flattops attacked targets in Vietnam . On four different occasions in the next four months , she rescued pilots who ditched at sea . She returned to Yokosuka on 7 December but resumed station in the South China Sea on 22 December to serve as " Tomcat , " responsible for checking - in planes returning to their carriers . Early in 1966 she headed for home and reached Long Beach 1 February . In 1965 the Gridley was runner up of the Capt . Edward F . Ney Memorial Award , for the best feeding food ship in the Navy . ( Medium aflot class ) In 1966 , the Gridley won the Capt . Edward F . Ney Memorial Award , for the best feeding food ship in the navy ( Medium aflot class ) . " Gridley " operated along the California coast until sailing for the Orient 18 November . She left Subic Bay 2 January 1967 for plane guard duty in the China Sea and the Gulf of Tonkin . After varied duties in the fighting zone , she sailed for Australia en route to the West Coast and arrived Long Beach 8 June to prepare for future action . On 8 June 1967 Ensign John Kerry reported on board for his first tour of sea duty . His tour ended a year later , on 6 June 1968 , when " Gridley " returned from her deployment . 1970s . In 1972 , Gridley was the first ship of the class to be fitted with digital missile fire control systems providing her with the capability to fire Standard Missile Type 2 . In a later overhaul , the 3 in / 50s were replaced by 8 AGM - 84 Harpoon missiles and 2 Phalanx CIWS were added . ( Incorrect . Harpoon and CIWS did not exist in 1972 ) ( It was during the 1979 overhaul ) " Gridley " was reclassified as a guided missile cruiser with hull classification symbol CG - 21 on 30 June 1975 . That year , she provided air traffic control and on - station support during " Operation Frequent Wind " , the evacuation during the collapse of South Vietnam . " Gridley " was also on - station air traffic controller during the " Mayagüez " incident . " Gridley " was based in Subic Bay , Philippines , during the 1975 Westpac . During the 1975 year , " Gridley " appears to have been part of Cruiser - Destroyer Group 3 . In 1976 , " Gridley " made a Westpac tour . During her trip across the Pacific , Gridley transited the 180th parallel ( the International Date Line ) at midight 3 July . Gridley went directly from 3 July to 5 July , resulting in her crew being the few Americans to miss the 200th anniversary of Independence Day . ( The " Gridley " celebrated the missing 4 July upon crossing the dateline in December , when an extra day is gained . ) During the 1976 Westpac , the " Gridley " was based in Yokosuka , Japan . There was one event that " Gridley " was involved with during 1976 that is not well known . This event is the Axe Murder Incident that took place on 21 August 1976 : the murder of two U . S . Army officers by North Korean soldiers . " Gridley " was in - port in Yokosuka , Japan when this event happened ; by the next morning the entire USS Midway ( CV - 41 ) battle group was underway and stood off the coast of Korea for nearly a month . 1980s . After a shipyard period in 1978 , " Gridley " deployed to the western Pacific in 1979 . As a result of the Iran hostage crisis , " Gridley " remained on station in the Indian Ocean and North Arabian Sea through mid - 1980 . Upon returning to San Diego , California , in March 1982 , " Gridley " was once again operating in Southern California waters , until October when she returned to Long Beach Naval Shipyard for an extensive upgrade and an overhaul of all engineering machinery . More upgrades were made to the ship ' s fire control and air search radar s , sonar system was upgraded from the AN / SQS - 23 to the AN / SQQ - 23 PAIR , and the Phalanx close - in weapon system was installed during 1982 . " Gridley " returned to the operational fleet in October 1983 . In July 1987 " Gridley " was part of the " Ranger " battle group , conducting strikes against Iranian oil platforms , returning to San Diego in January , 1988 . The ship then departed San Diego , California for the Persian Gulf on 15 December 1988 , operating with Spruance - Class destroyer USS John Young ( DD - 973 ) to escort reflagged Kuwaiti oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz during operation EARNEST WILL . Homeward bound and transiting the South China Sea , GRIDLEY rescued Vietnamese refugees sighted in a small boat off of the coast of Vietnam . A Vietnamese - speaking crewman aboard Gridley was able to translate for those rescued , facilitating the process . " Gridley " returned to San Diego , California , in June 1989 . On 17 October of that year , the ship ' s visit to Naval Station , Treasure Island , California , was interrupted by the Richter - 7 . 1 Loma - Prieta earthquake that struck the San Francisco Bay area . " Gridley " ’ s crew provided assistance to victims in San Francisco ' s severely damaged Marina district , and was awarded the Humanitarian Service Medal for disaster recovery efforts . 1990s . From February 1990 until March 1991 , " Gridley " received the New Threat Upgrade at Southwest Marine Shipyard in San Diego , California . During the US $ 55 million overhaul , all engineering , berthing and food service areas were upgraded , and the ship ' s combat systems were dramatically enhanced . Improvements to the air search radars and Combat Direction System improved the ship ' s ability to detect and engage multiple air threats with its SM - 1ER and SM - 2ER surface - to - air missiles . Following an extensive operational evaluation and qualification phase , " Gridley " deployed to the Persian Gulf , the ship operated in support of " Independence " ( CV - 62 ) . " Gridley " rescued the disabled merchant vessel " Adel 11 " in the North Arabian Sea in June 1992 . When Operation Southern Watch , the enforcement of a " no - fly " zone over southern Iraq , commenced in August , " Gridley " was the first ship on station off the coast of Kuwait . She provided coastal radar coverage and air - defense protection for ships in the northern Persian Gulf . " Gridley " returned to San Diego , California , in October 1992 and was overhauled at the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company from January through April 1993 . During that time , the ship was back fitted to accommodate the new SM - 2ER block III missile . The modification gave the ship the capability to defeat the sea - skimming cruise missile s which have proliferated worldwide in the 1990s . In July 1993 , " Gridley " fired several of the new missiles on the Pacific Missile Test Center range , scoring three successful hits . That same month , the ship rendezvoused with " Constellation " ( CV - 64 ) in Acapulco , Mexico , escorting her back to San Diego , California , after the carrier ' s three - year Service Life Extension Program overhaul at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard . After a final port visit to San Francisco , California , in October 1993 " Gridley " returned to San Diego , California , where she was decommissioned , stricken from the Naval Vessel Register , and transferred to the Maritime Administration for temporary lay - up on 21 January 1994 . She was laid up in the Suisun Bay , California , reserve to await disposal . She was scrapped in 2005 .