USS Nicholson ( DD - 982 ) USS " Nicholson " ( DD - 982 ) , a " Spruance " - class destroyer , was the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for a family which was prominent in early American naval history , including James Nicholson , the senior Continental Navy Captain , and Samuel Nicholson , the first captain of USS " Constitution " . History . " Nicholson " was laid down on 20 February 1976 by the Ingalls Shipbuilding , in Pascagoula , Miss . ; launched on 11 November 1977 ; and commissioned on 12 May 1979 . She first deployed on 18 November 1980 . Nicholson deployed to the Persian Gulf in 1983 and returned to Charleston SC via the Suez Canal with a refueling stop in Djibouti . The crew enjoyed a port visit to Barcelona , Spain on the way back to home port . The ship encountered heavy seas on the voyage west across the Atlantic and experienced a casualty to the sonar dome . The dome was subsequently repaired in conjunction with a scheduled maintenance period at the Brooklyn Navy Shipyard between May 1984 and Feb 1985 . Following the maintenance period the ship returned to Charleston , SC and began work ups for the next deployment including , Combat Systems Ship Qualification Trials , an Anti - Submarine warfare exercise in the Caribbean and Refresher Training in Guantanamo Bay Cuba . " Nicholson " was deployed for six months , in February 1990 , with USS " Dahlgren " , as part of the Mid - East Force in the Persian Gulf . The deployment was fairly routine except for two incidents . The first was a pair of armed Iranian F - 4s that overflew the ship in the Straits of Hormuz , and the second was that " Nicholson " and " Dahlgren " left the Persian Gulf for home just a week before Iraq invaded Kuwait . " Nicholson " was deployed for six months , in January 1992 , as part of NATO ' s Standing Naval Force Atlantic . NICHOLSON joined the NATO task force in the Puerto Rican Opareas and detached in Den Helder , Netherlands . Port Visits included Roosevelt Roads , Puerto Rico ; St . Maarten , DVI ; Boston , MA ; Halifax , Nova Scotia ; Tromso , Norway ; Bergen , Norway ; Den Helder , Neth ; Antwerp , Belgium ; Oporto , Portugal ; Rosyth , Scotland ; Frederikshavn , Denmark ; Aarhus , Denmark ; and St Johns , Newfoundland . NICHOLSON served as flagship for the second half of the deployment under a US Admiral , RADM Dwyer , USN . During the first half the force was under the command of a Dutch Admiral . Other ships in the task force were Norway – Frigate – HNoMS Oslo ( first half ) ; Canada – Frigate – HMCS Skeena ( entire cruise ) ; Portugal – Frigate – NRP Vasco da Gama ( first half ) ; Britain – Frigates – HMS Brave ( first half ) and HMS Exeter ( second half ) ; Netherlands – Frigate – HNLMS Jacob Van Heemskerck ( first half ) and HNLMS Bloys van Treslong ( second half ) ; Denmark – Frigate – HDMS Olfert Fischer ( second half ) ; Germany – Frigates – FGS Niedersachsen ( first half ) and FGS Rheinland Pfaltz ( second half ) . " Nicholson " was deployed , in early 1994 , with USS " Saratoga " , as part of Task Force 60 in the Persian Gulf , Mediterranean Sea and the Adriatic Sea in support of operations " Deny Flight , " " Provide Promise " and " Sharp Guard " . As part of a reorganization announced in July 1995 of the U . S . Atlantic Fleet ' s surface combatant ships into six core battle groups , nine destroyer squadrons and a new Western Hemisphere Group , " Nicholson " was reassigned to Destroyer Squadron 18 . The reorganization was to be phased in over the summer and take effect on 31 August , with homeport shifts occurring through 1998 . " Nicholson " departed the Charleston Naval Shipyard for sea trials , on 29 September 1995 , following completion of an overhaul . " Nicholson " carried with it the distinction of being the last ship overhauled in the 94 - year history of the shipyard as the Charleston Naval Shipyard was closing as a result of the base realignment and closure process of 1993 . The ship did not return to the shipyard at the end of sea trials but proceeded to a new home port of Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Norfolk , Virginia . The shipyard ' s official closing took place on 1 April 1996 . " Nicholson " arrived at her new home port of Norfolk on 6 October 1995 . On 10 December 1996 , " Nicholson " departed Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for a scheduled six - month deployment to the Middle East Force . She , along with the USS " Halyburton " , relieved Norfolk - based USS " Stump " and Pascagoula , Mississippi - based USS " Stephen W . Groves " , then deployed in the Persian Gulf . " Nicholson " took part , with the USS " Enterprise " carrier battle group in a Sink Exercise ( SINKEX ) near Puerto Rico on 9 August 1998 , resulting in the sinking of the former USS " Richmond K . Turner " . The SINKEX developed the battle group ' s coordination of combined air and surface assaults , verified the performance of several weapons systems and enhanced the integration of joint units into naval battle scenarios . During the exercise , the USS " Philippine Sea " , USS " Thorn " , " Nicholson " and Carrier Air Wing Three also sent a parade of high - altitude , anti - radiation missiles , Harpoon anti - ship missiles and an assortment of laser - guided munitions to the decommissioned cruiser . The United States Air Force participated with a trio of 2 , 000 - pound bombs . " Nicholson " deployed with the " Enterprise " carrier battle group , with Carrier Air Wing Three ( CVW 3 ) embarked , for a scheduled six - month deployment on 6 November 1998 , and to relieve the USS " Dwight D . Eisenhower " carrier battle group in Operation Southern Watch . With the " Enterprise " CVBG , " Nicholson " took part in Operation Desert Fox , an operation designed to degrade Saddam Hussein ' s ability to deliver chemical , biological and nuclear weapons , and wage war against his neighbors , from 16 to 18 December 1998 . During the 70 - hour assault , " Nicholson " launched Tomahawk cruise missiles on Iraqi targets . Following this , and after departing the Persian Gulf on 2 January 1999 , and transiting through the Suez Canal , " Nicholson " joined U . S . 6th Fleet and took part in Operation Allied Force , launching Tomahawks at numerous sites in Yugoslavia . She returned home on 6 May 2000 . " Nicholson " and the fast combat support ship USS " Detroit " were involved in a minor collision on 27 August 2000 about 100 miles east of Cape Henry ( east of Norfolk ) . The collision occurred at approximately 8 : 45 pm local time while the ships were conducting a night underway replenishment . Initial reports indicated minor damage to both ships . Two " Nicholson " sailors also suffered minor injuries . Both ships were still seaworthy after the incident . " Nicholson " deployed with the " Enterprise " carrier battle group and USS " Kearsarge " Amphibious Ready Group ( ARG ) for a scheduled six - month deployment . This was the 17th overseas deployment for " Enterprise " since her maiden voyage on 12 January 1962 . The " Enterprise " CVBG and " Kearsarge " ARG relieved the USS " Harry Truman " CVBG and USS " Nassau " ARG , which deployed in November 2000 . Though the " Enterprise " battle group departed on 25 April 2001 , " Nicholson " and " Thorn " , scheduled as late - deployers , and USS " McFaul " joined the battle group after departing in June . Over the following six months , all these units conducted multi - national and joint operations with navies of various European countries , and visited ports in Mediterranean and Persian Gulf nations . The ships and squadrons returned home in November 2001 . " Nicholson " was decommissioned 20 December 2002 ; stricken 6 April 2004 ; and sunk as a target 30 July 2004 . Ship ' s crest . The official crest of " Nicholson " symbolizes the service of five prominent American naval officers from the Nicholson family who served in the United States Navy during the American Revolutionary War , the War of 1812 and the American Civil War . The dominant colors of the crest are blue and gold , traditional to the Navy . The five spears and the five shields each represent the five members of the Nicholson family . The shields are red , signifying that each namesake distinguished himself in combat during his service to his country . The chevron , a symbol of strength and support , alludes to the prow of the ship . The three bomb bursts signify the threefold mission of a Spruance class destroyer . The lower bomb burst symbolizes a subsurface depth charge or torpedo , while the two upper represent surface and aerial firepower . The sea lion is an ancient symbol of the sea and naval powers . The traditional Latin ship ' s motto , " FORTES FORTUNA ADIUVAT , " translates to " Fortune Favors the Brave , " or " Fortune favors the bold . " Commanding Officers . CDR Wesley Earl Jordan Jr . 12 May 1979 – 18 Jun 1981 ( Later RADM ) CDR Miles Augustus Libbey III 18 Jun 1981 – 26 Dec 1982 CDR Michael Howard Loy 26 Dec 1982 – 24 Jan 1983 CDR Robert Drake Jones 24 Jan 1983 – 17 May 1984 CDR James Michael Lopacinski 17 May 1984 – 24 Jul 1986 CDR John Prescott Morse 24 Jul 1986 – 16 Dec 1988 CDR James E . Booth 16 Dec 1988 – 18 Jan 1991 CDR Steven K . Johnson 18 Jan 1991 – 6 Sep 1992 CDR Lawrence Meriwether Jones Jr . 6 Sep 1992 – 9 Jun 1994 CDR Paul Eugene Stanton 9 Jun 1994 – 16 Mar 1996 CDR Craig Elroy Langman 16 Mar 1996 – 22 Nov 1997 CDR Alexander L . Urrutia 22 Nov 1997 – 19 Jun 1999 CDR James B . Brinkman 19 Jun 1999 – 20 Nov 2000 CDR Kenneth Joseph Harvey 20 Nov 2000 – 18 Dec 2002