USS Robert A . Owens ( DD - 827 ) USS " Robert A . Owens " ( DD / DDK / DDE - 827 ) was a of the United States Navy , named for USMC Sergeant Robert A . Owens ( 1920 – 1943 ) , who was awarded both the Navy Cross and Medal of Honor posthumously for his heroic actions in the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay . " Robert A . Owens " was laid down on 29 October 1945 by the Bath Iron Works Corp . , Bath , Maine ; launched on 15 July 1946 ; sponsored by Miss Patricia Hannegan ; reclassified DDK - 827 on 28 January 1948 ; and commissioned at Boston on 5 November 1949 , Commander Rexford V . Wheeler , Jr . , in command . Service history . 1950 – 1959 . Following shakedown in February 1950 , " Robert A . Owens " , one of the first hunter - killer destroyers so designated , was reclassified DDE - 827 on 4 March 1950 . She operated in the western Atlantic and the Caribbean ( during which time she sank west of Key West , Florida during rocket tests on 7 October 1951 ) and in late 1952 when she deployed to the Mediterranean . From that time into the 1960s , she operated with the 6th Fleet for six months out of every eighteen . During the remaining twelve months , she conducted anti - submarine patrols off the Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean . In the fall of 1957 she added the North Sea to her operational area as she joined in NATO exercises . 1960 – 1969 . In the 1960s " Robert A . Owens " continued to rotate between 2nd and 6th Fleets . In November 1960 and February 1962 , she assisted in the recovery operations for Project Mercury space capsules , Mercury 2 and Mercury 6 . After the latter , " Robert A . Owens " sailed east to join Task Group Bravo ( TG Bravo ) for eastern Atlantic antisubmarine operations . Reclassified DD - 827 on 7 August 1962 , she was a unit of the Cuban Quarantine Task Force 136 during October and November . In January and February 1963 , she conducted anti - submarine warfare ( ASW ) operations in the Atlantic . March brought another period of patrol off Cuba ; and , in April , " Robert A . Owens " again got underway for extended deployment . Duty in the Mediterranean , the Red Sea , and the Indian Ocean followed and on 23 December she entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization ( FRAM ) overhaul . Completing overhaul on 15 November 1964 , " Robert A . Owens " served as schoolship for the Fleet Sonar School and , after refresher training at Guantanamo Bay , joined the Recovery Force for Gemini - Titan 3 ( GT3 ) in March 1965 and Gemini - Titan 4 ( GT4 ) in June . On 27 November , she sailed for an extended deployment to the 6th Fleet and Middle East Force , returning to Fleet Sonar School ship duty in May 1966 . She then operated in the Atlantic until deploying to the Mediterranean during the first five months of 1967 . The balance of the year was spent in Atlantic operations , schoolship duties , and overhaul which was completed on 11 March 1968 . " Robert A . Owens " then participated in the search for submarine from 28 May to 13 June , and conducted ASW operations before deploying to the 6th Fleet from 5 September 1968 to 27 January 1969 . She then operated in the Atlantic and Caribbean without an extended deployment for the balance of that year . 1970 – 1973 . Between 1 January 1970 and 31 December 1972 , she alternated two Mediterranean deployments with normal operations in the Atlantic and Caribbean , out of her home port , Norfolk , Virginia . The year 1973 was taken up completely by Atlantic and Caribbean operations . During early 1977 at least , she was home ported in Galveston Texas , making a round trip to Norfolk that spring . 1978 – 1981 . Between 1978 and 1981 , she was assigned to the Naval Reserve Force and homeported at Naval Air Station Pensacola , Florida , berthed adjacent to the training aircraft carrier USS Lexington ( AVT - 16 ) . TCG " Alcitepe " ( D - 346 ) . " Robert A . Owens " was decommissioned on 16 February 1982 and transferred to the Republic of Turkey through the Security Assistance Program ( SAP ) that same day . She served as TCG " Alcitepe " ( D - 346 ) with the Turkish Navy until early 1999 when she was decommissioned and scrapped .