USS Edson ( DD - 946 ) USS " Edson " ( DD - 946 ) was a of the United States Navy , built by Bath Iron Works in Maine in 1958 . Her home port was Long Beach , California and she initially served in the Western Pacific / Far East , operating particularly in the Taiwan Strait and off the coast of Vietnam . Her exceptionally meritorious service in 1964 in the Gulf of Tonkin was recognized with the first of three Navy Unit Commendations . During the following years she was shelled by North Vietnamese land forces , and apparently received friendly fire from the US Air Force . Following an onboard fire in 1974 , Edson returned to the West Pacific and was later commended for her roles in the evacuation of Phnom Penh and Saigon . She was decommissioned in 1988 , but the following year became a museum ship at the Intrepid Sea - Air - Space Museum in New York . Returning to Navy lay - up in 2004 , it was agreed in 2012 that she should again become a museum ship , at Bay City , Michigan . Commissioning and Initial Service . USS " Edson " was named for Major General Merritt “ Red Mike ” Edson USMC ( 1897 – 1955 ) , who was awarded the Medal of Honor while serving as Commanding Officer of the First Marine Raider Battalion on Guadalcanal , and the Navy Cross and Silver Star for other actions in world War II . " Edson " was laid down on 3 December 1956 by Bath Iron Works Corporation , Bath , Maine ; launched on 4 January 1958 , sponsored by Mrs . M . A . Edson , widow of General Edson ; and commissioned on 7 November 1958 , with Commander Thomas J . Moriarty in command . " Edson " called at Ciudad Trujillo and Caribbean ports while conducting shakedown training en route to Callao , Peru , where she lay from 18 to 21 February 1959 delivering supplies for the U . S . Embassy in Lima , Peru . She reached Naval Station Long Beach , California , her home port , on 2 March and through the remainder of the year perfected her readiness with exercises along the west coast . On 5 January 1960 , she sailed from Long Beach for her first deployment in the Far East , during which she patrolled in the Taiwan Straits and took part in amphibious operations off Okinawa , and exercises of various types off Japan . On 29 April , she rescued three aviators from , whose A - 3D aircraft had crash landed in the ocean . " Edson " returned to Long Beach on 31 May for an overhaul which continued through October . " Edson " spent the remainder of 1960 conducting training off San Diego . WESTPAC Deployments . In June 1961 " Edson " , together with the other ships of DESDIV 231 , sailed to Portland , Oregon , to represent the U . S . Navy at the annual Rose Festival . On 11 August 1961 , " Edson " sailed from Long Beach harbor to start her second WESTPAC deployment . She spent three months in operations with the attack carriers USS " Ranger " and USS " Ticonderoga " and spent the month of December patrolling the straits between Taiwan and the mainland of Communist China . On Friday , 13 March 1964 , " Edson " departed for her third WESTPAC deployment . After the transit , " Edson " began duties with the Taiwan Patrol Force , CTF 72 . The end of May and the months of June and July 1964 were filled with carrier operations , Gunfire Support Training in the Philippines , and operation LICTAS , a joint SEATO operation off the coast of the Philippines . August found " Edson " in the Gulf of Tonkin on special operations . It was here she was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for exceptionally meritorious service in support of operations in the Gulf of Tonkin during the period 2 – 5 August 1964 . On her fifth deployment in 1967 , she received a hit from a North Vietnamese shore battery while providing a naval gunfire support mission . " Edson " served as plane guard for aircraft carrier s on Yankee Station in the Tonkin Gulf , participated in Sea Dragon operations , patrolled on search and rescue duties , and carried out Naval Gunfire Support missions during the Vietnam War . On 17 June 1968 she apparently took friendly fire from the US Air Force , along with several other U . S . and Australian ships . On 12 December 1974 , " Edson " suffered a fire in the after fireroom while training with the USS " Coral Sea " . The fire was caused by the ignition of oil which was spraying from a rupture in a lube oil gauge line . The area was secured and fire extinguished with no personnel casualties . In January 1975 , after repairs in Hawaii , the " Edson " continued on to WESPAC and in April she participated in Operation Eagle Pull ( evacuation of Phnom Penh , Cambodia ) and Operation Frequent Wind ( evacuation of Saigon , Vietnam ) , earning two Meritorious Unit Commendations . As part of the observances of the Bicentennial of the U . S . Constitution in 1976 , the mayor and city council of West Haven CT formally designated USS " Edson " as the city ' s official ship . She made two visits to this shoreside community , and members of the crew marched in the Constitution Day Parade through the center of downtown West Haven . The " Edson " was decommissioned on 15 December 1988 , and towed to the Philadelphia Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility for storage . In Popular Culture . The ship ' s name is prominently displayed in episode 104 of " The Twilight Zone " , " The Thirty - Fathom Grave " , first aired in 1963 . While all of the action occurs on the " Edson " , the ship in the opening and closing stock shots is another Sherman - class destroyer , the USS " Mullinnix " . Museum . The " Edson " served as a museum ship at the Intrepid Sea - Air - Space Museum in New York City from 30 June 1989 to 14 June 2004 when it was replaced by a Concorde airliner . The ship was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1990 . In 2004 the ship was towed to the Brooklyn Navy Yard , where hull repairs were completed , and then towed back to the Philadelphia Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility for storage . The Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum at Bay City , Michigan , and the Wisconsin Naval Ship Association at Sheboygan , Wisconsin both submitted applications to the Naval Sea Systems Command to relocate the " Edson " and reinstate her as a museum ship in their respective locations . The Bay City proposal was successful . The Navy declared USS " Edson " seaworthy on 17 July 2012 and it was cleared to begin its journey to Michigan on 18 July with arrival at the museum site on 7 August 2012 . On Tuesday , May 7 , 2013 at 15 : 01 hours , the USS Edson arrived at her permanent mooring site in Bangor Township , MI @ .