USS Noa ( DD - 841 ) USS " Noa " ( DD - 841 ) was a of the United States Navy , the second Navy ship named for Midshipman Loveman Noa ( 1878 – 1901 ) . " Noa " was laid down by the Bath Iron Works , Bath , Maine , on 26 March 1945 ; launched on 30 July 1945 , sponsored by Mrs . James Cary Jones , Jr . , wife of Rear Admiral James Cary Jones , Jr . , USN ; and commissioned on 2 November 1945 , Commander R . L . Nolan , Jr . , USN , in command . 1945 – 1960 . After shakedown at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , " Noa " departed her homeport of Norfolk , Virginia for her first Mediterranean deployment . She called at Gibraltar , Nice , Naples , Malta , Venice , Piraeus and Lisbon . After participating in fleet maneuvers in the South Atlantic in early 1947 " Noa " returned to the United States . For the next two years she exercised in type training , underwent overhaul and acted as school training ship for the Fleet Sonar School , Key West , Florida . " Noa " served as rescue destroyer for carrier during June and July 1949 . From September 1949 through January 1951 she engaged in extended anti - submarine training in a permanent Hunter - killer Group as a unit of Destroyer Squadron Eight ( DesRon 8 ) . She also made a second Mediterranean deployment during this period . In early 1951 she participated in Convex II , a large scale convoy escort exercise , after which she called at Baltimore , Maryland . The next two years were devoted to upkeep and operational type training along the East coast . In August 1953 " Noa " departed Norfolk on a 42 , 000 - mile ( 78 , 000 km ) around - the - world cruise . She arrived Sasebo , Japan on 3 October and spent four months operating in the Sea of Japan with Task Force 77 . Here she participated in operational readiness exercises while maintaining truce patrol off the Korean coast . In November 1953 " Noa " operated in Japanese waters as part of a Hunter - killer Group . She patrolled the Korean coast together with in late November and early December . From then until her return to the United States in April 1954 , " Noa " engaged in underway training . Upon her return to Norfolk she was reassigned to hunter - killer duty in the Atlantic . On 7 September 1954 Noa left Norfolk to participate in a joint NATO antisubmarine warfare exercise , " Black Jack " . After visiting Derry , Northern Ireland , and ports in the Mediterranean , she was due to return to Norfolk on 12 November 1954 . After leaving Gibraltar , the destroyer group was caught in hurricane force winds reaching . " Noa " recorded rolls in excess of 50 degrees , Some of the destroyers sustained heavy damage in the storm . " Noa " and the other destroyers found safe haven at the port of Ponta Delgada on São Miguel Island in the Azores . The destroyer group , along with the aircraft carrier , arrived at Norfolk one day late , on 13 November 1954 . After returning , " Noa " reported to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard at Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , for overhaul . During overhaul in the summer of 1955 " Noa " was outfitted with experimental sonar equipment that she tested in the Key West area . She departed Norfolk Naval Shipyard in February 1956 for her third Mediterranean deployment . Upon return to homeport the following summer she trained in the eastern Atlantic . In the spring 1957 she steamed to the Caribbean for Operation Springboard 1 – 57 and Desairdex 1 – 57 . After completion of a three - month overhaul at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in August 1957 she steamed for five weeks of refresher training at Guantanamo and for shore bombardment exercises at Culebra Island , Puerto Rico . In winter of 1957 – 8 , " Noa " served as test ship for experimental radio equipment and in spring 1958 she was again taking part in Springboard exercises in the Caribbean . March 1957 saw " Noa " as a participant in Lantphibex 1 – 58 , an exercise designed to test the latest amphibious warfare concepts . During the summer 1958 " Noa " participated in 6th Fleet operations during the Lebanon crisis . After a short tour in the Persian Gulf she returned to Norfolk and joined the 2nd Fleet for Lantphibex 2 – 58 . In February 1959 " Noa " again deployed to the Mediterranean . She participated in Sixth Fleet exercises through 1 April when she steamed for the Middle East via the Suez Canal . She called at Massawa , Ethiopia ; Bombay , India ; Bahrain , Saudi Arabia ; Bandar Shahpur , Iran ; and Aden . Late June " Noa " rejoined the Sixth Fleet after having gone eighty - three days without replenishment . She returned to Norfolk on 1 September , and transferred from Destroyer Squadron Six to Squadron Fourteen , with a new homeport at Mayport , Florida . Through spring 1960 she operated off the Atlantic Coast and in the Caribbean , She entered the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 25 May for a Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization ( FRAM ) , and received the latest in anti - submarine warfare ( ASW ) weapons . 1961 – 1973 . " Noa " completed her FRAM I overhaul on 2 May 1961 and rejoined the Atlantic Fleet . After a four - week Ready - for - Sea period and ASROC qualification trials she reported to Fleet Training Command , Guantanamo , for six weeks refresher training . " Noa " returned to Mayport on 23 July for a two - week tender period alongside . Type training followed and " Noa " steamed for the United Kingdom , for combined exercises in the Eastern Atlantic with the British Navy . She arrived at Portsmouth , England on 6 November , and also called at Belfast and Dublin before standing in to homeport on 20 December . After leave and upkeep " Noa " resumed ASW training on 29 January 1962 in the western Atlantic . " Noa " returned to Mayport on 6 February for modifications to her boat davits and briefings in preparation for the recovery of America ' s first astronaut to orbit the Earth and his space capsule . Preparations completed , she steamed on 11 February for the Project Mercury recovery area in the southwestern Atlantic , she reported on station on 14 February as part of the 24 - ship recovery task force . After two reschedulings of the space flight , " Noa " put in at San Juan , Puerto Rico for two days . She was underway on 19 February for the recovery station , located 200 miles WNW of San Juan . On 20 February , at precisely 14 : 40 , five hours and 53 minutes after launch , Friendship Seven reentered the atmosphere with a loud sonic boom that was clearly audible in " Noa " . She sighted and recovered Lt . Col . John H . Glenn , Jr . , USMC , Project Mercury astronaut , after he had completed his three orbits of the Earth and splashed down three miles from the destroyer . Enthusiastic crewmen used white paint to draw circles around Glenn ' s footsteps when he stepped onto the ship ' s deck . Col . Glenn remained aboard " Noa " for three hours before a helicopter transferred him to , the designated prime recovery ship . Upon completion of recovery operations , " Noa " returned to Mayport for ASW operations with Task Group Alpha until on 31 May . " Noa " has since conducted type training and midshipmen cruise s out of her homeport between Mediterranean operational deployments and upkeep . She steamed for the Mediterranean on 3 August 1962 for a seven - month tour with the Sixth Fleet and on 8 February 1964 saw her stand out of Mayport for another six - month Mediterranean deployment . Her regularly scheduled overhaul took place at Charlestown from September 1964 through January 1965 , followed by a Mediterranean deployment from mid - May through 1 September . Early October 1965 " Noa " steamed from Mayport for the Gemini VI recovery off the west coast of Africa . The flight was cancelled after the Agena - B rocket designed to launch a docking vehicle failed to achieve an orbital insertion . " Noa " then participated in type training and Atlantic Fleet exercises , including " High Time " , an amphibious exercise in the Caribbean from late January through early March 1966 . She also served as a unit of the Gemini 8 recovery forces 14 – 17 March 1966 . Her April – October deployment to the Mediterranean was followed by leave , upkeep and Lantflex ( 28 November – 15 December ) . In January 1967 " Noa " received two QH - 50 DASH drone anti - submarine helicopters . She then served as school ship for the Fleet Sonar School at Key West ( 28 January – 11 February ) . " Operation Springboard " took her to the Caribbean 3 – 11 March and she steamed in Mediterranean waters June through November . " Noa " stood out of Mayport on 5 January 1968 to conduct a solemn mission – burial at sea of George H . Flynt , YN1 ( Ret . ) . Flynt ' s last wish was that his remains be consigned to the deep . In honoring his request , made by a man who served his country for 20 years , " Noa " s sailors gained insight into a unique ceremony for men of the sea . " Noa " underwent regular availability and overhaul at Charleston commencing 8 January 1968 . Work was completed 17 June and the destroyer was in Mayport on 25 June . Because of excessive vibration in her starboard shaft , " Noa " returned to drydock at Charleston on 8 July for one week . She steamed for Guantanamo for refresher training after which she returned to Mayport on 11 September . Homeported once again the destroyer conducted maintenance and training and began preparation for deployment to the Pacific . During October she was in restricted availability at Jacksonville , Florida for boiler repairs . She rode out Hurricane Gladys on 19 October and spent the rest of the year in training and in preparation for 1969 deployment to WestPac . 1969 – 1973 . " Noa " was decommissioned on 31 October 1973 . The ship was loaned to Spain , and struck from the U . S . Naval Vessel Register on 2 June 1975 . SPS " Blas de Lezo " ( D65 ) . The ship served in the Spanish Navy as SPS " Blas de Lezo " ( D65 ) , named after Adm . Blas de Lezo y Olavarrieta ( 1689 – 1741 ) . She was sold by the United States to Spain on 17 May 1978 . " Blas de Lezo " was stricken and scrapped in 1991 .