USS Macon ( CA - 132 ) USS " Macon " ( CA - 132 ) , a " Baltimore " - class heavy cruiser of the United States Navy was laid down on 14 June 1943 by the New York Shipbuilding Corp . , Camden , New Jersey ; launched on 15 October 1944 ; sponsored by Mrs . Charles F . Bowden , wife of the mayor of Macon , Georgia ; and commissioned on 26 August 1945 at Philadelphia , Captain Edward Everett Pare in command . 1946 – 1950 . " Macon ’ s " first fleet assignment was with the 8th Fleet , which she joined soon after her shakedown cruise . Sailing with the fleet for maneuvers in the Caribbean , she departed Norfolk on 19 April 1946 , returning to New York on 7 May . On 4 June " Macon " arrived at Norfolk for duty as a test ship for the operational development force . Over the next four years the cruiser periodically received experimental equipment in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard , conducted tests of the new equipment while she served as an anti - aircraft gunnery schoolship , and training naval reservists off the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States . She also participated in a midshipmen summer cruise to Europe in 1948 . Her experimental duties continued until 12 April 1950 when she decommissioned and went into reserve at Philadelphia . 1950 – 1961 . With the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950 , " Macon " was ordered reactivated . As she had just entered into a decommissioned status in April ( 3 months earlier ) her reactivation went extremely quickly , and in reality consisted minor repairs , loading a crew , stores , and ammunition . She recommissioned at Philadelphia 16 October 1950 , Capt . Victor Dismukes Long in command and , upon completion of refresher training , became the flagship of Cruiser Division 6 in the Atlantic . She patrolled in the eastern Mediterranean during the Suez Crisis of 1956 ; took part in the International Naval Review celebrating the 350th Anniversary of the foundation of Jamestown , Virginia , 12 June 1957 ; and participated in the NATO exercise operation " Strikeback " , conducted in the North Sea and Arctic Ocean in September 1957 . Besides these duties , " Macon " continued to receive experimental equipment for testing throughout the period . Having also received missile equipment during January – March 1956 , she launched the first Regulus missile from an Atlantic Fleet cruiser on 8 May while anchored off the North Carolina coast , and then continued tests of the missile as she completed her cycle of Atlantic Fleet operations . On the night of 19 – 20 January 1959 , " Macon " , steaming from Cartagena to Marseille , diverted from her course and sped to the aid of burning Italian merchant ship " Maria Amata " . " Macon " s crew fought the flames , but the ship was soon beyond salvage . " Macon " then carried the merchantman ' s crew to Valencia , Spain . USS Macon CA - 132 participated in Operation Inland Seas ( or Sea ) which was a United States Navy operation to celebrate the completion of the Saint Lawrence Seaway in 1959 . By the end of 1959 " Macon " had conducted six midshipmen summer cruises and had spent the fall and winter season of almost every year with the 6th Fleet . The following January , " Macon " , carrying the U . S . Navy Band , departed Norfolk for a goodwill cruise to South American ports . While on this tour , six members of the band perished in a plane crash en route to perform at a state dinner for Brazilian President Juscelino Kubitschek . With Argentine Naval personnel participating , " Macon " s crew held memorial services in Buenos Aires Harbor on 28 February . Completing this cruise at Rio de Janeiro on 10 March , " Macon " returned to Boston to resume her cycle of operations with the Atlantic Fleet . " Macon " was placed out of commission in reserve at Philadelphia on 10 March 1961 . Stricken on 1 November 1969 , and sold to the Union Minerals and Alloys Corporation , New York City , on 5 July 1973 and scrapped in Port Newark , New Jersey . External links .