USS Stump ( DD - 978 ) USS " Stump " ( DD - 978 ) was a built by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries at Pascagoula , Mississippi . The USS " Stump " was decommissioned and stricken on 22 October 2004 . History . " Stump " was laid down 25 August 1975 , launched 29 January 1977 , and commissioned on 19 August 1978 . The ship was named after Admiral Felix Stump , Commander of the U . S . Pacific Command from 1953 to 1958 . " Stump " ' s 1980 maiden deployment was to the Mediterranean , serving as flagship for Destroyer Squadron 14 . " Stump " conducted Black Sea operations , port visits and extensive undersea warfare ( USW ) operations . As a result of her outstanding performance , " Stump " was awarded the " Hookem Award " for USW excellence by the commander of the U . S . 6th Fleet . A year later , " Stump " deployed as south Atlantic flagship for UNITAS XXII . It was on this cruise that " Stump " obtained its mascot Felix , a bluefronted Amazon parrot , during a port visit to Brazil . Stump was the first Spruance class ship to traverse the inland waterway of Chile . In October 1982 , " Stump " deployed to the Persian Gulf as a part of the Middle East Force to conduct radar picket operations . Returning home in March 1983 , she participated in Solid Shield ' 83 , a complex exercise involving U . S . NATO ships and the U . S . Air Force . The ship went through a ten - month major overhaul at the Brooklyn Navy Yard . She was the first Spruance class ship to go outside of Mississippi for a major overhaul . March 1984 was highlighted by " Stump " ' s adoption as state flagship of West Virginia . " Stump " then traveled to New Orleans as the U . S . Navy ' s host ship for the 1984 World ' s Fair . Also in 1984 , " Stump " won the James F . Chezek Memorial Gunnery Award by shooting an 496 out of 500 during naval gunfire support qualifications . Admiral W . L . McDonald , Commander in Chief U . S . Atlantic Fleet , embarked in March 1985 for CARIBOPS ' 85 . While in the Caribbean , " Stump " again shot naval gunfire support qualifications and scored 495 out of 500 , winning the Atlantic Fleet " Top Gun " award for an unprecedented second year in a row . " Stump " then deployed for UNITAS XXVI / WATC ' 85 . During the deployment , " Stump " showed the flag in port visits to eight South American nations and six West African nations . 1986 was significant for two reasons . First , " Stump " was chosen to become the test platform for the U . S . Navy ' s newest hull - mounted sonar , the AN / SQS - 53C . Using advanced technology , the " 53C " would be the sonar for the U . S . Navy combatants well into the twenty - first century . Secondly , " Stump " was awarded the COMDESRON TEN Battle " E " Efficiency award for overall excellence . In 1988 , " Stump " deployed to the Mediterranean as part of the carrier battle group ( MED 3 – 88 ) . In April , and on 48 - hour notice , " Stump " was directed to detach and proceed to the Persian Gulf to replace the which had suffered extensive damage from a naval mine explosion . ' Stump ' returned to Norfolk , Virginia , in August . " Stump " was underway again in October for six weeks of Caribbean law enforcement operations . In December , ' Stump ' was presented her second consecutive Battle " E " award by Rear Admiral Donnell , commander of the Naval Surface Force U . S . Atlantic Fleet . In October 1989 , " Stump " again deployed to the Mediterranean as part of the carrier battle group ( MED 1 – 90 ) . During this deployment , " Stump " was extremely successful in conducting anti - submarine warfare exercises and was once again presented the " Hookem " award for excellence in undersea warfare . 1990s . In August 1990 , " Stump " transited to Avondale Shipyard in New Orleans , Louisiana , for overhaul and major combat systems upgrade . She received the Vertical Launch System ( VLS ) for the BGM - 109 Tomahawk missile . " Stump " also received the integrated AN / SQQ - 89 USW system . In November 1992 , " Stump " deployed to the Persian Gulf and Northern Red Sea as part of MEF ( 1 – 93 ) to serve as a ready strike platform . The highlights of the deployment was the Tomahawk missile strike launched against Iraq in support of Operation Southern Watch on 17 January 1993 . In July 1994 , " Stump " again deployed to South America for UNITAS XXXV serving as the flagship for the commander of the U . S . South Atlantic Force . " Stump " re - visited eight South American nations , as well as completing another transit of the Chilean inland waterway . In February 1995 , " Stump " deployed to the Caribbean Sea in support of counter drug operations , transiting the Panama Canal . During this period " Stump " participated in a search and rescue mission in the Pacific . In cooperation with a Colombian Coast Guard cutter , " Stump " located and recovered a survivor of a wrecked Colombian vessel . " Stump " returned in April 1995 . As part of a reorganization announced in mid - 1995 of the Atlantic Fleet ' s surface combatant ships into six battle groups , nine destroyer squadrons and a new Western Hemisphere Group , " Stump " was reassigned to Destroyer Squadron Two . The reorganization was to be phased in over the summer and take effect on 31 August , with homeport shifts to occur through 1998 . " Stump " deployed in August 1996 for a Middle Eastern Force cruise to conduct maritime interception operations and act as ready strike destroyer in the Persian Gulf . " Stump " relieved on 28 September as the maritime interception operations / strike platform in the northern Persian Gulf . While in the Persian Gulf , " Stump " completed over 40 boardings in support of maritime interdiction operations and participated in 11 Persian Gulf Tomahawk exercises , including one as launch area coordinator . A mainstay during this deployment , " Stump " remained underway for over eighty percent of the time she was in the Persian Gulf . Following the return from her Middle Eastern Force deployment in February 1997 , " Stump " conducted an extensive dry - docking selected restricted availability and immediately commenced a training cycle which culminated in a final evaluation period . In January 1998 " Stump " commenced work - ups for its upcoming Sixth Fleet deployment by participating in COMPTUEX and JTFEX as part of the " Eisenhower " carrier battle group . In March 1998 the " Sara Ann " ( a fishing trawler ) was operating off the Virginia Capes when the seas became too much and she started taking on water . " Stump " , while conducting routine operations on 17 April 1998 , was informed by United States Coast Guard Station Portsmouth that the " Sara Ann " was in distress . " Stump " subsequently rescued four civilians about 65 nautical miles off Cape Hatteras , North Carolina . " Stump " provided safe passage back to Norfolk , Virginia . " Stump " deployed to the Mediterranean as part of Sixth Fleet in June 1998 . " Stump " , as part of Destroyer Squadron Two , joined five other nations and other U . S . Navy warships in the central Mediterranean for the execution of SHAREM 125 , from 9 to 15 July 1998 . SHAREM 125 was the latest in a series of SHAREM exercises designed to test and evaluate undersea warfare tactics , weapons , sensors and procedures . SHAREM is a established in 1969 to continuously improve the quality of undersea warfare . 2000s . " Stump " took part in the Fleet Battle Experiment Hotel ( FBE - H ) which was conducted by units of the U . S . 2nd Fleet and personnel of the Navy Warfare Development Command ( NWDC ) from 28 August to 12 September 2000 off the Virginia Capes and in the Gulf of Mexico . This was the eighth in a series of fleet battle experiments designed to evaluate new naval warfare concepts and technological capabilities . Under U . S . Joint Forces Command ' s overarching experiment , " Millennium Challenge 00 " , FBE - H ran concurrently with the U . S . Army ' s Joint Contingency Force Advanced Warfighting Experiment , the U . S . Air Force Joint Contingency Force Experiment 2000 and the U . S . Marine Corps ' Millennium Dragon . The focus of FBE - H was the application of network - centric operations in gaining and sustaining access in support of follow - on joint operations . Access denial was expected to be the focus of any potential adversary ' s strategy . Specifically , FBE - H further developed NWDC ' s draft Access Concept entitled " Poseidon ' s Presence " . In addition , the NATO exercise " Unified Spirit " ran concurrently with the JTFEX , with forces from Canada , Denmark , France , Germany and the United Kingdom playing major roles . " Stump " deployed in late November 2000 with the carrier battle group . Prior to that , " Stump " took part in Joint Task Force Exercise ( JTFEX ) 01 - 1 , to certify the carrier battle group for deployment . This was the first deployment for " Truman , " which had been commissioned in 1998 . The deployment included extensive operations in the Mediterranean Sea , Indian Ocean and primarily the Persian Gulf . While operating in the Persian Gulf , the " Truman " battle group enforced United Nations sanctions against Iraq by diverting 22 vessels with more than $ 5 million of suspected contraband cargo . Throughout the deployment , the battle group also participated in numerous international exercises , including Arabian Gauntlet , an 11 - nation exercise that involved more than 20 ships . Additionally , U . S . sailors worked with military forces from Oman , Jordan , Tunisia , Kuwait , Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates , improving interoperability and strengthening relationships with those countries . " Stump " , along with the rest of the battle group ships returned home on 24 May 2001 . In mid October 2003 " Stump " operated off the coast of Argentina with the frigate as part of the annual UNITAS exercise which involved naval forces from Argentina , Brazil , Peru , Spain and Uruguay . Deployments and ports of call . MED - MEF 3 – 88 : Rota Spain , Ibiza Spain , Marseilles France , Cavaliere France , Genoa Italy , ASU Bahrain , with a brief stop for Suez Canal traffic in Port Said Egypt and a brief stop for fuel in Djibouti . Fate . " Stump " was decommissioned 22 October 2004 . Admiral Stump ' s grandson , John Stump , served on the decommissioning crew in 2004 . She was laid up at the inactive ships maintenance facility in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , and sunk as a target along with her sister , off the coast of North Carolina on 7 June 2006 . Ship ' s crest . The distinguished naval career of Admiral Felix Stump is reflected in the ship ' s coat of arms . The many decorations received by Admiral Stump for his exemplary service in the Pacific Theater during World War II are represented in the shield . The blue silhouette cross refers to the Navy Cross twice awarded him while in command of Carrier Division 24 ; the white central star denotes the Silver Star Medal awarded " for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action " against enemy - held islands . The Legion of Merit ( which he was awarded three times ) is indicated by the crossed arrows in scarlet and white . The U . S . Army Distinguished Service Medal , received for exceptionally meritorious services as commander of a combined operations center during the early part of the war , is represented by the colors scarlet , white and blue , the colors of the suspension ribbon of the medal . The four smaller stars in gold are in recognition of the attainment of the rank of admiral . The gold shield is symbolic of knowledge and achievement . Admiral Stump ' s navy career , his noted boldness , and his service aboard six aircraft carriers are presented by the griffin holding an anchor .