USS Macdonough ( DDG - 39 ) USS " MacDonough " ( DLG - 8 / DDG - 39 ) named for Commodore Thomas Macdonough was the 4th ship of the United States Navy to be named for him . The fourth " Macdonough " was projected as DL - 8 , but redesignated DLG - 8 prior to keel laying by the Fore River Shipyard , Bethlehem Steel Co . , Quincy , Massachusetts , 16 April 1958 ; launched 9 July 1959 , sponsored by Mrs . Agnes Macdonough Wilson , great - granddaughter of Commodore Thomas Macdonough ; and commissioned 4 November 1961 , Comdr . Wm . G . Hurley in command . The guided - missile frigate " Macdonough " , having undergone an extended shakedown and training period , reported to her home port at Charleston , S . C . , 23 September 1962 and assumed duties as flagship for Commander , Cruiser - Destroyer Flotilla 6 , U . S . Atlantic Fleet . A month later she joined other units of the U . S . 2nd Fleet in enforcing the Cuban quarantine , remaining with that force until it was dissolved on Thanksgiving Day . The first 3 months of 1963 were spent firing missiles off the coast of Florida under the auspices of the Operational Test and Evaluation Force . She returned to Charleston in March and operated in the Charleston - Norfolk area until departing on her first U . S . 6th Fleet deployment 4 June . The frigate cruised the Mediterranean until the following fall , taking part in scheduled fleet exercises and training operations . Upon her return to the East Coast , 26 October , she resumed operations in the Charleston area . With the new year , 1964 , " Macdonough " steamed south to Puerto Rico for training exercises with the 2nd Fleet . During these exercises ; she participated in an Atlantic Fleet live - firing antiair warfare exercise , which included missile firing at drone aircraft . The ship returne d to Charleston for 2 weeks in February , and then put out to sea again for carrier exercises off the East Coast followed by helicopter evaluation tests in the Atlantic . " Macdonough " ' s second Mediterranean deployment , 10 July to 22 December 1964 , was followed by a 6 - month overhaul at the Charleston Naval Shipyard . Coastal operations out of home port occupied the frigate until mid - September 1965 , when she proceeded to the Atlantic Fleet Missile Range and then to Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , for training exercises . Having returned to her Charleston home port in early November , " Macdonough " prepared for another Mediterranean deployment , departing Charleston at the end of the month . " Macdonough " served as flagship for the recovery effort of the Palomares Incident during the third Mediterranean deployment . On 8 April 1966 , " Macdonough " returned to South Carolina and once again resumed operations and fleet and squadron exercises along the southern east coast and in the Caribbean . During the summer a midshipman training cruise took the frigate to several east coast ports and to the Caribbean . After participating in " LANTFLEX 66 , " and AAW / ASW / amphibious exercise , she returned to Charleston 16 December . After conducting further exercises off the east coast , " Macdonough " prepared once again for overseas movement ; and , on 2 May 1967 , she departed Charleston for her fourth Mediterranean cruise . She conducted summer midshipmen training , visited various Mediterranean ports and participate in several joint exercises with ships of Allied navies , returning to South Carolina 28 October . " Macdonough " continued operating with the 2nd Fleet until May 1968 when she again deployed to the Mediterranean , returning to her home port in September . She remained off the east coast into 1969 .