USS South Carolina ( CGN - 37 ) USS " South Carolina " ( CGN - 37 ) was the second ship of the " California " - class of nuclear - powered guided missile cruisers in the United States Navy . The USS " South Carolina " and her sister ship the were equipped with two Mk - 13 launchers , fore and aft , for the RIM - 24 Tartar surface - to - air missiles , ASROC missiles , and Harpoon missiles . They were equipped with two 5 ″ rapid - fire cannons , fore and aft . Unlike the later " Virginia " class which had a unique arrangement aft of the superstructure , with a flight deck and a below - decks hangar for two LAMPS helicopters , these two cruisers had only a landing pad aft and basic refuelling equipment . There was also a full suite of anti - submarine warfare equipment . Thus , these ships were designed to face all threats , in the air , on the surface , and underwater . The " South Carolina " was sometimes referred to by her crewmembers as " The Socar " or " The Mighty Socar " . 1970 – 1979 . " South Carolina " was launched in 1 July 1972 and commissioned as DLGN - 37 in 25 January 1975 . She was redesignated CGN - 37 six months later in the Navy ' s major type realignment of 30 June 1975 . " South Carolina " was built at Newport News Shipbuilding Co . , Newport News , Virginia . The cruiser ' s first North Atlantic deployment was to the Battle Group . After " South Carolina " participated in Exercise Solid Shield in the Caribbean and completed her first Mediterranean deployment in February 1977 . The " South Carolina " in company with her sister ship , , and " Nimitz " commenced a second Mediterranean deployment in November 1977 and returned to Norfolk , Virginia in July 1978 . " South Carolina " deployed again to the Mediterranean in January 1979 with the Battle Group . 1980 – 1989 . In 1980 , " South Carolina " deployed as part of the first Atlantic battle group to spend an entire deployment in the Indian Ocean . After a cruise to the Virgin Islands in November 1981 , she was deployed in January 1982 for a six - month deployment with " Eisenhower " . In 1985 , " South Carolina " began a new year by conducting preparatory exercises in the Caribbean . It was deployed to the Mediterranean in March and completed the deployment seven months and 46 , 500 miles later . " South Carolina " spent the majority of the deployment on station off Lebanon , in the wake of the hijacking of TWA Flight 847 . The cruiser underwent her second extended maintenance period from October 1985 to June 1986 . She departed in July 1986 for a North Atlantic cruise , and made port visits to Wilhelmshaven , Germany and Oslo , Norway . Upon her return to Norfolk , she commenced preparations for overseas deployment and got underway on 30 December 1986 with the " Nimitz " Battle Group . During this deployment , " South Carolina " returned to her station off Lebanon when British peace emissary Terry Waite was kidnapped in Beirut . In June 1987 , just months after the USS Stark ( FFG - 31 ) was struck by Iraqi missiles , " South Carolina " was involved in a tense standoff with Libyan jets in the Gulf of Sidra . A major incident was averted by the use of high powered electronic warfare equipment to jam the jet ' s radars and Libya fired back only with diplomatic protest . She conducted joint exercises , entered the Arctic Circle where crew members became a member of the " Order of the Blue Nose " , and had a port visit to Wilhelmshaven , Germany . During this cruise , British naval historian Eric Grove was an honored guest of the officers and crew . She returned home in October , 1988 to make final preparations for deployment . " South Carolina " deployed to the Mediterranean in December 1988 with the Battle Group . During this deployment , helicopters from Helicopter Anti - Submarine Squadron NINE ( HS - 9 ) teamed up to rescue the fifteen British crew members from four yachts disabled by heavy weather . The crew members ' rescue was broadcast on television in France , Italy and the United Kingdom , and reported worldwide in newspapers . It returned to Norfolk on 30 June 1989 , and began a four - month availability at Norfolk Naval Shipyard following a one month Caribbean visit in support of operations with . 1990 – 1998 . " South Carolina " departed 5 January 1990 for Limited Team Training in Guantanamo Bay , Cuba . The cruiser again set sail for the Caribbean on 12 March 1990 for law enforcement operations returning on 13 April 1990 having acted as Coast Guard , COMCARIBRON flagship and making two drug interdictions . " South Carolina " returned to the Caribbean in July for counter narcotics operations , where she served as flagship for Commander , Joint Task Group 4 and COMCARIBRON . " South Carolina " departed 1 October 1990 for operations with the Battle Group . Following a solo trans - Atlantic crossing , she transited the Suez Canal for the first time in her history . During Operation Desert Shield , she served as flagship for COMDESRON 24 , the Maritime Interdiction Force Commander in the northern Red Sea . " South Carolina " conducted twenty - seven boardings during Maritime Interdiction Force operations . Admiral Frank Kelso , Chief of Naval Operations , visited the " South Carolina " on station 7 November 1990 . Upon completion of Maritime Interdiction Force operations , " South Carolina " was selected as the first nuclear - powered warship to visit the Jeddah , Saudi Arabia . In January 1991 the " South Carolina " participated in operations in the Central Mediterranean with the " Theodore Roosevelt " and Battle Groups . It sortied early from Taranto , in Italy 17 January 1991 at the start of Operation Desert Storm . " South Carolina " acted as an Anti - Air Warfare Commander for the Mediterranean , protecting operation Silver Cloud air corridors and the approaches to the Suez Canal . " South Carolina " acted as on - scene commander and supervised the recovery of four survivors and 29 bodies from the sinking merchant ship " Continental Lotus " . " South Carolina " returned to homeport on 28 March 1991 . " South Carolina " entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard for a Combat System New Threat Upgrade and refueling of both reactors and left the shipyard 30 March 1994 with a new lease on life . Following nuclear refueling , she participated in " Operation Able Vigil Forces " to assist in the rescue and transport of thousands of Cuban migrants ; its crew members were awarded the Coast Guard Unit Commendation . " South Carolina " < nowiki > ' < / nowiki > s first post - refueling deployment was to the Straits of Florida during October and November 1994 to rescue Cuban refugees who were fleeing their homeland in hopes of reaching the United States . " South Carolina " commenced workups in the spring in preparations for her next major deployment . In the fall of 1995 , she started her eleventh deployment . This cruise saw service off the coast of the former republics of Yugoslavia in support of Operations Deny Flight , Sharp Guard , and Decisive Endeavor , which was part of the overall NATO Operation Joint Endeavor . " South Carolina " acted as " Red Crown " and Air Warfare Commander in the Adriatic Sea , earning the NATO Medal , Meritorious Unit Commendation , and Armed Forces Service Medal s . " South Carolina " returned to homeport in the spring of 1996 . " South Carolina " completed all unit work - up phases and began fleet operations with the Battle Group in the spring of 1997 . From April to June 1997 " South Carolina " conducted a COMPTUEX with the " George Washington " Battle Group coordinating and acting as Air Warfare Commander for the largest and most successful surface - to - air missile exercise in the Atlantic fleet . In August 1997 , " South Carolina " participated in Fleetex and completed all preparations for deployment . In October 1997 , the cruiser began its final Mediterranean cruise visiting thirteen ports of call from Haifa , Israel to Naples , Italy and Rota , Spain . She served as the Sixth Fleet Air Warfare Commander and participated in three major NATO exercises . The ship returned to homeport Norfolk in April 1998 . Just weeks after returning from the Mediterranean , " South Carolina " returned to sea for six weeks of Counter Narcotics operations in the South Western Caribbean . The ship conducted its final port visit in Charleston , South Carolina between 10 August and 14 August 1998 . " South Carolina " was deactivated on 4 September 1998 The last of the crew left in July 1999 , with the exception of a small contingent to escort her through the Panama Canal and to Bremerton , WA where she entered the Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard on 1 October 1999 . She was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 30 July 1999 , and on 28 March 2000 ceased to exist . Decommissioning and memorial . Presently she is drydocked at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard going through the process of being cut up . Her keel landed on the resting blocks in Drydock # 3 in October 2007 to complete the process . In June 2009 her bow , which is 25 feet long , 18 feet wide and 16 feet high , was placed as part of the Puget Sound Memorial Plaza . By April 2010 , her nuclear reactor compartments had arrived , by barge via the Columbia River , to the Hanford Site ( Hanford Nuclear Reservation ) for long term storage . The reactor compartment is the 122nd to be received by Hanford from ex - US Navy ships and submarines . Unit awards . Based on the Navy Awards site , the USS " South Carolina " ( CGN - 37 ) and its crew members have received the following awards for the specified dates of services ( listed in order of precedence of the award ) :