USS Galveston ( CL - 93 ) The USS " Galveston " ( CL - 93 / CLG - 3 ) was a Cleveland class light cruiser of the United States Navy that was later converted to a Galveston class guided missile cruiser . She was launched by William Cramp and Sons Shipbuilding Co . , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . , 22 April 1945 : and sponsored by Mrs . Clark Wallace Thompson . The cruiser ' s construction was suspended when nearly complete on 24 June 1946 ; and the hull assigned to the Philadelphia Group of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet . She was reclassified CL - 93 on 4 February 1956 ; then reclassified to CLG - 3 on 23 May 1957 ; and commissioned at Philadelphia 28 May 1958 , Captain J . B . Colwell in command . 1958 - 1960 . Refit as a " Galveston " - class guided missile light cruiser , the warship departed Philadelphia on 30 June 1958 for builder ' s trials out of Norfolk , Va . , in the Virginia Capes area , that included " highly successful " tests of her new Talos missile and tracking gear . The Talos supersonic surface - to - air missile weighed nearly 3 , 000 pounds ( 1 , 400 kg ) , including a 40 , 000 horsepower ( 30 MW ) ramjet engine ; with a range of over 65 miles ( 105 km ) and was designed to destroy enemy aircraft at high altitudes using either a conventional or atomic warhead . She finished out the year with operations in the Norfolk area . " Galveston " arrived at San Juan , Puerto Rico on 16 January 1959 , for training and evaluation operations in the waters of the West Indies . She successfully fired the first Talos missile ever shot at sea on 24 February 1959 . Termed by Admiral Arleigh Burke as " the best antiaircraft missile in any arsenal in the world , " the Talos sent its payload off in a trail of bright orange flame . " Galveston " reported the shot " hot , straight and normal " as she proudly proved her capability as one of the most mighty warships of the modern United States Navy . The cruiser set course for Norfolk on 17 March and a special yard period in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard . In July 1959 , " Galveston " conducted shakedown and acceptance trials in the Virginia Capes area , followed by a refresher training cruise to waters off Cuba and the testing of her radar and communications in war games with the U . S . Air Force . On 4 January 1960 , she departed Norfolk for a visit to Charleston , South Carolina , and operations off the Florida coast , Puerto Rico , and the Virgin Islands . She then headed to her namesake city of " Galveston " , arriving on 16 February for a Silver Service presentation . Returning to Norfolk , the cruiser unloaded her ammunition for shock tests off the Bahamas , then entered the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 25 March 1960 for a yard period that extended into the fall . During this time the cruiser entertained more than 30 , 000 visitors . She headed for the Virginia Capes 24 October 1960 , successfully completing her first missile transfer at sea . 1961 . On 6 January 1961 , " Galveston " departed Norfolk for more Bureau of Naval Weapons technical evaluation of her Talos missile systems , including tests of the IV Talos , its capabilities and potentials , in areas off Jacksonville , Fla . , Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands . These evaluations completed 1 March , she departed San Juan for refresher training and her final acceptance trial out of Guantanamo Bay . The cruiser returned to Norfolk on 9 April , but soon steamed to Jacksonville , Fla . , where on 8 May she began duty under the Operational Technical Evaluation Force that included extensive testing of her missile system and many Talos firings . The effectiveness of the system and the weapon were demonstrated by a new , long - range record as well as a successful two - missile salvo shot . The Talos missile cruiser entertained over 17 , 000 visitors at Cape Canaveral on the Armed Forces weekend celebration in May ; completed later phases of her evaluation exercises in the Caribbean through 21 July 1960 ; then visited Bayonne , N . J . , where her missile fire - control radars were removed in preparation for overhaul . " Galveston " was overhauled in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard ( 30 August 1961 – 23 July 1962 ) . This overhaul included modifications to the fire control system of the Talos missile . The visit to Charleston was for electronic equipment repair . She had to go in at low tide , and lightning rods had to be lowered to pass under the Charleston bridge . 1962 - 1964 . " Galveston " departed Philadelphia on 23 July 1962 , transited the Panama Canal for San Diego , Calif . ; and joined Cruiser - Destroyer Flotilla 9 , U . S . Pacific Fleet , on 24 August 1962 . She operated along the West Coast until October 1963 when she sailed for the Western Pacific as flagship of the flotilla . During the next 6 months she operated in the Far East with the 7th Fleet off Japan , Taiwan , and Okinawa . She returned to San Diego 16 April 1964 and resumed West Coast training . 1965 . Following a 4 - month overhaul from October 1964 to February 1965 , " Galveston " departed San Diego 4 June for operations off the coast of South Vietnam . She touched at Subic Bay , Philippines , 21 June , then sailed to join the 7th Fleet in the South China Sea . During the next 5 months she ranged the Southeast Asian waters from the Gulf of Thailand to the Gulf of Tonkin while supporting the American effort to repel Communist aggression in South Vietnam . She provided gunfire support during search - and - clear operations at Chu Lai and at the Vung Tuong Peninsula . In addition she provided air defense for 7th Fleet carriers in the South China Sea and conducted search and rescue operations in the Gulf of Tonkin . She departed the Philippines on 2 December and arrived at San Diego on 18 December . 1966 - 1967 . Resuming operations early in January 1966 , " Galveston " operated out of San Diego to the Hawaiian Islands and along the California coast while keeping her crew and equipment in a peak state of readiness . From 31 July to 4 November she underwent modernization overhaul , then she resumed training for the remainder of 1966 . Early in 1967 she departed San Diego for the East Coast , and for much of the rest of that year was assigned to the Atlantic Fleet for duty in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean . 1968 - 1969 . On 19 October 1968 , CLG - 3 " Galveston " departed Seal Beach , CA on her final Westpac tour . She divided her time between operations on Yankee Station in the north and the Da Nang area in the south where she temporarily replaced the on the gun line , firing 3 , 500 rounds of 5 " x 38 and 6 " x 47 in one nine - day period . She effectively supported Republic of Korea Marines in the Delta area . USS " Galveston " returned to San Diego on 2 February 1969 . She departed San Diego for the East Coast and duty with the Atlantic Fleet performing duties in the Mediterranean .