USS Oklahoma City ( CL - 91 ) USS " Oklahoma City " ( CL - 91 / CLG - 5 / CG - 5 ) was one of 27 United States Navy light cruiser s completed during or shortly after World War II , and one of six to be converted to guided missile cruiser s . She was the first US Navy ship to be named for Oklahoma City , Oklahoma . Commissioned in late 1944 , she participated in the latter part of the Pacific War in anti - aircraft screening and shore bombardment roles , for which she earned two battle star s . She then served a brief stint with the occupation force . Like all but one of her sister ships , she was retired in the post - war defense cutbacks , becoming part of the Pacific Reserve Fleet in 1947 . In the late 1950s she was converted to a guided missile cruiser , which involved removing all her guns except for her forward 6 " turret and rebuilding her entire superstructure to accommodate the Talos missile system and flagship office spaces and accommodation . Like her three sister ships ( " USS Providence " , " USS Little Rock " , " USS Springfield " ) of the ships converted to missile ships , she was also extensively modified forward to become a flagship . This involved removal of most of her forward armament to allow for a greatly enlarged superstructure . She was recommissioned in 1960 as CLG - 5 ( and in 1975 redesignated CG - 5 ) . In her second career she served extensively in the Pacific , playing a prominent role in the Vietnam War , including participation in the evacuation of Saigon . " Oklahoma City " was worked hard in shore bombardment duty during the war right until the end . As she was extensively well fitted with Flagship accommodations and communications , there was consideration given to an extensive overhaul ( of both her and " Little Rock " ) starting in 1977 . The ship would have received two 8 - cell NATO Sea sparrow SAM launchers and two Vulcan Phalanx CIWS systems , in addition to extensive rehabilitation of her propulsion systems , electrical systems , and her hull / superstructure . This would have given her an additional 10 years of service life . This work never got past the planning stage , and she soldiered on for a few more years and was decommissioned for the last time in December 1979 . At the time of her decommissioning , she was the last ship in service , and had served longer than any other ship of that class . " The Oklahoma City " was sunk during a weapons training exercise , Tandem Thrust 99 , 26 March 1999 . Construction and Commissioning . " Oklahoma City " was laid down on 8 December 1942 by the Cramp Shipbuilding Co . , Philadelphia , Pa . ; launched on 20 February 1944 ; sponsored by Mrs . Anton H . Classen ; and commissioned on 22 December 1944 , Captain C . B . Hunt in command . Service history . World War II . Following shakedown , " Oklahoma City " transited the Panama Canal and reported to Commander Cruisers Pacific Fleet ( ComCruPac ) for duty , arriving at Pearl Harbor on 2 May 1945 . She conducted local operations until 22 May when she sailed for Ulithi , thence to rendezvous on 6 June with Carrier Task Group 38 . 1 for operations in support of the Okinawa campaign . For the rest of June , and into July , she screened 3rd Fleet carriers during their intensified air operations against Japanese forces . On 18 July , she formed a bombardment group with other cruisers and destroyers , then rejoined the carrier task group for continued action against the Japanese home islands . At the end of hostilities , she continued to patrol off the coast of Japan and it was not until 10 September , after seventy - two days of continuous steaming , that she finally entered Tokyo Bay . " Oklahoma City " remained on occupation duty until relieved on 30 January 1946 , when she departed for the United States . She arrived at San Francisco on 14 February , where she remained until 15 August , when she entered the Mare Island Navy Yard for inactivation . On 30 June 1947 , she was placed out of commission in reserve , assigned to the San Francisco Group , U . S . Pacific Reserve Fleet . Conversion to Galveston class cruiser . On 7 March 1957 , " Oklahoma City " arrived at the Bethlehem Steel Corp . Pacific Coast Yard , San Francisco , where conversion to a " Galveston " - class guided missile light cruiser commenced on 21 May , her hull classification and number being changed two days later to CLG - 5 . Her conversion having completed on 31 August 1960 , she was towed to Hunter ' s Point where she recommissioned on 7 September , Captain Ben W . Sarver in command . During her shakedown training , " Oklahoma City " became the first combatant unit of the U . S . Pacific Fleet to fire a Talos guided missile successfully . Following shakedown , she participated in several major training exercises while serving as flagship for Cruiser Division 3 ( CruDiv 3 ) and Cruiser Destroyer Flotilla 9 ( CruDesFlot 9 ) , then departed 1 December for a six - month deployment in WestPac . She arrived in Yokosuka , Japan on 24 December where , six days later , she became flagship for Commander , U . S . 7th Fleet . The ship participated in SEATO training operations , received two awards for operational excellence , and served as an ambassador of good will to several cities in the Far East . She then returned to Long Beach , California on 12 June 1962 and spent the next several months conducting local training operations and upkeep work . On 14 December , she entered the Long Beach Naval Shipyard for restricted availability followed by an extensive overhaul . Vietnam . In early 1964 , " Oklahoma City " began refresher training in Southern California waters to prepare for a lengthy deployment , then departed for Yokosuka where she arrived on 7 July to assume her duties again as 7th Fleet flagship . Shortly thereafter , North Vietnamese gunboats attacked U . S . destroyers in the Tonkin Gulf and " Oklahoma City " quickly began a 25 - day alert in the Gulf . Training exercises and operational visits to various ports in the Far East followed , then in June 1965 she began gunfire support missions off Vietnam . When the level of hostilities increased , she began to spend more and more time in the South China Sea and eventually participated in operations " Piranha , " " Double Eagle , " " Deckhouse IV , " and " Hastings II . " After serving as 7th Fleet flagship for two and one - half years , " Oklahoma City " returned to San Francisco Bay Naval Shipyard on 15 December 1966 for an overhaul . Following her yard period , she began refresher training in the Southern California operating area in July 1967 , and continued those exercises and intermittent calls to West Coast ports until she deployed again to the Western Pacific ( WestPac ) 7 November 1968 . She arrived at Yokosuka 20 December and into August 1969 , was again contributing to the strength of the 7th Fleet . The ship provided naval gunfire support for troops in South Vietnam , gunfire operations against coastal targets in North Vietnam and anti - aircraft operations in North Vietnam . In April 1969 , the " Oklahoma City " was sent to the Sea of Japan with three carrier groups after North Korea shot down an EC - 121 spy plane . As of 1 July 1969 , " Oklahoma City " was under the Administrative control of Commander Cruiser - Destroyer Force , U . S . Pacific Fleet and Commander Cruiser - Destroyer Flotilla Nine . Both Commanders had their headquarters in San Diego , California . " Oklahoma City " was Flagship and under the operational control of Commander SEVENTH Fleet . Also , while in the Western Pacific , " Oklahoma City " reported to Commander Cruiser - Destroyer Group Seventh Fleet for administrative purposes . As Flagship for Commander Seventh Fleet , " Oklahoma City " was designated Flagship Group TG 70 . 1 with the Commanding Officer as Commander of the Group . " Oklahoma City " also served as a unit of TG 70 . 8 . 9 while providing gunfire support off the coast of Vietnam . The ship was homeported in Yokosuka , Japan , at the time . Upon arrival at Yankee Station in September 1969 , " Oklahoma City " conducted helicopter operations . She also refueled from USS Ashtabula ( AO - 51 ) and was visited by RADM ISAMAN , Commander Carrier Division SEVEN and RADM McCLENDON , Commander Carrier Division Nine . En route to Okinawa , " Oklahoma City " experienced a drop in chemical readings in number 4 boiler caused by a leak in tube Y - 36 . Upon arrival Okinawa , the ship conducted Exercise Z - 3l - GM , short range TALOS missile firing exercise , in Okinawa operating area W - 173 . In 1971 , the " Oklahoma City " fired the first successful combat surface - to - surface missile shot in US Navy history , using the new Talos RIM - 8H anti - radiation missile to destroy a North Vietnamese mobile air control radar van . On 19 April 1972 , the cruiser was attacked by one of two North Vietnamese Air Force MiG - 17 s , flown by pilots " Le Xuan Di " and " Nguyen Van Bay " ( aka " Bay B " ) , both from the North Vietnamese Air Force ' s 923rd Fighter Regiment . Each MiG was armed with two 500 lb bombs , Van Bay ' s target was the light cruiser . Van Bay made two passes on the cruiser , having over shot his target on the first run , dropped his two bombs near the USS Oklahoma City , but caused only light damage ( lost control of air search radar ) . Although one of the attacking MiGs was " reportedly " shot down by an accompanying missile ship , ; both MiG - 17s returned safely to their base after the attack . Another accompanying ship , was heavily damaged by a direct hit from the second MiG flown by pilot Le Xuan Di , which destroyed her aft 5 inch gun mount . In April 1975 , " Oklahoma City " participated in Operation Frequent Wind , the evacuation of Saigon , Vietnam . Following this she was slated for a massive overhaul , as her flagship facilities , as well as her 6 - inch guns made her an attractive asset to retain in service . Her now obsolete " Talos " system would be removed and two NATO Sea sparrow SAM systems , and two " Vulcan Phalanx " CIWS mounts would be fitted . Her machinery and hull would also be repaired and renewed . While funding for this work was appropriated by Congress , it was diverted to other ships , and minimal repairs were made to keep " Oklahoma City " operational until 1979 . " Oklahoma City " was the last " Cleveland " - class cruiser in service and had the longest service history of all ships in the class . Accumulating some 13 battle stars for Vietnam - era engagements as flagship of the United States Seventh Fleet , the " Oklahoma City " has been commemorated at the National Museum of the Pacific War originally named the Admiral Nimitz Museum located in Fredricksburg , Texas . Two plaques honor her service in World War II and Vietnam . On 22 September 2006 , the World War II plaque was dedicated . The Vietnam Plaque was dedicated on 11 April 2008 and calls her the " Haze grey Ghost of the Western Pacific " . Decommissioned and sunk . She was decommissioned on 15 December 1979 and remained in the Reserve Fleet in Suisun Bay until 9 January 1999 , when she was towed to Pearl Harbor , where some usable material was donated for use in outfitting the battleship " Missouri " ( BB - 63 ) as a museum ship . " Oklahoma City " was then expended as a target during February – March . After being used as a target for air - launched missiles she was hit during TANDEM THRUST ' 99 exercise southwest of Guam by torpedoes from the South Korean submarine " Lee Chun " , broke in two and sank on , 26 March 1999 . Awards . World War II . Besides the World War II Occupation Medal , the following medals were awarded : Vietnam . The following medals were awarded :