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USS Leary (DD-879)
Encyclopedia
USS Leary (DD/DDR-879) (radio call sign: "Home Run"), one of the longest-lasting Gearing-class
Gearing class destroyer
The Gearing class was a group of 98 destroyers built for the US Navy during and shortly after World War II. The Gearing design was a minor modification of the immediately preceding Allen M. Sumner class...
destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s, was the second ship of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
to be named for Lieutenant Clarence F. Leary
Clarence F. Leary
Clarence Frederick Leary was an officer in the United States Navy during World War I.-Biography:Clarence Leary was born in Fowey, England, and soon immigrated with his family to the United States. After the US entered World War I, on 12 June 1918 he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Naval...
USNRF (1894–1918), who lost his life in the line of duty. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
.
Commissioning and deployment
The USS Leary (DD/DDR-879) was laid down by the Consolidated Steel CorporationConsolidated Steel Corporation
Consolidated Steel Corporation was an American steel and shipbuilding business. Consolidated built ships during World War II in two locations: Wilmington, California and Orange, Texas...
at Orange, Texas
Orange, Texas
Orange is a city in Orange County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 18,643. It is the county seat of Orange County, and is the easternmost city in Texas. Located on the Sabine River at the border with Louisiana, it is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur...
on 11 August 1944. The ship was launched
Launched
Launched is the second album from German hardcore punk band, Beatsteaks. It was released in March, 2000 on Epitaph Records and follows the band's debut release 48/49 in 1997 on XNO Records. The album contains an interesting half acoustic cover version of a song by heavy metal band, Manowar, "Kings...
on 20 January 1945 and was christened
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
by Mrs. Theodore S. Wilkinson, wife of Vice Admiral Theodore S. Wilkinson
Theodore S. Wilkinson
Theodore Stark "Ping" Wilkinson was a Vice-Admiral of the United States Navy during World War II. He also received the Medal of Honor for his actions in Veracruz, Mexico.-Early life and career:...
.
The USS Leary was officially commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
by the United States Navy on 7 May 1945.
On 23 June 1945 Leary completed her shakedown off the US Naval base at Guantanamo Bay
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. The base is located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas...
and proceeded to her home port of Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia, is a base of the United States Navy, supporting naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean...
. After a brief overhaul to upgrade her to a radar picket
Radar picket
A radar picket is a radar-equipped ship, submarine, aircraft, or vehicle used to increase the radar detection range around a force to protect it from surprise attack. Often several detached radar units encircle a force to provide increased cover in all directions.-World War II:Radar picket ships...
destroyer, she departed for Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Mass where some fire control work was done. This work was interrupted by V-J Day celebrations. Later, the ship steamed on up to Casco Bay
Casco Bay
Casco Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Maine on the southern coast of Maine, New England, United States. Its easternmost approach is Cape Small and its westernmost approach is Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth...
where she operated with a Task Force to assigned to develop defenses against Kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
attacks.
Upon completion, she returned to Boston Navy Yard
Boston Navy Yard
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...
again where the ship was painted to participate in a Presidential Review of the Fleet in New York City on Navy Day
Navy Day
Several nations observe or have observed a Navy Day to recognize their navy. The term is also used in Britain to mean an open day at a dockyard such as HMNB Portsmouth, when the public can visit military ships and see air displays, roughly along the lines of an American Fleet Week .- Argentina...
1945. After the Presidential review, she returned to Norfolk and joined DESRON 1. While there, she picked up some army troops. The squadron proceeded through the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
and docked at San Diego, where the army troops disembarked. Soon after, she proceeded to Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, then on to Yokosuka.
Occupation of Japan
After Christmas at Yokosuka the squadron broke up into destroyer divisions for occupation duty. The Leary's division, Task Force 69 (TF 69), was composed of the Gearing-class destroyers , , and . The division reported off the coast of KureKure
Kure can refer to:*KURE, a radio station in Ames, Iowa*Kure Software Koubou, Japanese video game development company*Kure, Hiroshima , a city in Hiroshima prefecture, Japan**Kure Line, a rail line in the city...
. After a few months, the division went back up towards Yokosuka. During exercises the faceplate on the MT 51 caved in, requiring a stay in Yokosuka for repairs. The rest of the division departed for Guam, with the Leary joining them later after repairs were complete.
Once in Guam, she joined the WESPAC Strike Force, Task Force 77, consisting of the aircraft carriers and , the heavy cruiser
Heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
, the light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
s and , and the rest of the destroyer division which included the and three other destroyers. The task force usually operated out of Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
, and occasionally out of Apra Harbor
Apra Harbor
Apra Harbor is a deep-water port on the western side of Guam in the Mariana Islands. The harbor is formed by Orote Peninsula in the south and Cabras Island in the north. To the south, the harbor narrows and then widens again to form an inner harbor. The southern end of the harbor is the location...
, Guam.http://www.destroyers.org/Histories/h-DD-879.htm
During this time, her division escorted the carriers to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. After the rest of the task force joined up, they steamed to Tsingtao, China, with an overnight stay in Buckner Bay, Okinawa. During that stay the cruisers and destroyers carried liberty parties (sailors on leave) from the carriers to Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
.
The voyage home began at Tsingtai, China, 4 June 1946, with operations and stops en route. Leary moored at San Diego on 21 December 1946. She departed early January 1947 and later transited the Panama Canal to return to Norfolk and then Newport before beginning East Coast operations.http://www.destroyers.org/DANFS/h-DD-879.htm
Learys first Mediterranean deployment began in October 1945. Departing Newport 29 October, Leary joined the U.S. 6th Fleet and made visits to ports in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Italy, and the island of Rhodes. She returned home on 14 February 1948. These missions were Leary's routine in succeeding years.
In 1949, Learys official designation was changed from DD-879 to DDR-879 to reflect her status as a radar picket destroyer.
With the exception of 1957, Leary spent most of her time on active duty with the 6th Fleet, including the Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
of 1956, and the Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
landings of 1958.
Cuban Missile Crisis
On 22 October 1962, the crew of the Leary listened to President John F. KennedyJohn F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
declare a quarantine of the island of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
in what became known as the Cuban Missile crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
. She was immediately paired with the US flagship for the quarantine, the heavy cruiser . Leary's orders were to enforce the quarantine and assist the Newport News in the missile count. From 22 October to 24 November 1962, Leary was continuously active in the US Navy blockade.
Tensions were running high when on Friday, 9 November, the Leary and the Newport News were operating in the waters northeast of Cuba. Suddenly, one of the first Soviet vessels, the Labinsk, approached the Navy blockade. Three minutes later, the Leary, along with the Newport News, surprised the Labinsk and quickly intercepted it. While the Leary trained her heavy guns on the Soviet ship, the USS Newport News went alongside and ordered the Soviet vessel to halt. Two Soviet ICBM missiles, without any payloads, were discovered on the deck of the Labinsk.
After the missiles were inspected and photographed, the Soviet ship was permitted to turn around and steam away due east from Cuba, with the Leary trailing close behind. 21 minutes later when the Labinsk was safely away from Cuba, the Leary radioed a warning to the Labinsk not to return to Cuban waters. Leary then discontinued the trail and returned to the waters around Cuba to resume her patrol line in the picket.
Individual details on the Leary's intercept from the US Navy, times are Romeo (UTC -5 hours):
090300R Leary and Newport News assigned to intercept the Soviet ship Labinsk
090615R Intercept made.
090730R Outer covers on missiles removed.
090748R Request to remove inner cover ignored.
090854R Deck cargo reported by Newport News as 2 missiles without nose cones. Outer
cover removed for 1/3 of length from after end.
091100R 090836 posit 22-55N, 72-31W reported by CTG 136.2 Photos obtained
091113R Leary trailing.
091134R Leary discontinued trail. Labinsk proceeding
On 24 November President Kennedy declared the Quarantine successful, and ordered the Quarantine line disbanded after the Soviet MRBM's were dismantled and removed from Cuba. Leary and the Newport News arrived in Norfolk the day before Thanksgiving, having successfully completed their mission.
Peacekeeping
From 6 to 27 August 1962, she served on a peacekeeping mission off Santo Domingo as American troops were landed to prevent political chaos and subversion.The ship underwent extensive Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization
Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization
The Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization program of the United States Navy extended the lives of World War II-era destroyers by shifting their mission from a surface attack role to that of a submarine hunter...
(FRAM) overhaul between April 1964 and January 1965.
In the following years, the Leary proved her versatility by participating in action worldwide, firing her guns more than once.
Participation in the Vietnam War
Leary saw active combat duty during the war in VietnamVietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. The standard rotation for destroyers was a few months combat tour of duty
Tour of duty
In the Navy, a tour of duty is a period of time spent performing operational duties at sea, including combat, performing patrol or fleet duties, or assigned to service in a foreign country....
at sea, usually around five months. At the conclusion of her tour of duty, the destroyer would return to port for maintenance, usually her home port
Home port
A vessel's home port is the port at which it is based, which may not be the same as its port of registry shown on its registration documents and lettered on the stern of the ship's hull...
. While in port the crew would receive leave
Leave (military)
In military, leave is a permission to be away from one's unit, either for a specified or unspecified period of time.The term AWOL, standing for absent without leave, is a term for desertion used in armed forces of many English speaking countries....
and go ashore. When maintenance was complete, the crew would return from leave and the ship would spend a period of time undergoing tests or exercises near port. When exercises were finished, the ship would receive their orders and then return to sea for a new tour of duty. This was Learys routine for her entire operational life.
She was among the destroyers that protected aircraft from the carriers on Yankee Station
Yankee Station
Yankee Station was a point in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of Vietnam used by the U.S. Navy aircraft carriers of Task Force 77 to launch strikes in the Vietnam War. While its official designation was "Point Yankee," it was universally referred to as Yankee Station...
in the Tonkin Gulf. During periods of sustained air operations against North Vietnam Leary, along with the other destroyers on patrol, were responsible for providing protective cover for as many as three aircraft carriers at once. This included firing her guns and destroying missile placements in North Vietnam that were firing at the fleet.
Her guns were often fired during Naval Gunfire Support
Naval gunfire support
Naval gunfire support is the use of naval artillery to provide fire support for amphibious assault and other troops operating within their range. NGFS is one of a number of disciplines encompassed by the term Naval Fires...
missions. Leary was also regularly called upon to provide emergency search and rescue duties, and was responsible for saving the lives of many who would otherwise have been lost at sea.
Leary was rotated out of combat in late 1965, and at the conclusion of her tour of duty, returned to her home port
Home port
A vessel's home port is the port at which it is based, which may not be the same as its port of registry shown on its registration documents and lettered on the stern of the ship's hull...
in Norfolk Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
for routine maintenance. Afterwards, the destroyer participated in extensive antisubmarine warfare exercises off the coast of North Carolina and Puerto Rico. She then returned to Norfolk on 16 December 1965.
Following another month of operations, she once again readied for deployment. Leary departed Norfolk 4 March 1966 for a 5-month tour of duty in the Mediterranean on patrol with the 6th Fleet. Afterwards, Leary returned to Norfolk on 12 August 1966 for a month of leave and regular maintenance. The remainder of the year was spent conducting local exercises, including an extensive evaluation of her two advanced QH-50 DASH helicopter drones.
From 3 to 17 March 1967, Leary briefly served as a Sonar
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
School Ship at Key West, Florida
Key West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
.
On 5 July 1967 Leary once again passed through the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
and was quickly en route to an extended tour of duty off the coast of Vietnam. She was accompanied by the destroyers , , and the http://www.destroyers.org/histories/h-dd-508.htm. On arrival, she was immediately assigned to provide badly needed gunfire support off the Vietnamese coast as she alternated duty with the carriers on Yankee Station
Yankee Station
Yankee Station was a point in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of Vietnam used by the U.S. Navy aircraft carriers of Task Force 77 to launch strikes in the Vietnam War. While its official designation was "Point Yankee," it was universally referred to as Yankee Station...
.
Then in January of 1969 Leary again passed through the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
and was deployed for duty with the 7th Fleet providing gun fire support to US operations in Vietnam until October 1969, after which she returned to her home port in Norfolk, VA.
Operation Sea Dragon
In 1967 Leary was active in Operation Sea DragonOperation Sea Dragon (Vietnam War)
Operation Sea Dragon occurred during the Vietnam War and was a series of American led naval operations beginning in 1966 to interdict sea lines of communications and supply going south from North Vietnam to South Vietnam, and to destroy land targets with naval gunfire, as well give CIA agents in...
and was responsible for using her guns to destroy land targets, as well as interdict sea lines of communication between North and South Vietnam.
Steaming generally in pairs, the two to four American and Australian destroyers and one cruiser worked with carrier-based spotter planes, such as the Douglas A-1 Skyraider and Grumman S-2 Tracker, to find, identify, and destroy infiltrating vessels and shore targets. Often, North Vietnamese coastal batteries would fire back, and the Leary would return fire. Although several ships were hit, no vessel was sunk during the two-year-long Sea Dragon operation and the Leary remained undamaged. Periodically, the Leary reinforced the Seventh Fleet cruisers and she provided naval gunfire support to allied forces in South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
. Leary remained active in Sea Dragon until the end of October 1968.
Return home and longevity
She arrived back at Norfolk 30 January 1968, and shortly thereafter the destroyer resumed operations off the Atlantic coast.On 14 June 1968 the Leary entered the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for required maintenance. In early September, after her yard period, Leary returned briefly to Norfolk before conducting training in the Caribbean through October and November. She later reported for operations off the U.S. east coast.
On 5 November 1969, the 632-foot Liberian
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
tanker
Tanker (ship)
A tanker is a ship designed to transport liquids in bulk. Major types of tankship include the oil tanker, the chemical tanker, and the liquefied natural gas carrier.-Background:...
Keo broke in half about 30 miles east of Cape May
Cape May
Cape May is a peninsula and island ; the southern tip of the island is the southernmost point of the state of New Jersey, United States. It runs southwards from the New Jersey mainland, separating Delaware Bay from the Atlantic Ocean...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. First reports were that 36 crewmen were safe on the stern section of the ship. The Leary was immediately dispatched to the scene, along with two US Coast Guard cutters, two C-130 aircraft, the destroyer , and the fast cruiser . However, before any of the ships or the aircraft arrived, the stern quickly sank, and all 36 crewmen were lost.
In early September of 1968 after her yard period Leary returned briefly to Norfolk before conducting training in the Caribbean through October and November. From January through October 1969 USS Leary made a West Pac cruise for extended deployment with the 7th Fleet providing gun fire support to US operations in Vietnam. From May 1970 through October 1970 USS Leary made a Mediterranean Cruise and from December 1971 to June 1972 USS Leary made another Mediterranean Cruise which would be her final major cruise before conducting operations off the east coast which continued to her decommissioning on 31 October 1973.
Leary returned one last time to Norfolk, and on 31 October 1973, stood-to for her decommissioning ceremony
Ship decommissioning
To decommission a ship is to terminate her career in service in the armed forces of her nation. A somber occasion, it has little of the elaborate ceremony of ship commissioning, but carries significant tradition....
as she was recognized for her 28 years of distinguished and honorable service to the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. USS Leary DDR-879 was recognized as one of the longest serving Gearing-class destroyers in the Navy.
Leary was carefully examined for weapons effects testing, and provided vital information on structural integrity and survivability which assisted in the design and planning of later destroyers. After the tests were completed, she was transferred to the inactive fleet and stricken from the U.S. Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 2 June 1975.
Transfer to Spain to fight piracy
In 1978 SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
ratified a new constitution, and was now a newly free democratic state. The USA had pledged the new government their support, as free Spain now faced political and economic threats.
On 17 May 1978, the Leary once again took to the sea and was loaned to Spain to protect the new Spanish democracy
Spanish transition to democracy
The Spanish transition to democracy was the era when Spain moved from the dictatorship of Francisco Franco to a liberal democratic state. The transition is usually said to have begun with Franco’s death on 20 November 1975, while its completion has been variously said to be marked by the Spanish...
. She was renamed the SPS Langara (D64) and took her place amongst the Spanish Navy
Spanish Navy
The Spanish Navy is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such as the discovery of Americas, the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path...
.
She was aggressive in Spain's battle to suppress piracy
Piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
and smuggling
Smuggling
Smuggling is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...
, which were very serious threats from opponents of the new free Spanish government. After Spain joined NATO, the destroyer found herself once again serving alongside other United States naval vessels.
Langara spent the next fourteen years serving with NATO and insuring the survival of the new Spanish democracy until the effects of age overcame the ship. In 1992, she was stricken and scrapped by Spain after a marathon 47 years of service on the Earth's oceans, having protected two democracies and visited every sea at least once.