Destroyer USS Elliot (DD-967)

The USS Elliot (DD-967), a Spruance-class destroyer in the United States Navy, was constructed by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The ship was named in honor of Lieutenant Commander Arthur J. Elliot II, USN (1933–1968), who, as the commanding officer of Patrol Boat River Squadron 57, lost his life in action in the Republic of Vietnam on 29 December 1968.

Elliot embarked on her inaugural journey on 24 January 1977, setting sail from Pascagoula, Mississippi, to San Diego, California, via the Panama Canal. Allocated to the U.S. Pacific Fleet as part of Destroyer Squadron 9 (DesRon 9), she operated under the administrative control of Commander, Cruiser Destroyer Group Five and Commander, Naval Surface Forces Pacific. After arriving, Elliot underwent five weeks of initiation training and engaged in a combat drill. Following these activities, she returned to her builders for post shakedown adjustments.

After departing the shipyard, Elliot voyaged to Rockland, Maine, reaching there on 25 August. Nearby Thomaston was the birthplace of the sailor for whom the ship was named. During a four-day stay, the ship welcomed several thousand visitors and accommodated 650 guests for a six-hour cruise. On 24 September, Elliot reported to Long Beach Naval Shipyard for a restricted six-month period for installations of her NATO Sea Sparrow and Harpoon missile systems.

On 1 August 1978, Elliot transitioned from the operational command of Destroyer Squadron Nine to Destroyer Squadron 31 (DesRon 31). She embarked on her inaugural deployment, a seven-month Western Pacific excursion, on 21 February 1979 as the flagship of DesRon 31 alongside the aircraft carrier Ranger. Departing Subic Bay, Philippines on 31 March with Ranger, Elliot encountered a collision between the carrier and the oil tanker M/V Fortune in the Strait of Malacca, necessitating the carrier's return to Subic Bay for repairs. Elliot arrived in Diego Garcia on 12 April, joining a battle group focused around Midway and participating in operations in the Gulf of Aden to maintain U.S. military presence in the region. Awarded the Navy Expeditionary Medal for Indian Ocean contingency operations, Elliot concluded her first deployment on 9 September 1979.

Her second deployment began in 1980, marked by an engine malfunction on 23 January 1981, necessitating a replacement at Subic Bay within two days. In April, Elliot encountered several refugee boats, rescuing 158 refugees over eight days, earning the crew the Humanitarian Service Medal. The deployment involved visits to Hawaii, Guam, Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong, Philippines, Japan, and Singapore, concluding on 23 May.

Elliot shifted to Destroyer Squadron 21 on 1 June 1981 and underwent the first private sector overhaul for a Spruance-class destroyer at Todd Pacific Shipyard in Seattle, Washington. The overhaul included various refurbishments, notably the installation of an SLQ-32(V)2 electronic warfare system, ending on 30 April 1982.

Departing on 13 April 1983 for her third deployment, Elliot visited ports in Hawaii, the Philippines, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Guam, and Hong Kong. During this deployment, Elliot rescued 68 Vietnamese refugees and responded swiftly to the downing of KAL 007. She returned on 18 November 1983.

In January 1984, Elliot underwent a safe weapons offload at Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station but encountered a subsurface obstruction in the Seal Beach channel, causing minor damage to the underwater hull and starboard propeller. Beginning a planned three-month selected repair availability (SRA) on 2 February in San Diego, Elliot shifted operational command to Destroyer Squadron 5 in May and participated in Fleet Week '84 festivities in October in San Francisco.

Her fourth deployment commenced on 10 July 1985 as part of the New Jersey battle group, visiting ports in Hawaii, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Brunei, and Hong Kong. Elliot engaged in exercises with Republic of Korea ships and rendered assistance to Darter after a collision with the merchant ship Kansas Getty. Returning home on 21 December concluded this deployment.

In May 1986, Elliot underwent a two-month selected repair availability for flight deck modifications, arriving at San Francisco for Fleet Week '87 in October. She embarked on her fifth deployment in January 1987, engaging in operations in the Bering Strait.

A significant overhaul in the 1988 / 1989 period equipped Elliot with VLS, Phalanx CIWS, a new TACAN, and an upgraded Sea Sparrow system with MK 23 TAS radar. Joining PACEX-89 in September 1989, Elliot participated in joint operations across the Pacific before returning in November.

Deploying for WestPac-90 on 1 February 1990 as part of the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) Carrier Battlegroup «Charlie,» Elliot visited various ports, including Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Pusan, Korea; Subic Bay, Philippines; Singapore; Pattaya Beach, Thailand; Diego Garcia, BIOT; Muscat, Oman; Fremantle; and Hong Kong. Notably, Elliot rescued 35 Vietnamese refugees in the South China Sea. Returning on 1 August 1990, Elliot underwent maintenance during the Persian Gulf War.

Embarking on WestPac-91 on 31 July 1991 with COMDESRON 17, Elliot visited ports such as Pearl Harbor; Subic Bay; Phuket, Thailand; Bahrain; Oman; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and Hong Kong. In October, Elliot encountered a drifting Iraqi LUGM-145 mine, safely detonating it with assistance from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit One. She returned home on 20 January 1992.

Elliot underwent a yard period at Southwest Marine Shipyard, San Diego, from May to August 1992. Departing for a counter-narcotics cruise in November, Elliot returned on 21 December. In June 1993, Elliot participated in the Portland Rose Festival before setting off on her next deployment, visiting ports in Hawaii, Guam, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Diego Garcia, Australia, and Fiji. In late August, Elliot operated off the coast of Iran and engaged in various operations until her decommissioning on 2 December 2003.

As part of Exercise Talisman Sabre, the decommissioned Elliot was sunk off the eastern coast of Australia on 22 June 2005, resting at a depth of 4,551 fathoms in the Coral Sea, approximately 100 nautical miles east of Fraser Island, Queensland, Australia.