The USS Parsons (DD-949) was a Forrest Sherman-class destroyer that served in the United States Navy from 1955 to 1983. The ship was named in honor of Rear Admiral William S. Parsons, who was a prominent naval officer and served as the Director of Scientific Research during World War II.
The USS Parsons was commissioned on June 11, 1955, and was homeported in Norfolk, Virginia. The ship spent the majority of its active service in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, but also made several deployments to the Caribbean and the Middle East.
Throughout its 28 years of service, the USS Parsons was involved in several notable events, including Operation Steel Pike in 1964, which was the largest amphibious landing exercise held by the United States up to that point. The ship also participated in the recovery operations for the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 space missions in 1969 and 1970.
The USS Parsons was decommissioned on September 30, 1983, and was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on the same day. The ship was sold for scrap in 1988.
Ship Specifications:
- Displacement: 4,050 tons (standard); 4,800 tons (full load)
- Length: 418 feet (127 m)
- Beam: 45 feet (14 m)
- Draft: 16 feet (4.9 m)
- Propulsion: 4 boilers, 2 geared turbines, 2 shafts
- Speed: 34 knots (63 km/h)
- Complement: 340 officers and enlisted
- Armament: 3-inch (76 mm)/50 caliber guns, 2 Mk 32 torpedo tubes, 1 Mk 11 missile launcher
- Electronics: AN/SPS-10 radar, AN/SPS-12 radar, AN/SPS-40 radar, AN/SPS-6 radar, AN/SPS-8 radar, SQS-23 sonar
In conclusion, The USS Parsons served the United States Navy for 28 years and was involved in several important events during its service. Though, it was decommissioned in 1983 and sold for scrap in 1988. It was a Forrest Sherman-class destroyer with notable ship specifications such as armament, propulsion, and radar systems.
