Oliver W. Downes

Denton Journal March 7, 1952                        Ship Name: USS New Jersey Ship Classification                                                                                 BB-62 Year Range: 1955

                       

The USS New Jersey is the most decorated battleship in United States naval history. She earned 19 battle stars for service during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Cold War period. USS New Jersey is the only US battleship to see action during the Vietnam War. USS New Jersey (BB-62) 1953 and 1954 she crossed the Atlantic with midshipmen on board for training, and during the rest of the year sharpened her skills with exercises and training maneuvers along the Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean. New Jersey stood out of Norfolk 7 September 1955 for her first tour of duty with the United States Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean. Her ports of call included Gibraltar, Valencia, Cannes, Istanbul, Souda Bay; and Barcelona. She returned to Norfolk 7 January 1956 for the spring program of training operations. That summer she again carried midshipmen to Northern Europe for training, bringing them home to Annapolis 31 July. New Jersey sailed for Europe once more 27 August as flagship of Vice Admiral Charles Wellborn, Jr., Commander United States Second Fleet. She called at Lisbon, participated in NATO exercises off Scotland, and paid an official visit to Norway where Crown Prince Olav was a guest. She returned to Norfolk 15 October, and 14 December arrived at New York Naval Shipyard for inactivation. She was decommissioned and placed in reserve at Bayonne 21 August 1957.