USS McCloy (FF 1038)

• Namesake: USS McCloy (FF-1038) was named after Rear Admiral John McCloy, one of only 19 people ever awarded two Medals of Honor, for heroism in the Boxer Rebellion and the U.S. occupation of Veracruz. • Class: She was a Knox-class frigate, originally designated as a destroyer escort (DE-1038) and later reclassified as a frigate (FF-1038) in 1975. • Commissioning: USS McCloy was commissioned on October 21, 1963, at Avondale Shipyard in Louisiana. • Role in Anti-Submarine Warfare: The ship was specially outfitted for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), carrying the sophisticated SQS-26 sonar and DASH (Drone Anti-Submarine Helicopter) system, later replaced by the SH-2 Seasprite LAMPS I helicopter. • Cold War Service: McCloy participated in numerous North Atlantic and Mediterranean deployments as part of the U.S. Navy’s effort to track Soviet submarines during the Cold War. • Mariel Boatlift: In 1980, McCloy took part in operations off Cuba during the Mariel Boatlift, assisting in the humanitarian rescue and processing of Cuban refugees. • Famous Seizure: In 1983, McCloy played a key role in the seizure of the freighter Heide, which was caught smuggling over 20,000 pounds of marijuana in the Caribbean Sea. • Women at Sea: McCloy was one of the first surface combatants in the Atlantic Fleet to integrate women into her crew in the early 1980s. • Decommissioning and Fate: She was decommissioned on December 14, 1990, and later sold for scrap in 1994, after over 27 years of service. • Legacy: Her ship’s bell and other memorabilia are preserved at the John McCloy VFW Post 1429 in Middletown, Ohio, honoring both the ship and her namesake.