USS O'Bannon (DD-987), a Spruance-class destroyer, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon (1776–1850), an early hero of the US Marine Corps. O'Bannon was laid down on 21 February 1977 by the Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Miss.; launched on 25 September 1978; and commissioned on 15 December 1979. History The third O'Bannon was laid down on 24 June 1977, at Pascagoula, Miss., by Ingalls Shipbuilding; launched on 25 September 1978 and sponsored by Mrs. Patricia H. Barrow, wife of General Robert H. Barrow, Commandant Marine Corps; and commissioned on 15 December 1979 in Pascagoula. O'Bannon got underway from Pascagoula for her homeport at Charleston, S.C., arriving on 21 December 1979. Assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DesRon) 4, O'Bannon steamed to Ft. Lauderdale, Fl., from 29 January-3 February 1980, returning to Charleston on 7 April. On 21 April 1980, O'Bannon got underway for a retrofit availability in Pascagoula, from 21 April-18 July. During her retrofit, she received a reassignment to DesRon 6 on 1 July. The destroyer received the latest weapons and technology, including an eight canister Harpoon missile system and an AN-SLQ-32(V)2 Electronic Warfare (EW) system. O'Bannon got underway for her first full refresher training in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, on 2 September 1980. After holding refresher training (1 October-4 November), she participated in naval gunfire support qualifications on 7 November. On 18 March 1981, O'Bannon departed her homeport of Charleston for her first Mediterranean/North Atlantic deployment. O'Bannon conducted an Intermediate Maintenance Activity Availability (IMAV) period from 16 to 24 July alongside Puget Sound (AD-38), flagship of Commander Sixth Fleet. From 18 to 19 August, she participated in a freedom of navigation (FON) exercise off the coast of Libya. Getting underway for Charleston, O'Bannon crossed the Arctic Circle on 1 September, holding the traditional Order of the Blue Nose ceremony. O'Bannon participated on 9 April 1982 in readiness exercise (READIEX) 2-82 and Exercise Ocean Venture before making a port call at San Juan, P.R. (15-18 April). After further training in the Caribbean, the destroyer headed south, crossing the equator on 10 August and holding the traditional “cross-the-line” ceremonies. Making way for South America, she made several port calls in Latin American countries throughout October–November before steaming to Africa for a West-African Training Cruise (WATC). O'Bannon steamed back for her homeport of Charleston by the end of the year. In May of 1984 she took