of Commendation from the Secretary of the Navy; and five Battle "E" Ribbons. Sinking On 22 July 2003, Samuel Gompers was sunk in the Atlantic as part of a fleet training exercise (SINKEX). EX-Samuel Gompers departed Portsmouth at 08:30 on 18 July 2003 under tow of en route to her SINKEX position. Three ships were sent to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of North Carolina: destroyer tender Samuel Gompers, fleet tug and submarine tender . Of the three ships, Samuel Gompers was the last to be sunk, and slipped beneath the waves at 00:06 on 22 July 2003. The first Harpoon missile to strike Samuel Gompers was from the guided-missile destroyer , designation Cole 4. Reports indicate it took 16 Harpoon missiles ( each) and over of ordnance to sink Samuel Gompers. When the Harpoons finished, a squadron of bombers dropped bombs on her to sink her. The wreck of Samuel Gompers is reported to lie at . References External links Service Ship Photo Archive: Samuel Gompers (AD-37) USS Samuel Gompers Crewmembers Association USS Samuel Gompers Reunion 1966 ships Samuel Gompers-class destroyer tenders Ships built in Bremerton, Washington Tenders of the United States Navy Destroyer tenders of the United States Ships sunk as targets