by with other ships of her task group in the event American citizens in Havana might need her protection. She returned to Key West 6 January and continued services for the Fleet Sonar School. She departed 24 August to participate in "Operation Deep Freeze 60." She passed through the Panama Canal and arrived Dunedin, New Zealand, 22 September. A unit of Task Force 43, she got underway six days later and steamed to Ocean Weather Station (latitude 60 degrees south; longitude 170 degrees east). On that station midway between Antarctica and New Zealand, she acted as a weather communications and rescue ship for supply flights from Christchurch to the southernmost continent. From July 1961 to December 1963 Peterson served principally as a training ship for students of the U.S. Fleet Sonar School, Key West, Florida. In April 1962 she visited Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Jamaica. During the second half of 1962 Peterson was a movie star, playing the role of the Japanese destroyer that rammed and sank PT–109. On 22 October 1962 Peterson suddenly found herself on a full war-time footing and bound full speed for quarantine duty off the Cuban coast during the Cuban Missile Crisis. She was ordered home in time for Christmas. Peterson visited Guantanamo Bay for training in January and July 1963. January 1964 found Peterson patrolling the coasts of Colombia and Venezuela. She returned to Key West 23 February. For the balance of the year she operated out of Key West, mainly as Fleet Sonar Schoolship. In June 1965 the Peterson was decommissioned for the last time in Norfolk, Virginia and was laid to rest in the inactive reserve fleet in Portsmouth, Virginia. Disposed of, sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping, June 1974. Awards Peterson received one battle star for World War II service. During peace time she at one time held seven separate Battle Efficiency "E"s. References External links history.navy.mil: USS Peterson DANFS: USS Peterson USS Peterson veterans' website Edsall-class destroyer escorts Ships built in Orange, Texas 1943 ships