On 14 September 2001 , '' Cole '' was moved from drydock into the water once again . The transfer , originally scheduled for 15 September , was done secretly the night of 14 September in order to avoid the large media event originally scheduled one month prior to the September 11 attacks . The process of moving the ship from the dry dock to the water took approximately eight hours . As part of the increased security surrounding the undocking , sister ship provided weapons and a physical presence to deter the possibility of any type of militant activity during the move . After 14 months of repair , '' Cole '' departed on 19 April 2002 , and returned to her homeport of Norfolk , Virginia
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
USS Cole (DDG-67)