USS Towers (DD-959/DDG-9) was a guided missile destroyer of the United States Navy notable for action in the Vietnam War. The ship was named in honor of Admiral John Henry Towers.
Construction and career
Towers keel was laid down on 1 April 1958 at Seattle, Washington, by the Todd Pacific Shipyards; launched on 23 April 1959; sponsored by Mrs. Nathaniel Rotoreau Jr.; and commissioned on 6 June 1961 at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington.
1960s
left|thumb|Towers underway in 1962
Homeported at San Diego, California, Towers carried out trials and local operations off the southern California coast into September 1961. She then conducted her shakedown cruise to Callao and Lima, Peru; Balboa, Panama Canal Zone; and Acapulco, Mexico, before she deployed to the Western Pacific (WestPac) for the first time in the early spring of 1962. she deployed with , keeping on the alert to spot downed pilots and to direct friendly helicopters to the rescue. The Japan government protested the incident and the Navy relieved Towers commanding officer "for cause without relief." Despite the embarrassing incident, the warship resumed local operations soon after.