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From the Dictionary
of America Fighting Ships
Displacement 4,700; Length 512'6''; Beam 52'3''; Draft 20';
Speed 30knots.; Compliment. 378 men;
Armament 1 5'', 4 3'', 6 21'' Torpedo tubes., ASROC, Terrier
Missile; Class Coontz)
The U.S.S. King (DLG-10) was laid down 1 March 1957 by Puget
Sound Naval Shipyard; launched 6 December 1958 sponsored by
Mrs. Oliver W. Vandenberg, daughter of Fleet Admiral King; and
commissioned 17 November 1960, Comdr. Melvin E. Bustard, in
command.
After shakedown along the coast, and in Hawaiian waters, King
continued training out of San Diego for the remainder of 1961.
Following extensive preparations the guided?missile frigate
sailed on her first WestPac cruise, 7 June 1962, strengthening
the mighty 7th Fleet with her Terrier missile arsenal. Operating
with this mighty peacekeeping force, King helped to check
Communist
aggression in Southeast Asia. Upon returning San Diego 31 December,
she resumed tactical exercises off the West Coast until 1
August
1963 when she departed on her second WestPac cruise. Once again
her operations with the 7th Fleet helped maintain stability
in the Far East. King returned San Diego 10 March 1964 and
conducted operations along the coast, for the rest of the year
constantly
perfecting her fighting skills and increasing the peacekeeping
ability of the Navy.
King headed back for the Far East 5 April 1965 escorting Oriskany
(CVA-34). She operated from the South China Sea during May screening
carriers and participating in air?sea rescue work. She continued
to serve off Vietnam until returning to San Diego 2 November
1965.
The guided missile frigate operated off the West Coast until
heading back for the Western Pacific 26 May 1966. On this cruise
she carried a helicopter for search and rescue missions to save
American pilots during strikes against North Vietnam. She arrived
Da Nang, South Vietnam, 27 June. During July she saved five
downed aviators, including one who was rescued from deep within
North Vietnam by the ship's daring helicopter crew. In August
the ship was stationed in a positive identification and radar
advisory zone (PIRAZ)
in the Gulf of Tonkin to help protect American ships from enemy
aircraft Before she was relieved, she had checked over 15,000
aircraft. During this duty she also rescued seven pilots whose
planes had gone down during strikes against enemy targets. She
continued this duty, except for brief runs to Hong Kong and
Subic Bay, until relieved by Long Beach (CGN-9) on 29 November.
King returned to San Diego 20 December and operated off the
West Coast into 1967 preparing for future action. | 
