USS Saint Paul (CA-73)

USS Saint Paul (CA-73): Eighteen Battle Stars, Three Wars

Commissioned on 17 February 1945, USS Saint Paul earned more battle stars than any other American cruiser in history: eighteen across three wars, one in World War II, eight in Korea, nine in Vietnam. Named for Minnesota's capital on the Mississippi River, she served longer in more conflicts than any other gun cruiser in the American fleet. When the history of American naval gunfire support is written, Saint Paul is the lead ship.

She arrived in the Pacific in the war's closing weeks, earning one battle star before Japan's surrender. When North Korea crossed the 38th Parallel in June 1950, she was ready. Eight Korean War battle stars reflect years of sustained naval gunfire support along the Korean coast, suppressing North Korean artillery, supporting the Inchon landing, battering Chinese supply routes, providing the precision fires that mountainous Korean terrain made essential.

She continued through the 1950s and 1960s, and when Vietnam expanded American naval commitments in Southeast Asia, Saint Paul was again in the fight. Nine Vietnam battle stars, multiple deployments in the Gulf of Tonkin and off the Vietnamese coast, made her the most combat-decorated ship of the entire Vietnam naval campaign. Her 8-inch guns were in continuous demand for fire support missions ashore through the war's most intense years.

Saint Paul was decommissioned on 30 April 1971 after 26 years of service. Eighteen battle stars. Three wars. The record stands alone. Tactically Acquired's USS Saint Paul (CA-73) collection honors Minnesota's three-war cruiser and every man who served aboard her through a quarter century of American naval combat.