USS Little Rock
In March of 1943, construction was underway in the Cramp Shipbuilding Yard in Philadelphia for the vessel that would be known as the USS Little Rock. The ship was built as a Cleveland class light cruiser, and was the first ship to be named after the famous city in Arkansas. She had her initial launch on August 27 1944, and was later commissioned by the US Navy on June 17th, 1945 under the command of Captain W. E. Miller. The ship was used for training exercises, often in the Caribbean and Mediterranean. She was in service until June 24, 1949, when she was officially decommissioned.
That was not to be the end of the Little Rock. She was brought to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in January of 1956 to be worked on and converted to a Galveston Class Cruiser. She received guided missile technology, advanced equipment for communication, and expanded living space. Much of this process was accomplished at the New York Shipbuilding Corporation in New Jersey. By June of 1960, the Little Rock was ready, and re-commisioned for duty under the command of Captain J. O. Phillips.
The Little Rock sailed to Santo Domingo in 1961, during a difficult and violent time for the country. Her presence provided some much needed stability in the area. She later became a Naval Flagship with the Sixth Fleet, and proudly sailed with a crew of people numbering up to 1,680. She found a home in Virginia for many years, and eventually took the place of the USS SPRINGFIELD in Italy in January of 1967. She split her time between Italy and performing exercise maneuvers in the Mediterranean. In 1970 she was in a collision with a Greek Destroyer vessel and incurred major damage. Once again the story was not over for The Little Rock. She was repaired in the Boston Naval Shipyard, and released in 1971.
She was later utilized in the Cold War and played cat and mouse with the USSR Navy at the height of tensions. Finally in 1975 she was decommissioned and sent to her final home, the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park. The Little Rock is currently a tourist attraction available to the public.
Over the years many brave sailors found on home on board the USS Little Rock. Unfortunately, the toxic substance asbestos also found a home on the ship, within the pipes and insulation materials. Asbestos is a leading cause of wesothelioma, a cancer and other diseases. The men who sailed on the Little Rock, and the men who worked on her while she was docked were all subject to exposure. If you know anyone who sailed or worked on this ship, it is important to advise them of the potential danger so they may seek medical assistance if they have been exposed.
