USS New Jersey
The USS New Jersey (BB-62), nicknamed Big J or Black Dragon3, is an Iowa-class battleship of the United States Navy. It is the second U.S. Navy ship to be named in honor of the U.S. state of New Jersey. New Jersey earned more Service stars for her combat actions than any of the other three IOWA class battleships completed, and is the only US battleship to have provided gunnery support during the Vietnam War.
During the World War II, the New Jersey takes part in bombing raids on Guamand Okinawa, and protects aircraft carriers raiding the Marshall Islands. During the Korean War, it is involved in raids along the North Korean coast, after which it is transferred to the US Navy Reserve Fleet (also nicknamed mothball fleet). She was briefly reactivated in 1968 and sent to Vietnam to support American troops, before being returned to reserve in 1969. Reactivated again in the 1980s as part of the "600-ship navy", New Jersey was modernized to accommodate AGM-84 Harpoon and BGM-109 Tomahawk missiles and a Phalanx CIWS system. In 1983, she took part in US operations during the Lebanon War.
The New Jersey was decommissioned for good, in 1991, after 21 years in the active fleet. She won a Navy Unit Commendation for service in Vietnam and 19 Battle stars and Campaign stars for combat operations in WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Lebanese Civil War, and during her deployment in the Persian Gulf. After a brief stint in the reserve fleet, she was transferred to Camden, New Jersey, and began a new career as a museum ship on October 15, 2001.
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