The USS Meredith (DD-890) was a Gearing-class destroyer laid down, launched, and commissioned in 1945. Following shakedown exercises in 1946, the ship trained submarine officers, then served as plane guard for USS Randolph during a midshipmen cruise. The following year, she remained in the western Atlantic, participating once again in a midshipmen training cruise. In 1948, the vessel conducted experimental tests for the Operational Development Force, after which she sailed with DesRon6 for her first overseas deployment. Until 1953, the ship made regular Mediterranean deployments and participated in Arctic and Caribbean exercises. After a habitability conversion in 1953, the destroyer resumed 2nd and 6th Fleet duties, supporting Middle East operations. Reassigned to DesRon 14 in 1959, she underwent FRAM modernization. In the following period, the vessel conducted cruises, research, ASROC tests, midshipmen training, deployments, and supported Project Gemini recovery operations in 1965. During the WestPac tour four years later, she served six months in Vietnam combat, joined the largest task force of American warships since World War II after a North Korean incident. The USS Meredith was decommissioned and stricken from the Register in 1979. Naval destroyers built before the 1980s contained significant amounts of asbestos, posing long-term health risks to military personnel exposed on board.
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