Commissioned as a FORREST SHERMAN - class destroyer, the USS JOHN PAUL JONES initially was designated DD 932. In December 1965, the JOHN PAUL JONES entered the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for conversion to a guided missile destroyer. The conversion was finished in the fall of 1967 and the ship was re-designated as DDG 32. During the conversion, the JOHN PAUL JONES had 90% of her superstructure replaced and received the Tartar surface-to-air missile system and the ASROC anti-submarine rocket system. In addition, her engineering equipment was completely overhauled, and she received a lot of additional electronic gear.

USS JOHN PAUL JONES rescued a sailor who had been washed overboard from the USS PORTERFIELD during rough seas in April 1969.  Click here to read the full story.

USS JOHN PAUL JONES was decommissioned after more than 26 years of service on December 15, 1982. Stricken from the Navy list on April 30, 1986, the JOHN PAUL JONES was finally disposed of as a target off the coast of southern California at 032° 00' 06.0" North, 121° 36' 23.0" West. The Sinkex took place on January 31, 2001.