Naval History and Heritage Command

Aaron Stanton Merrill -- born on 26 March 1890 to Dunbar S. Merrill and Charlotte B. Stanton at Brandon Hall, his family home, near Natchez, Miss. -- received his early education at the Natchez [Miss.] Institute. On 27 June 1908, Merrill began his first year as a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. “Tip” Merrill, popular with his classmates, often regaled them with tales of his youthful adventures. In addition to academics, Merrill played baseball, won the Bantamweight Champion boxing title in his fourth year and was a member of the Hop Committee. He was also on the wrestling and gymnastics teams.

Merrill received his commission as ensign on 7 June 1912, then returned to Natchez to await his first assignment. On 12 July, he reported for duty in Louisiana (Battleship No.19), and four months later transferred to Tennessee (Armored Cruiser No.10) on 10 November 1912. He served in her until 30 September 1913. He then joined the officer complement of the armed yacht Scorpion on 1 October, bound for Constantinople [Istanbul], the capital of the Ottoman Empire. Merrill returned the U.S. in early July 1914 to serve at his alma mater in the Practice Squadron until reporting to Roe (Destroyer No.24) on 13 October 1914. He remained with that ship until 18 June 1916. He served a couple of weeks in Wainwright (Destroyer No.63) (21 June–2 July) before embarking in Conyngham (Destroyer No.58).

When the U.S. entered the World War, Merrill continued to serve in Conyngham until 20 January 1918. His next duty was at San Francisco, Calif. (9 March–5 July 1918), training new officers and enlisted men to serve in newly constructed destroyers. On 14 July, he reported to serve as the executive officer for the Naval Training Camp at Detroit, Mich. until 25 September. Merrill then received orders to report to Aylwin (Destroyer No.47) with the Destroyer Force. On 21 September, he was temporarily promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander. Merrill embarked in Aylwin at Queenstown, Ireland for the last months of the war and after the armistice (11 November 1918).

On 30 March 1919, Merrill assumed command of the armed yacht Harvard (S. P. 209) then transferred to the Lafayette Radio Station at Croix, France (21 June). He was detached from the radio post on 25 November then proceeded back to Constantinople to serve as an aide to Rear Adm. Mark L. Bristol, U.S. High Commissioner to Turkey (10 December 1919). On 31 December 1921, he reverted back to the rank of lieutenant until permanent promotion came on 8 June 1922. After his return to the U.S., Merrill served in the Receiving Ship at New York, N.Y. (3 August 1923–7 March 1924), then went back to sea in battleship Nevada (BB-36) on 11 March 1923. Following that tour, he commanded McCormick (DD-223) when she joined the Asiatic Fleet on 28 March 1925. He disembarked on 10 July, then assumed command of gunboat Elcano (PG-38) (10 July 1925–30 July 1926). Merrill then served as the squadron engineering officer for the Destroyer Squadron, Asiatic Fleet (7 August 1926–19 July 1927).

After his stint in the Far East, Merrill reported for duty with the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) at Washington, D.C. (31 October 1927–3 September 1929). Following that assignment, he commanded destroyer Williamson (DD-244) from 13 November 1929 until 6 June 1932. He returned to ONI (30 June 1932–1 May 1933) then served as aide to Assistant Secretary of the Navy Henry L. Roosevelt (1 May 1933–1 May 1934). 

Shortly after he reported to heavy cruiser Pensacola (CA-24) (1 June 1934), Merrill was given the honor of escorting the remains of Belgian Ambassador to the U.S. Paul May as the ship carried them to Antwerp. While in Belgium, Merrill was made an Officer of the Order of the Crown for his services. He continued to serve as the first lieutenant and damage control officer in Pensacola until 11 June 1935 when he became Commander Destroyer Division Eight, Scouting Force, U.S. Fleet (12 June 1935–4 June 1936). He was called back to Washington to work in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) (8 June 1936) before transferring to the U.S. Embassy at Santiago, Chile. There he served dual roles as Naval Attaché and Naval Attaché for Air (17 August 1936–15 May 1938).

Once he completed his overseas assignment, Merrill returned to the office of the CNO (20-30 June 1938) then attended the Naval War College at Newport, R.I. (5 July 1938–8 June 1939), after which he completed his course work and assumed command of Destroyer Division Seventeen. On 7 July 1940 he became Commander Destroyer Squadron Eight. After a year at that post, he was sent to Tulane University at New Orleans to be an instructor of Naval Science and Tactics with the school's Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) detachment (1 July 1941). His time in that billet, however, was cut short after the Japanese Empire embarked on an ambitious venture for conquest on 7 December 1941.

Merrill assumed command of battleship Indiana (BB-58) at Newport News, Va., on 30 April 1942. Several months later, on 9 November, Merrill departed Hampton Roads, Va., in Indiana with light cruiser Columbia (CL-56) and the destroyers DeHaven (DD-469), Saufley (DD-565) and Champlin (DD-601), setting course for the Panama Canal. After transiting the isthmian waterway on 13 November 1942, Indiana, sans Columbia, formed Task Group (TG) 2.6 and set course for Tongatabu, Tonga Islands.

Upon his arrival in the South Pacific, Merrill received command of Cruiser Division (CruDiv) Twelve (23 January 1943). He broke his flag in cruiser Montpelier (CL-57) and she remained his flagship for his entire service in the Pacific. From his cruiser, Merrill commanded multiple operations and task groups with a high degree of skill and determination. While en route to bombard the airfields Munda at New Georgia and Vila-Stanmore at Kolombangara, Solomon Islands, (5-6 March 1943) his task force picked up two ships on radar in Kula Gulf. He ordered his formation to shift course to intercept them. Once the ships were identified as enemy, Merrill's task force opened fire. Immediately, the two ships were ablaze and quickly sank. He then resumed his original mission and bombarded the two airfields. For his actions, Merrill was awarded the Legion of Merit.

In June 1943, Merrill once again proved his mettle during night bombardments at Poporang, and in support of minelaying operations off Ballale [Balalae] islands in the Solomons (29–20 June). This was the deepest penetration into enemy territory by Allied forces since the Japanese had occupied the Solomons. Surprisingly, Merrill’s warships did not receive any Japanese opposition. The operation required skillful navigation of waters filled with dangerous reefs using inaccurate charts in the dark during inclement weather. All of his ships completed their missions unscathed. A Gold Star device for his Legion of Merit acknowledged that success. The following month, Merrill’s task force successfully completed another night bombardment of Munda (11–12 July 1943).

After a short visit to Sydney, Australia, Merrill’s command provided bombardment support for amphibious operations in the Treasury Islands, Solomon Islands, and at Bougainville (1–2 November 1943). On 1 November, he received reports of enemy ships in the area from Navy and Army Air Force reconnaissance aircraft. The enemy task force, consisting of four light cruisers and six destroyers were spotted in the Solomon Sea northwest of Bougainville. Using reports keeping him informed of the speed and bearing of the enemy, Merrill vectored his task force to intercept. At 0229 on 2 November, Merrill's ships engaged the stronger Japanese formation in what is now known as the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay. Over the next three hours the U.S. ships out-maneuvered and out-gunned the enemy. Using their fire control radars and covering their movements with smoke on that overcast night, Merrill's task force sank light cruiser Sendai and destroyer Hatsukaze, the latter being dead in the water after colliding with heavy cruiser Myōkō. The remaining Japanese vessels, badly damaged, abandoned their mission and retired from the area. For his skillful command of the task force, Merrill received the Navy Cross. In addition, Secretary of the Navy James V. Forrestal authorized all members of CruDiv 12 to wear the Navy Unit Commendation ribbon in 1944.

On 26 March 1944, Merrill was relieved of command of CruDiv 12 and ordered to return to Washington for his next assignment. The success of his command warranted the receipt of the Distinguished Service Medal. Back at Washington, Merrill took over the directorship of the Navy Office of Public Relations on 15 June 1944 until 23 April 1945.

On 3 January 1946, he returned to New Orleans to take command of the Eighth Naval District and the Gulf Sea Frontier. In the waning days of his career, he was known to have been an opponent to President Harry S Truman’s plans to unify the Department of War and the Department of the Navy under a single command structure. He remained with the Eighth Naval District until 19 June 1947 and retired from active duty on 1 November 1947 due to physical ailments.

Merrill returned to his birthplace after leaving the Navy. He became very active in the community and attracted national attention over a controversial endowment to the local Jefferson Military College (Jefferson College) at Washington, Miss. The school had refused a large grant that required it to discriminate along religious and racial lines when considering enrollment. Merrill publically supported the refusal and led a fundraising effort to repay a portion of the grant that had already been accepted. Eventually, the retired vice admiral became the president of the college and was serving in that capacity at the time of his death on 28 February 1961. 

The first Merrill (DE-392) (1943–1971) was named for Ens. Howard Deal Merrill who died in the battleship Arizona (BB-39) at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, the second Merrill (DDG-976) (1975–1998), honored Vice Adm. Merrill.

II

(DD-976): displacement 9,313; length 563'; beam 55'; draft 31'; speed 32 knots; complement 309; armament 2 5-inch, 2 Harpoon, 1 NATO Sea Sparrow, 2 torpedo tubes, 2 CIWS, SRBOC decoy system; 2 SH60B Seahawk Light Airborne Multi-purpose System (LAMPS) Mk. II helicopters; class Spruance)

The second Merrill (DD-976) was laid down on 26 January 1975 at Pascagoula, Miss., by Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation, a Division of Litton Industries; launched on 1 September 1976; sponsored by Mrs. Dunbar Merrill Flinn, the niece of Vice Adm. Merrill; and commissioned on 11 March 1978, Cmdr. George N. Gee in command.

After her commissioning, Merrill departed the Ingalls’ yard on 13 March 1978 to transit the Panama Canal (17 March 1978). She refueled at Rodman, Panama, then stood out for San Diego, Calif., on 18 March. The destroyer arrived at San Diego on 26 March to begin several months of tests, drills, and shakedown training. This process started in earnest when she put to sea for a training readiness evaluation (TRE) on 20 April. She underwent shakedown training (15 May–9 June) in preparation for her final contract trials (10–23 June). After operating locally, Merrill got underway for Acapulco, Mexico (1 August 1978). She spent a couple of days there (5–7 August) before returning to Rodman (13–15 August) prior to transiting the canal (16 August). The ship arrived at Ingalls Shipyard on 21 August to begin post shakedown availability (21 August–20 September). Following her post-shakedown sea trials, she returned to San Diego on 2 October.

While was in port, she hosted from Adm. Jal Cursetji, Chief of Staff of the Indian Navy (12 October 1978). On 20 October, Merrill shifted to Long Beach (Calif.) Naval Shipyard for a major overhaul and to be retrofitted for the General Dynamics Tomahawk Long-Range Surface Cruise Missile (TLAM) until 5 May 1979. Merrill spent the remaining months of 1979 conducting local operations or moored at San Diego with the exception of a brief visit to San Francisco (16–18 July 1979). Following a two week local underway period (28 November–14 December), the ship moored at her home port to ring in the New Year.

Merrill started 1980 in port participating in testing of the Outlaw Shark system (1-14 January). This system is designed to correlated surface and air target information from satellite and other sources. This data could then be used by surface ships acquire and fire on targets that are over the horizon. Outlaw Shark was a vital piece of the plan to deploy the TLAM on a variety of surface ships throughout the U.S. fleet. The destroyer was selected to be one of the first ships to carry the TLAM. Following the test, the ship spent a brief period underway (15–25 January) for ReadiEx 2-80 in the Southern California Operations Area, after which Merrill put into San Diego for more work on her Tomahawk system (26 January–24 February 1980). She conducted preliminary tests at the Pacific Missile Test Center (PMTC), Point Mugu, Calif. (25–29 February) and the Southern California Operating Area (5–8 March). The destroyer returned to PMTC (18 March) and on 20 March 1980, she became the first ship to successfully launch a Tomahawk. Merrill offloaded her munitions at Seal Beach, Calif. (21–22 March) then moored at San Diego to prepare for deployment to the western Pacific (23–31 March). 

On 1 April 1980, she stood out of her home port for Pearl Harbor to begin the first leg of her six month voyage. After a few days at Pearl Harbor (7–10 April), she got underway for Subic Bay, P.I. with frigate Meyerkord (FF-1058), stopping only once at Guam (21 April) for fuel. While en route, the ships executed a passing exercise (PassEx) with vessels from the Royal New Zealand Navy (27–28 April). Merrill arrived at Subic Bay on 29 April and remained in port until to 12 May. After a brief anti-submarine warfare exercise, Sea of Siam XI (13–14 May), in the South China Sea, the destroyer sailed for Yokosuka, Japan (20 May). While underway, the ship participated the first phase of the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Project 310-2 that involved collecting data for the development and evaluation of surface ship ability to target unfriendly vessels at long range (20 May–6 June 1980). She visited Yokosuka (7–9 June) then set a course for Chinhae [Jinhae-gu], R.O.K., conducting Project 310-2 Phase II along the way. The destroyer arrived at Chinhae for short visit (18–19 June) then cast off for the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong. She spent four days at Hong Kong (23–27 June). Merrill returned to Subic Bay on 30 June for upkeep and maintenance (30 June–10 July). The destroyer completed the third and final phase of Project 310-2 in the South China Sea (11–15 July). After conducting naval gunfire training at the Tabones Range, P.I. (16 July), Merrill provided escort service for carrier Midway (CV-41) in the South China Sea (18–23 July 1980). She returned to Chinhae (28–29 July) to complete in port work up for the anti-submarine warfare exercise K4-80 (29 July–2 August). The ship put into Pusan [Busan], R.O.K. (24 August) before mooring at Subic Bay (9–12 August). With Rear Adm. Edward E. Carter, III, Commander, Task Force 75 (CTF 75) embarked, the destroyer put to sea with Task Group 75.2  (14–29 August) for naval gunfire support exercise NGFS-EX 11-80 and Multiplex 3-80, a joint operation with the British Royal Navy. While underway with the task group, Merrill came upon and rescued 62 refugees escaping the ongoing political turmoil and conflict in Vietnam (21 August). That same day, guided missile cruiser Truxtun (CGN-35) plucked 42 people from the sea. For nearly the entirety of 1980 (30 January–8 November), multiple American military and civilian ships provided aid and comfort to roughly 1,546 people, including the aforementioned, fleeing the chaos in Southeast Asia.

On 30 September 1980, Merrill came in contact with Soviet carrier Minsk. She conducted surveillance of the carrier until 3 September then put into Pusan (4–6 September). The destroyer shifted to Yokosuka for maintenance and upkeep (9–13 September) before conducting special operations in the Sea of Okhotsk. She returned to Yokosuka (24 September) then departed with Meyerkord to rendezvous with carrier Constellation (CV-64) and Battle Group Bravo for the journey to Pearl Harbor (26 September–7 October 1980). After a couple of days rest (8–9 October), Merrill embarked dependents for a “Tiger” [dependents] cruise to San Diego (10–14 October). After giving her sailors post-deployment leave (15 October–14 November), the ship operated locally until finishing the year on holiday leave (21 December 1980–11 January 1981).

After Merrill came off holiday leave, the destroyer jumped into a very active schedule for the year. Although she did not deploy, she spent a good amount of time at sea to participate in three critical weapons systems projects for the CNO. She continued her previous work with OTH-T for the Tomahawk during Project J-251 and participated in Project J-159 for the development of the RIM-7M NATO Sea Sparrow, a shipborne version of the air-launched AIM-7 Sparrow. This missile was originally developed by Sperry Corporation in collaboration with the Navy then later produced by Raytheon and General Dynamics corporations. In addition to missile and targeting programs, Merrill took part in Project K-721 for the Modular Ship Defense System.

In January 1981, the ship conducted Tomahawk tests and training off Southern California (12–14 and 19–20 January 1981). She took a break in Sea Sparrow tests (18–19 and 23–26 February) to make a port call to San Francisco on 20–22 February. She returned to Southern California to continue RIM-7M tests in concert with the OTH-T project. The destroyer also made numerous visits to the PMTC throughout the year. On June 11–14 June, she put into Portland, Ore., to represent the Navy at the city’s annual Rose Festival. Merrill underwent a Board of Inspection and Survey review (10–14 August), and sea trials (15 September1981). She participated in anti-submarine warfare and naval gunfire support exercises (21–25 September) after which she moored at San Diego for upkeep (26 September–4 October). The ship steamed back to PMTC for Sea Sparrow test (5–9 October) then resumed upkeep at her home port (10 October–8 November). In November, the destroyer took part in helicopter flight deck qualifications (9–10 November 1981), TransitEx 4-82 (12 November) and ReadiEx 1-82 (16-25 November 1981). She was underway off Southern California (30 November–9 December) with the exception of another visit to San Francisco (4–6 December). Merrill returned to San Diego on 10 December 1981 to begin holiday leave and close the book on an action packed year.

Merrill began 1982 with type training (12–13 January) and continued work on the Tomahawk project (24 January–3 February) with submarine Guitarro (SSN-665). With just a brief respite, the destroyer was at sea for ten days to take part in ReadiEx 8-2 (6-16 February). Back at San Diego (17 February–16 March), the ship hosted the Secretary of the Navy of Mexico Ricardo Cházaro Lara on 1 March 1982. She conducted Emergency Control Center (ECC) drills locally (17–18 March) then, after several days in port, was underway for RimPac '82 and ReadiEx 82-3 (31 March–9 April). When she returned to San Diego on 10 April, the ship's crew began preparations for an Operational Propulsion Plant Recertification Exam (OPPRE) which was completed in two phases on 19–23 April and 14–16 May. When destroyer was not underway or in port prepping for the OPPRE, she was underway locally conducting EEC drills (3–6 and 10–13 May). After her second underway period for the OPPRE prep, Merrill rested for a few days (21-31 May) then put to sea to visit Eureka, Calif. (4-6 June), her only port visit for 1982. She offloaded her weapons stores at Seal Beach, Calif. on 9 June then returned to San Diego (11–22 June) to await the OPPRE. After Merrill successfully completed her recertification (23–24 June), she entered the National Steel & Shipbuilding Co. yard for final installation of her complete Tomahawk system(6 July–14 October 1982). This included two armored box launchers and related systems. She departed the shipyard on 15 October to test out her new equipment during sea trials (15–28 October), then returned to San Diego on 29 October and treated her crew's dependents (“Tigers”) to a local cruise two days later (31 October). The ship calibrated her electronic countermeasure system, Classic Outboard, at sea (1–3 November), then replenished her munitions at Seal Beach and returned to San Diego for ten days at home (5–15 November). Merrill conducted type training (16–17 November) after which she stayed at San Diego until conducting Tomahawk operations for ReadiEx 83-1 (5–10 December). With another busy year behind her, Merrill moored at San Diego on 11 December 1982 until after the New Year.

Just as in the previous years, 1983 for Merrill involved the testing and improvement of her Tomahawk delivery capabilities. When not focused primarily on the TLAM, the ship was heavily engaged in other operational aspects. She conducted several naval gunfire support, anti-submarine warfare and flight operations exercises. In January, after completing a multi-ship anti-submarine operation (11–14 January 1983) and ten days of upkeep (14–24 January), the destroyer steamed to Long Beach where the crew were afforded time to enjoy Los Angeles, Calif. for a few days (25-31 January). She also took part in a change of command ceremony for the Commander of Destroyer Squadron Nine (28 January). She returned to San Diego for a month of upkeep (3 February–3 March) during which she hosted the Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker Blue Rover (A.270) when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain visited the port city (26 February 1983). On 7 March, the destroyer had a successful Tomahawk launch but the missile suffered a malfunction mid-flight and failed. After completing her naval gunfire qualification (14–16 March) she began another long period of upkeep (17 March–13 April) at San Diego. On her first day home, Rear Adm. William A. Cockell, Jr., Commander of Cruiser-Destroyer Group Five, hosted a luncheon on her decks for the Danish Minister of Defense, Hans Engell and his wife. The ship remained in port until casting off for her aviation readiness evaluation and certification (14–15 April) then returned home for more upkeep.

On 2 May 1983, Merrill stood out for ReadiEx 83-4 (3-13 May). For the first part of the exercise she served as an enemy combatant making attacks against carrier Ranger (CV-61). She spent the last days steaming with cargo ship St. Louis (LKA-116) and U.S. Coast Guard cutter Citrus (WLB-300) as part of the Surface Action Group. She moored at San Diego on 14 May and remained in port until getting underway for Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on 26 June. Merrill's sailors enjoyed time off in the city (1–4 July 1983), then set a course for home for another upkeep period (8–24 July). This was the only foreign visit made by the destroyer during 1983. On 20 July, Merrill received another distinguished visitor, Erwin Horn, member of the Bundestag of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Beginning on 25 July 1983, Merrill spent the next several months conducting Tomahawk operations. She stood out of San Diego on nine separate occasions for a total of 35 days at sea for TLAM related activities. During this same period, the ship was the runner up in the Commander of the Naval Surface Fleet, Pacific (ComNavSurfPac) Battle Efficiency Award (1 September) she also steamed to San Francisco for Fleet Week (14–16 October 1983) where she received over 2,600 visitors. During missile operations, the ship successfully launched three TLAMs. The final shot launched without any problems but failed mid-flight and was lost at sea. On 20 December, Merrill moored at San Diego to begin her holiday leave and upkeep.

For the next two and half years, Merrill operated out of San Diego in the eastern Pacific. She made frequent visits to the PMTC for continued testing and training for her Tomahawk system. During this time period the ship made a few port visits to Portland for the Annual Rose Festival (7–10 June 1984), San Francisco (7­–10 April 1986) and Oakland, Calif (11 April 1986). She underwent maintenance and repairs at the San Diego Naval Shipyard (13 July–8 October 1984) and again at the National Steel & Ship Building Co. yard in San Diego (3 June–22 September 1985). On 13 May 1986, the destroyer stood out of San Diego for Pearl Harbor with battleship New Jersey (BB-62), cruiser Long Beach (CGN-9), guided missile destroyer Goldsborough (DDG-20) and frigates Thach (FFG-43), Badger (FF-1071), Sample (FF-1048) and Gray (FF-1054), and oiler Wabash (AOR-5), for deployment to the western Pacific.

After a brief stop in Hawaii (24–26 May 1986) a smaller formation consisting of New Jersey, Long Beach, Thach, Wabash, oiler Ponchatoula (T-AO-148) and Merrill proceeded on a direct course for Chinhae. The ships crossed the International Date Line on 1 June, at which time Merrill initiated her Pollywogs into the Kingdom of Neptune, and arrived at Chinhae on 14 June. The destroyer took part in an annual amphibious training exercise, Operation Valiant Usher ’86 (19–23 June), then departed for Hong Kong. After staying in port a few days (30 June–4 July), Merrill set a course for the Philippines. She put into Subic Bay (11–18 July) then shifted to Manila, P.I. (19–21 July). The ship got underway on 22 July for Pattaya, Thailand (29 July–4 August) to prepare for Operation Cobra Gold '86 with the Thai Navy. During the operation (5-12 August), New Jersey and her task force, including Merrill, operated with the Thai corvette Tapi (FF431), frigate Prasae (PF2), and destroyer Pin Klao (DE1). Upon completion of the exercise, the U.S. ships, with the addition of frigate Kirk (FF-1087), ammunition ship Kilauea (T-AE-26) and Australian destroyer Hobart (D.39), left Pattaya for Kure, Japan, on 13 August 1986. After visiting Kure (24–26 August), the ship steamed to Sasebo, Japan (28 August–2 September). Merrill returned to Pusan (5–9 September) then steamed to Inchon (18–22 September), her final Western Pacific port call for the deployment.

On 23 September 1986, the destroyer got underway for Juneau, Alaska, with New Jersey, Long Beach, Ranger, Wabash, Thach, Harold E. Holt (FF-1074), guided missile cruiser William H. Standley (CG-32), frigate Oliver Hazard Perry (FFG-7) and oiler Willamette (AO-180). The ships arrived at Juneau on 11 October. With only two full days’ rest, Merrill departed for a visit at Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (11-19 October 1986) before setting a course for San Diego on 20 October 1986. She arrived at her homeport on 24 October and released her sailors for post-deployment leave. After the crew returned, Merrill remained moored for the rest of the year with the exception of a brief period at sea on 3–4 December 1986.

After enjoying the holidays, Merrill got underway for Rampant Lion (12–16 January 1987) with Destroyer Squadron Twenty One. Rampant Lion involved multiple exercises to sharpen the ships’ skills in division tactical operations, mooring to buoys, emergency dispersal and emergency command center operations. Following the training, the destroyer underwent an aviation readiness examination (20 January) and a defense nuclear safety inspection (26–28 January). She returned to sea independently for more Rampant Lion training (26 February–4 March 1987). This segment of training focused upon celestial navigation, Harpoon operations, firefighting drills and anti-aircraft gunnery exercises. She returned to port and prepared for her Operation Propulsion Plant Re-examination that took place on 11–17 March. The exam was not without troubles. On 12 March 1987, a gasket in her No.2 waste heat boiler control condenser failed and it appeared the exam would have to be cancelled. The examination team granted an extension and Merrill’s engineering team completed repairs in 36 hours while at sea. Afterward, the destroyer's propulsion systems performed within the accepted parameters for three days, earning a satisfactory rating.

After a few weeks in port, Merrill shifted to the Continental Maritime of San Diego Shipyard for maintenance, repairs and some material improvement (30 March 1987). Three months later, the ship emerged from the yards to complete her sea trails (20–21 July) and return to duty with the fleet. The destroyer restocked her munitions stores at Sea Beach (4–6 August) then embarked a group of midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy for a training cruise. During the cruise, Merrill put into Vancouver (19–24 August) and San Francisco (27–31 August 1987). While at San Francisco, the ship held a luncheon for local dignitaries and over 1,500 visitors traversed her gangway. While en route home, the destroyer successfully launched a NATO Sea Sparrow at PMTC (1 September) then moored at San Diego on 2 September 1987. She participated in CompTuEx 87-4 (14–21 September) prior to evaluations of her readiness to undergo refresher training (22-23 September). Merrill began the two week refresher training on 28 September. After receiving a satisfactory evaluation, the ship returned to San Diego on 9 October after which she began modifications to upgrade her TLAM systems. Simultaneously, the destroyer was subjected to several routine inspections and a Nuclear Weapons Acceptability Test (26–29 October 1987). She served as the team trainer for Battle Group Romeo (17–20 November) and conducted anti-submarine warfare training (23–24 November) before returning to San Diego on 25 November. Merrill rounded out the year with a Naval Technical Proficiency Inspection (30 November–2 December) and satisfactory rating following a visit by the Cruise Missile Tactical Qualification Team (7–10 December). After another trip to Seal Beach for munitions (14–15 December) in preparation for her return to the western Pacific, Merrill moored at San Diego (16 December) where she was placed on stand down for holiday leave on 18 December 1987.

Shortly after the holidays, Merrill put to sea for the western Pacific and the Indian Ocean with carrier Enterprise (CVN-65) and the rest of Battle Group Foxtrot (5 January 1988). The ultimate destination for the task force was the North Arabian sea to participate in Operation Earnest Will (24 July 1987–26 September 1988) protecting Kuwaiti-owned oil tankers from harm during the continuing Iraq-Iran War (22 September 1980–20 August 1988). To ensure safe passage, Kuwaiti ships steamed under U.S. colors with American warships providing escort. The operation also involved Navy, Army and Air Force special operations assets. While en route to Subic Bay, the task force participated in training exercises in the Hawaii Operations Area to prepare for operations in the Persian Gulf region. This involved simulated convoys, how to handle anti-ship mine encounters, and anti-aircraft drills in addition to boarding party training.

Once Merrill arrived at Subic Bay, she underwent maintenance and repairs (1–5 February 1988). The destroyer then departed on 6 February to transit the Strait of Malacca into the Indian Ocean. Along the voyage she participated in INDUSA X with the Indonesian navy (10–15 February).  Merrill arrived in the North Arabian Sea on 20 February with Task Force Foxtrot to relieve carrier Midway (CV-41) and Battle Group Alpha. During the subsequent weeks, the destroyer provided support to Midway, practiced rules of engagement procedures, hostile aircraft and Harpoon drills. The destroyer then moored at Masirah [Mazerira], Oman, on 10 March 1988, for an availability alongside Cape Cod (AD-43) for five days. Merrill returned to patrol duty on 19 March until setting a course for Port Victoria, Seychelles. The ship arrived at her destination of 30 March and remained in port until 4 April.

Merrill transited the Strait of Hormuz into the Persian Gulf on 10 April 1988. The following day, she conducted surveillance of Iranian destroyer Babr (DD.62) [ex-Zellars (DD-777)] for several hours until she shifted course away from Merrill. Soon after the Babr had steamed away, Merrill’s lookouts reported hearing an explosion. The destroyer immediately set a course for the area of the incident. She discovered that Babr had fired a missile into the bow of Saudi Arabian commercial ship Saghera. The warship radioed the disabled vessel offering assistance but received no response.

A few days later, guided missile frigate Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58) struck a mine (14 April 1988). Merrill, patrolling in the central gulf, leapt into action to aid the frigate but received orders to stay clear over fears of other mines in proximity. In the explosion, ten of the frigate’s sailors suffered serious injuries and the ship was badly damaged but remained afloat. Cmdr. Paul X. Rinn, the mined ship’s commanding officer, who suffered a broken foot from the shock of the blast, managed to keep his crew in good order and together they saved Samuel B. Roberts. Rinn also issued warnings to an approaching Iranian frigate, Sahand (F.74), stay away from his ship and focused the ships anti-aircraft defenses on an Iranian Lockheed P-3 Orion circling overhead. Sahand came about and the Orion departed after Samuel B. Roberts’ weapons locked on her.

On 17 April 1988, Merrill received orders to form Surface Action Group (SAG) Bravo with guided missile destroyer Lynde McComick (DDG-8) and amphibious transport dock Trenton (LPD-14) to prepare an assault on the Sassan and Rahkish oil and gas separation platforms in the Persian Gulf. This attack was part of Operation Praying Mantis, a retaliatory strike against Iran for mining the gulf. Other surface groups were assigned to target the Siri platform and to sink the Iranian frigate Sabalan (FF.67). Merrill and her group approached the Sassan platform on 18 April and announced, in Farsi and English, their intention to destroy the platform at 0800 and for the occupants to abandon the facility. Once the deadline passed, and the most of the occupants moved away in tugboats, Merrill opened up with her 5-inch guns. The ship began taking the fire from a 23-millimeter cannon on the platform. Her fire control team quickly identified the source of the hostile fire and silenced it. The initial gunfight encouraged the rest of the occupants to abandon the platform. The U.S. ships held fire to allow the tugs to retrieve them. Once the boats were clear, Merrill and Lynde McCormick resumed fire to prepare the platform for the insertion of a marine assault team from Trenton. At 0925 Boeing-Vertol CH46 Sea Knight and Bell UH1 Iroquois helicopters deployed marines to the platform using FAST ropes under the watchful eye of Bell AH1-T Sea Cobra gunships hovering nearby. Once the platform was secured, intelligence teams entered the platform. After accomplishing their missions, the teams were extracted, leaving behind 1,500 pounds of explosive charges that were later detonated remotely, destroying the platform completely.  SAG Bravo then steamed north to their second target, the Rahkish platform.

While en route, Merrill nearly launched a Harpoon attack against a Soviet Sovremennyy-class destroyer. At first contact, the identity of the ship was unclear. Once a Sea Cobra crew provided clarifying information, Merrill radioed her, inquiring about the destroyer’s intentions. The Soviet commander stated his only desire was to take photographs for posterity, at which Merrill stood down and proceeded to her objective but was soon diverted to the eastern gulf in response to Iranian Boghammar patrol boat attacks on the Mubarek oil field platforms off the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E). Although the day’s attack had been successful it did not come without costs. That day Capt. Kenneth W. Hill, USMC, and Capt. Stephen C. Leslie, USMC, from Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 167, died when their Sea Cobra (BuNo 161018) crashed into the gulf.

Merrill continued patrolling the Persian Gulf until 27-30 April 1988 when she escorted two convoys through the Strait of Hormuz without incident. The ship moored at Bahrain on 4 May to give her crew a few days of rest. While she was in port, Adm. William J. Crowe, Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff, presented Merrill’s Fire Controlman 2nd Class Robert A. Swafford the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device on the deck of cruiser Wainwright (CG-28) (5 April). Swafford received this medal in recognition of his quick and decisive action that took out the 23-millimeter gun at the Sassan platform on 18 April. After a few more days patrolling the gulf, Merrill transited the Strait of Hormuz to rendezvous with the rest of Battle Group Foxtrot at Masirah (13–16 May 1988). On 17 May, the group sailed for the Philippines.

The ship moored at Subic Bay on 1 June 1988 then shifted to the shipyard for some maintenance and repairs. With the shipyard work complete, Merrill embarked eight midshipmen and departed for Hong Kong with her battle group. While underway, tragedy struck the formation when a Lockheed S-3 Viking (BuNo 160164) from Sea Control Squadron Twenty One (VS-21), piloted by Lt. (j.g.) Charles H. Roy, USNR, crashed shortly after being launched from Enterprise (5 June). Of the four men crew, Roy, Cmdr. Robert A. Anderson, commanding officer of VS-21, and Aviation Anti-submarine Warfare Operator 2nd Class David E. Stenstrom died. Lt. (j.g.) William K. Henderson, the fourth man on board, suffered serious injuries but survived. Roy’s remains were not recovered.

Merrill put into Hong Kong on 6 June 1988 from some hard earned shore leave for her crew (4–10 June) then she steamed to Pusan, arriving on 14 June. The ship departed Korea on 17 June to transit the northern Pacific back to the U.S. The destroyer and Battle Group Foxtrot arrived at Seattle, Wash. on 28 June, where she embarked 78 dependents for the cruise home. While underway (29 June–3 July), Merrill took the opportunity to show off her maneuverability and fire power to her family. On 30 June, aircraft from Enterprise entertained their guest with an airshow. After the her crew enjoyed 30 days of post-deployment leave, the destroyer was back in action to continue training in Middle East operations (8–12 August) in addition to launching a Tomahawk (23 August) and a torpedo shot with Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron (Light) Three Five, Detachment One (25 August 1988). 

On 6–9 September 1988 she was underway for Senior Officer Ship’s Material Readiness Course Student Indoctrination with five prospective commanding officers embarked. The ship then spent the rest of September preparing for her upcoming interim refresher training. On 13 October, Merrill stood out of San Diego for San Francisco where she opened her decks to the some 7,128 visitors during Fleet Week ’88 (15–19 October). She returned to her home port on 21 October and again received 2,507 members of the public (22–23 October 1988). The ship continued local operations, exercises and underwent routine inspections until she entered the shipyard to receive the Phalanx Close-In-Weapons-System (CIWS) for enhanced defense against missile and aircraft attacks (5 November 1988–26 April 1989). She also received more berthing, a new sonar dome in addition to improvements in the engineering department and habitability upgrades to her existing berths. Her mess decks were also refurbished and decorated in the style of a 1950’s diner, complete with a fully functional jukebox.

After emerging from the shipyard (26 April 1989), the destroyer spent the bulk of the next year undergoing post-maintenance training and inspection operations to shake out any kinks in her new systems. While still in the yard, Merrill played host to visiting Peruvian landing ship Paita (DT.141) [ex-Walworth County (LST-1164)], on 30 January. She assumed a regular schedule of local operation and training until getting underway for her CIWS Qualification Trail (11–15 July) which she successfully completed. When the destroyer paid a visit at Vancouver (20–23 July), she became the subject of an anti-nuclear weapons protest.

While Merrill lay moored alongside the Ballantine Pier, members of Greenpeace chained the sailing vessel Vega to Merrill’s port quarter, while a female member of the organization chained herself to the propeller guard.  Vega also hoisted a large sign reading “Nuclear Weapons in Port.” Canadian authorities responded quickly to remove Vega and the woman from the warship, which ultimately departed Vancouver for San Diego on 24 July. Upon her return to less contentious waters, Merrill underwent her refresher training (31 July-11 August 1989). She was approved to continue active service in the fleet by a Board of Inspection and Survey (28 August–1 September 1989) and began preparation for her return to the Persian Gulf.

On 8 November 1989, Merrill stood out of San Diego for the first leg of her voyage west. That evening she came upon a fishing boat that had lost power and was adrift for an entire day, and the warship dispatched the captain’s gig bearing a repair team. After it was determined that the boat engine could not be repaired at sea, Merrill stayed on station until relieved by Truxtun so she could continue on to Hawaii. She arrived at Pearl Harbor on 14 November just as the Chief of Naval Operations called for a 48-hour safety stand down due to a spike in accidents within the Navy.

The destroyer was originally scheduled to depart for Subic Bay on 16 November 1989 but she did not get underway until the following day. As she approached the Philippines, aircraft tested her defenses with a simulated Chinese HY-2 Silkworm missile attack. The missiles were being used by the Iranian Navy and posed a legitimate threat to ships in the Persian Gulf. After the simulation, Merrill moored at Subic Bay on 30 November. The next day (1 December 1989) domestic tensions in the Philippines boiled over and rebel forces threatened the government of President Corazon Aquino. President George H. W. Bush ordered U.S. forces in the Philippines to provide support to the Filipino government. The destroyer shifted berths and took on the duty of providing security for the harbor. After the crisis abated on 2 December, Merrill returned to her regular schedule. She stood out of Subic Bay for a half-day Middle East operations training exercise then set a course for Singapore, Malaysia (5 December 1989).

After a long visit at the port city (9-12 December 1990), the destroyer cast off for the Arabian Sea. In the Bay of Bengal, her lookouts spotted a small fishing boat adrift (16 December). Once again the ship sent the gig to provide assistance. Two Indonesian men in the boat explained that they have been drifting for two weeks and were without food for the last four days. The lost sailors were brought over to the destroyer, given food, clothing and medical attention. Because it was unsafe to leave the tiny boat adrift, the warship sank it with her guns. On 18 December, Merrill rendezvoused with oiler Hassayampa (AO-145) to transfer the fishermen for transport to Indonesia. Four days later (22 December) the destroyer anchored at Fujairah, U.A.E. awaiting her returned escort duty for Earnest Will. She escorted her first convoy for the deployment on Christmas Day. Merrill dropped anchored at Sitra Island, Bahrain on 29 December 1989 then moored at Mina Salman [Sulman], Bahrain, on 4 January 1990.

Merrill began 1990 conducting patrol operations on the southern Persian Gulf on 12 January–7 March, making frequent returns to Mina Salman (23 January­–3 February, 10–14 February and 8–12 March). She departed Bahrain on 13 March for her final deployment operation and to transit the Strait of Hormuz (13–20 March). After she was relieved of duty with the Middle East Joint Task Force, the destroyer set a course for a brief stop at Colombo, Sri Lanka (26 March) before continuing to Phuket, Thailand for a few days of shore leave (30 March–3 April 1990). The ship put into Hong Kong (9–13 April) before returning to Subic Bay for three days of upkeep (16-18 April).

On 18 April 1990, Merrill began the voyage for Pearl Harbor. At Hawaii (30 April–2 May), the destroyer embarked family members and friends for a “Tiger” cruise for San Diego. She stood into her home port on 8 May and began her post-deployment leave and upkeep period (8 May–7 June). Once her crew returned, the ship operated locally for the remainder of 1990. She conducted numerous training operations and weapons exercises in addition to a rigorous schedule of inspections and examinations.

The highlight of her summer came on 31 July 1990 when she hosted Soviet destroyer Boyevoy (770) and her companions, destroyer Admiral Vinogradov (554) and oiler Argun, during a five-day goodwill visit to San Diego (31 July–4 August) -- the first visit of Russian or Soviet warships to the western U.S. coast since 1863. On 28 September, Merrill entered the Continental Maritime shipyard for painting and upgrades to her berthing compartments for several of the ship’s divisions. Once the improvements were complete on 30 November, the destroyer resumed a normal schedule until going on holiday leave on 15 December 1990.

Merrill rang in the New Year 1991 continuing her local operations and training schedule. She underwent two weeks of interim refresher training on 25 February–1 March and 4–8 March. After completing her cruise missile tactical qualification (15–19 April 1991), she participated in ReadiEx 91-2B and a battle group evaluation (29 April–8 May). She stood into her home port on 9 May to begin preparation to deploy to the western Pacific. On 28 May 1991, the destroyer departed San Diego for Subic Bay with Battle Group Foxtrot, consisting of carriers Enterprise, Abraham Lincoln (CVN‑72), guided missile cruisers Lake Champlain (CG-57) and Long Beach, guided missile frigates Ingraham (FFG-61) and Gary (FFG-51), and replenishment oiler Roanoke (AOR-7).  

On 7 June 1991, the volcano Mount Pinatubo on the Philippine Island of Luzon became active and began a series of eruptions over several days (7–15 June). As Typhoon Yunga also bore down on Luzon on 15 June, Pinatubo erupted, issuing a catastrophic amount of ash, debris and toxic fumes into the atmosphere. The combination of the volcano and typhoon had a disastrous impact on the island. Clark Air Base, home to families and members of the U.S. Air Force was severely damaged and well as the naval facilities at Subic Bay.

To confront the humanitarian crisis that followed, the U.S. launched Operation Fiery Vigil, a joint forces effort, to provide aid to the victims and evacuate U.S. civilians and military members to safety. Battle Group Foxtrot joined Amphibious Readiness Group Alpha, led by amphibious assault ship Peleliu (LHA-5) in the operation. As for Merrill’s part, the destroyer carried around 600 passengers and their pets in two trips to Cebu, P.I. (18–23 June 1991). After the operation, the ship set a course for Singapore, her first liberty port for WestPac ‘91 (27-30 June) then she stood into Phuket (1–5 July) before steaming for duty in the Persian Gulf. The ship transited the Strait of Hormuz on 12 July to exchange some crewmembers and equipment with cruiser Texas (CGN-39) on 13 July. She then steamed for the northern Persian Gulf (14 July 1991). While in the northern gulf, the destroyer joined the Mine Countermeasures Group in clearing mines that remained near Kuwait following Operation Desert Storm (17 January–28 February 1991) until 9 September 1991. In between clearing mines, Merrill visited Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. (22–24 July) and held two “Steel Beach Picnics” on 10 August and 10 September with international partners while anchored in the gulf. On 11 September, the destroyer put into Kuwait City, Kuwait, where her crew observed the destruction caused by the Iraqi invasion. The ship departed on 13 September for a quick fuel stop at Jubail, Saudi Arabia (14 September) then moored at Mina Salman (17–18 September 1991). Merrill made a port call at Abu Dhabi (20–22 September) then returned to Mina Salman for an availability (24 September–4 October) alongside submarine tender L. Y. Spear (AS-36). She stood out of Bahrain on 5 October to make a final port call in the gulf at Dubai, U.A.E (7–12 October) before transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Once back in the Arabian Sea, the destroyer was relieved of her duties (16 October) then she set a course for Subic Bay (17 October 1991).

Merrill arrived at Subic Bay on 27 October 1991 for two days of upkeep before getting underway for shore leave at Hong Kong (1–5 November 1991). The ship departed Hong Kong to participate in a joint U.S.-Japanese exercise, AnnualEx (8-10 November) then began her voyage to Hawaii. At Pearl Harbor (17–19 November), the destroyer embarked 80 “Tigers” for the cruise back to San Diego (20–26 November 1991). She moored at her home port on 27 November then commenced her leave and upkeep period on 1 December 1991 until 26 January 1992.  

After coming off of upkeep and leave, Merrill conducted local operations interspersed with training and periods of upkeep over the following several months (26 January–16 April 1992). She departed San Diego for the southeastern Pacific on 17 April to conduct law enforcement and drug interdiction operations (23 April–4 June). During these operations, the destroyer boarded 15 ships making one cocaine seizure and tracked vessels with her helicopters on 13 occasions. She made port calls at Rodman (27–31 April and 10–14 May), Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala (18–20 April and 2 June) and Puerto Vallarta (6–8 June). She returned to San Diego (12 June) then departed to participate in RimPac ‘92 (19 June–23 July 1992). The ship underwent an inclining experiment conducted by Ingalls Shipyard to test her stability and determine her metacentric height on 9 August. After a port visit at Vancouver (15-19 August), Merrill returned to San Diego (22 August) to resume her training and upkeep schedule. She entered the shipyard at Long Beach on 9 September 1992 for a regular overhaul until 5 December 1993.

After fourteen months at Long Beach, Merrill emerged from the shipyard to conduct sea trials off southern California (6–8 December 1993) before mooring at San Diego for holiday leave and upkeep (9 December 1993–7 January 1994). Throughout the entirety of 1994, the ship operated extensively off southern California, her only extended port visit being her return to Portland for the Rose Festival (7-12 July 1994). The destroyer’s periods at sea became less frequent in the late summer and early fall (1 August–31 October) but she picked up the pace through November and December. She spent only six days in port during 1-18 December and then she stood down for upkeep and holiday leave (19 December 1994–18 January 1995).

Merrill began the New Year busily preparing to return to the Persian Gulf with the Abraham Lincoln Battle Group. In order to insure the group was trained and ready for deployment, all of the ships in the group participated in joint training operations CompTuEx 95-1A (18 January–5 February) and CompTuEx 95-1B (13-23 February 1995) off southern California. After onloading munitions at Seal Beach (24 February), the destroyer returned to San Diego on 25 February to continue getting ready to be deployed. On 6 April, the ship treated the crew’s family to a half day cruise to give them a taste of what their sailors’ lives would be like during deployment. Merrill cast off for the western Pacific (13 April) to rendezvous with Abraham Lincoln, guided missile cruiser Princeton (CG-59), destroyer John Paul Jones (DDG-53) and the veteran fast combat support ship Sacramento (AOE-1) on 14 April for the non-stop transit for Hong Kong. The ships arrived at Hong Kong on 5 May for a five-day liberty (5-9 May) before moving to Singapore (14–18 May). The ship got underway on 19 May to transit the Strait of Malacca and set a course for the Arabian Sea. On 27 May, the ship detached from the battle group to transit the Strait of Hormuz (29 May) and put into Bahrain (30 May–3 June). Merrill departed Bahrain on 4 June to begin five weeks of conducting Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO) enforcing United Nations sanctions against Iraq and to support Operation Southern Watch. During this period, the destroyer queried nine commercial vessels and safely boarded three of which were believed to be in violation of the sanctions. While she was in the gulf, she a made port visits to Jebel Ali, U.A.E. (6–11 June), Dubai (15–23 July), and Bahrain (24–26 July). She also spent an extended period at Dubai (29 July–13 August 1995) for upkeep and maintenance. The ship put into Muscat, Oman (19–22 August) for what was intended to be her last port call in the Middle East before steaming east for Australia. Regional tensions, however, altered the ship’s schedule.

In early August of 1995, Lt. Gen. Hussein Kamel Hassan al-Majid and his brother Lt. Col. Saddam Kamel Hassan al-Majid, two of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s top military advisors (as well as his sons-in-law), defected to Jordan. Their wives, Saddam Hussein’s daughters Rana and Raghad, joined them in Jordan. Later in the month, intelligence indicated an increase in Iraqi military activity. Concerned that Saddam Hussein might be preparing to take retaliatory action against Jordan and possibly Kuwait, U.S. forces in the region executed Operation Vigilant Sentinel, an operation that entailed the deployment of pre-positioned military assets in the region into the Gulf and other areas to counter any moves by the Iraqi military. During the operation, Merrill escorted thirteen Maritime Prepositioned Units (MPUs) from the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps through Hormuz (22 August–4 September 1995).

While the ship was participating in the operation, she received a distress call from Kuwaiti tanker al-Wataniah (31 August 1995). The tanker was in need of urgent medical assistant as the result of a boiler explosion. An Egyptian crewmember was seriously injured in the blast. Steaming under high speed, Merrill quickly arrived at the damaged ship's location. The destroyer launched Red Stringer III, a Sikorsky H60B Sea Hawk from Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (Light) 49 to medevac the injured sailor to Muscat.

Once her battle group was relieved by the Independence (CV-62) Battle Group (4 September 1995), Merrill put into Dubai (4–7 September). She exited the Persian Gulf on 9 September for Pearl Harbor (9–29 September). After her crew enjoyed a few days of shore leave at Hawaii, the destroyer embarked dependents for the last leg of her journey for home. The ship stood into San Diego on 9 October to bring her deployment to an end and to begin a stand down that lasted until 12 November. Merrill put to sea 27 November–4 December for training and gunnery exercises off southern California. She then moved to Seal Beach to offload ammunition (12–14 December) before beginning holiday leave on 16 December.

On 16 January 1996, Merrill entered the Continental Maritime Shipyard for repair and refurbishment until 15 March 1996. On her first day out of the yard (16 March), the ship underwent Command Readiness and Training (CART II). The ship replenished her ammunition at Seal Beach (2–3 April) then returned to San Diego where she was placed on intermediate maintenance availability (4–26 April). Merrill cast off for the first phase of Tailored Ship's Training Availability (TSTA I) in the local operating area (29 April–3 May). Prior to TSTA II, the destroyer participated in CompTuEx 96-2A with the carrier Kitty Hawk (CV-63) Battle Group (31 May–4 June). She completed TSTA II during 24 June–26 July and TSTA III later in the year on 16-20 September 1996. On 8 October, the ship departed San Diego to make a port call at Mazatlán, Mexico (11–14 October). After returning home (18 October), Merrill stood out again to join the Constellation Task Group for CompTuEx 96-5A (28 October–8 November 1996). In November, the destroyer tested her Sea Sparrow system at PMTC (7–8 November) and participated in CompTuEx 96-5B (13–19 November) then moored at San Diego for upkeep and maintenance (20 November 1996–5 January 1997).

Merrill began 1997 preparing for another deployment to the Persian Gulf. She underwent a Combat Systems Readiness Review (CSRR) while in port (6-15 January) before getting underway with Constellation Battle Group for FleetEx 97-1 (16-26 January). She successfully completed the underway portion of her CSRR on 5 February then stood out for Joint Tactical Fleet Exercise 97-1 (10–23 February). After remaining in port for nearly a month (1–24 March), the destroyer cast off on 1 April 1997 for the Persian Gulf, sailing via Pearl Harbor (7–8 April), Sydney (24–28 April) and Albany, Australia (3–7 May 1997).

The ship entered the Persian Gulf on 28 May to begin once again conducting MIO to enforce U.N. sanctions against Iraq. Over the next several weeks (28 May–9 August 1997), she patrolled the northern gulf region in addition to making port calls at Bahrain (4–7 June and 28–30 June), Jebel Ali (10 July) and Muscat (14 July). While underway on 3–4 July, Merrill intercepted and boarded the commercial vessel Romana II. When it was discovered that the ship was carrying fuel oil to an Iraqi port, which was prohibited by sanctions, the destroyer diverted her away from her destination. When she stood out of Muscat on 14 July, the ship took part in GulfEx 79-3 (15 July–5 August) then made her final stop at Bahrain (6–9 August). On 10 August 1997, Merrill passed through Hormuz steaming for liberty at Phuket (22–26 August). She then set a course for Hong Kong where she arrived on 2 September for a five day visit. The destroyer departed Hong Kong to return to the U.S. stopping only at Sasebo for fuel (14 September 1997).

Merrill arrived at Everett, Wash. on 25 September. Two days later she departed for home with Tigers embarked (28 September–1 October 1997). Upon arrival, her sailors were placed on leave until 20 October. On 3 December, the destroyer put to sea for gunnery training (3–10 November) off San Clemente, Calif., en route to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (10–14 November). She returned to San Diego for a period on intermediate maintenance availability (17–30 November 1997). Merrill then underwent a Board of Inspection and Survey (15–19 November) after which she was scheduled to begin the decommissioning process. After being placed on stand down on 19 December for the holidays, the ship began restricted availability on 8 January 1998.

Decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 28 March 1998, the ship was later sunk in a training exercise off Hawaii on 1 August 2003.

Merrill was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation for her service as a unit of Battle Group F (15 February – 21 May 1988). 

John W Watts Jr.
26 January 2018