USS Peterson (DD-969) 1986 Cruise Sweatshirt

USS Peterson (DD-969) was a Spruance-class destroyer homeported in Norfolk, Virginia. During her 1986 cruise, Peterson deployed to the Mediterranean with the Sixth Fleet at one of the most volatile moments in post-war American naval history. On April 15, 1986, Operation El Dorado Canyon — the U.S. retaliatory strike against Libya in response to the Berlin disco bombing — demonstrated American resolve against state-sponsored terrorism, and Sixth Fleet ships played key roles in the operation and the regional response that followed. Peterson's crew operated in the heart of the action during one of the Cold War's most kinetic naval periods. This sweatshirt honors all who served aboard USS Peterson during the memorable 1986 cruise.