USS Peterson (DD-969) 1988 Cruise Sweatshirt

USS Peterson (DD-969) was a Spruance-class destroyer homeported in Norfolk, Virginia. During her 1988 cruise, Peterson deployed to the Mediterranean and into the Persian Gulf, where American naval forces were conducting Operation Earnest Will — the escort of reflagged Kuwaiti tankers through Gulf waters during the final phase of the Iran-Iraq War. American ships faced genuine threats from Iranian mines, Silkworm missiles, and fast-attack boats, and the Navy's presence was an active combat commitment. Peterson's crew served with distinction in one of the most demanding and dangerous operational environments of the late Cold War era. This sweatshirt honors all who made the 1988 cruise.