USS Vella Gulf (CG-72) 1995 Maiden Deployment Unisex Sweatshirt

Commemorate the 1995 maiden deployment of USS Vella Gulf (CG-72) with this exclusive sweatshirt. A Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser commissioned on September 18, 1993, Vella Gulf is homeported in Norfolk, Virginia. The ship is named for the Battle of Vella Gulf (August 6–7, 1943), a decisive World War II engagement in which a force of U.S. destroyers sank three Japanese destroyers in the Solomon Islands under cover of darkness — one of the most effective destroyer actions of the Pacific War. Her 1995 maiden deployment marked the beginning of a proud legacy of forward operations in the Mediterranean and Middle East. This sweatshirt honors the ship and the historic battle she was named for.