Last of Her Line

Ships become historic for a variety of reasons. Some have made indelible marks on the history of the nation. Others were fought with heroism by their crews as just one ship among many, in one battle, in one war. Still others mark milestones in nautical history—the first of a type, the largest, the fastest. The ship featured here marks a different waypoint. Her only historic claim is that she was the last of her kind, with the exception of a few pretenders during the Vietnam War. Her ilk most likely never again will steam with the U.S. Navy.