Want the most decorated battleship in U.S. naval history? After WWII, the USS New Jersey retained that title in Korea, Vietnam, and Lebanon.

USS New Jersey: Want the most decorated battleship in U.S. naval history? After WWII, the USS New Jersey retained that title in Korea, Vietnam, and Lebanon. It won 19 combat stars, two presidential unit decorations, and one navy unit commendation.

How did the USS New Jersey get that good?

The pre-World War II naval buildup included the Iowa-class battleship New Jersey. Philadelphia Navy Yard work began in 1940. The ship was completed in 1942 and commissioned in 1943 after sea trials.

The 57,350-ton New Jersey was 860 feet long. Four General Electric steam turbines powered the 33-knot warship and designed the Iowa-class battleship New Jersey to face the most significant and extensive German and Japanese warships.

Yet its nine 16-inch guns supported amphibious landings in World War II. It was also powerfully equipped, like all battleships of its class.

Twenty 5-inch dual-purpose guns, eighty 40-mm anti-aircraft guns, and forty-nine 20-mm guns make new jersey unique.

It excelled in the Pacific.

New Jersey made a splash in the Western Pacific in January 1944. Initially, it supported Marshall Island landings. Next, dominate the battlefield to help Saipan and Tinian with their invasions.

During the Battle of the Philippine Sea, New Jersey made an impenetrable battleship wall that kept enemy planes from getting to aircraft carriers.

Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa followed.

This ship needed to avoid the war’s most important battles. It smelled like a battle.

During two fights in Korea, they used the 16-inch guns on the New Jersey to fire at enemy positions.

It was taken out of service in 1957 after the Korean War and had to go back before Vietnam.

1968 saw it’s recommissioning for Vietnam. The ship excelled in Vietnam.

New Jersey bombarded North Vietnam. Supporting soldiers without endangering pilots and planes was crucial. New Jersey’s powerful cannons could destroy enemy positions day or night.

In one year, New Jersey fired approximately 20,000 shells in Vietnam.

She has retired again. Reagan wanted more ships to dominate the Soviet navy, and The battleship received cruise and anti-ship missiles. Reagan didn’t anticipate the Middle East’s crises.

In 1982, New Jersey helped deploy these Marines.

In 1984, New Jersey bombed Syrian and Druze gun positions. It was a big part of the Lebanon crisis—nine-hour shelling. New Jersey fired around 250 16-inch shells.

The battleship received three battle stars for Middle East deployments.

New Jersey deserves an “A” for its decades-long dedication. The state of New Jersey went through this laborious process multiple times.

The New Jersey was the most decorated American battleship. After Lebanon, it was taken out of service and is now a museum ship.