Thank you so much for this article. There is not a lot of readily available information about the USS Cowpens, and these ships are largely forgotten today. My dad served in the Navy during WWII and was on the Cowpens at the end of the war. It is incredible to see these photos of the ship he served on. Dad told stories about the Cowpens being the closest ship to the fantail of the Mighty Mo when the treaty was signed, but he and his buddies were below deck shooting dice. Later he was on one of the first landing skiffs to enter the Tokyo Shipyard. Sadly we lost him in December of 2005, but I honor him every day, and so appreciate you giving me this additional look into a part of his life.
Fascinating article. That one served (in Spain), for nearly 4 decades, speaks volumes about how effective they were IMHO. A stop gap measure by today's standards, but at the time, they filled a necessary role. Without them, the war would have probably been more protracted.
My dad severed on the USS Roosvelt during the Korean War. He talked about all the ports he visited, but not about anything they did during the actual deployment. We lost dad in 2012 and I miss that man dearly.