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Legacy of the Cowpens

Guided Missile Cruiser with an American flag arrives in San Diego — USS Cowpens arrives in San Diego, 2013.
US Navy

On August 27, 2024, the USS Cowpens (CG-63) will be decommissioned in a ceremony at Naval Base San Diego, California. The crew (nicknamed the thundering herd) affectionally calls the ship the “Mighty Moo.” This is the second ship named after the important American Revolutionary War event, the Battle of Cowpens. Two United States Navy ships were named after the patriot victory, including a light aircraft carrier (CVL-25) that served in World War II.

Black and white image of Franklin D. Roosevelt — Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Library of Congress.

When the CVL-25’s keel was laid on November 17, 1941, the ship was meant to be a light cruiser, Huntington, CL-107. However, after the outbreak of WWII, the Navy needed more carriers than cruisers. Meanwhile, George Dean Martin, owner of a drugstore in Cowpens, South Carolina, wrote to President Franklin D. Roosevelt suggesting that an aircraft carrier be named for the nearby famous Revolutionary War battle, Cowpens. At the time, carriers were named for battles, so the ship was reclassified CVL-25, and named USS Cowpens. The crew began a tradition of calling the ship the "Mighty Moo."

Black and white image of an aircraft carrier with many planes on the deck. — USS Cowpens (CVL-25), 1943.
Navy History and Heritage Command.

The USS Cowpens (CVL-25) was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for outstanding heroism in action against Japanese forces during the Pacific War and earned 12 battle stars on the Asiatic-Pacific Area Service Ribbon for participation in the following operations or engagements.

Pacific Island Raids & Wake Island Raids, October 1943
Gilbert Island Operations, November-December 1943
Marshall Island Operations, 1943
Truk Attack, 1944
Marianas Attacks, 1944
Western New Guinea Operations, 1944
Marianas Operations, 1944
Western Caroline Islands, 1944
Leyte Gulf, 1944

Watch the story of a WWII veteran, Ray Williams, who served aboard the USS Cowpens.

Interview with World War II Veteran Ray Williams

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Duration:: 25 minutes, 24 seconds

Ray Williams talks about his military experience serving aboard the U.S.S. Cowpens CVL-25 in World War II.

Black and white photograph of an aircraft carrier tipping its deck into the ocean — USS Cowpens during a typhoon.
US Navy

On December 18, 1944, a typhoon struck the USS Cowpens and one crewmember was lost. Bombs and airplanes broke loose and careened about the deck. Crewmembers struggled against 100 mph winds and the rolling and pitching of the ship as they tried to secure the loose gear. The crew’s skill prevented major damage to the ship.

TBM Avenger torpedo plane landing on board the carrier.
Navy History and Heritage Command.

During the 22 ½ months that the USS Cowpens served in the war in the South Pacific, she flew 10,634 flights, participated in 2,452 action sorties, destroyed 108 enemy planes in the air, destroyed 198 enemy planes on the ground, dropped 657 tons of bombs, fired 3063 rockets, and sank 39 merchant ships.

The USS Cowpens, CVL-25, was decommissioned on January 13, 1947, and reclassified as an aircraft transport, AVT-1, but she never served in that role. The ship was sold for scrap in 1961.

Guided missile cruiser sailing — USS Cowpens (CG-63), Guided Missile Cruiser
US Navy.

On March 3, 1989, the US Navy launched the second USS Cowpens, CG-63, a guided missile cruiser from Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. The ship was commissioned two years later in Charleston, South Carolina, on March 9, 1991, and was the seventeenth Aegis cruiser of the Ticonderoga class.

On January 17, 1993, while serving in the Persian Gulf, the USS Cowpens fired 10 Tomahawk missiles in response to Iraqi violations of sanctions that the United States had imposed. Ten years later, on March 20, 2003, she fired the first tomahawk missile into Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

USS Cowpens Coat of Arms.

US Navy.

The histories of the Battle of Cowpens and of CVL-25 are noted in CG-63’s coat of arms. Muskets, bayonets, and a drum represent the Battle of Cowpens. It is also shown in the three lines that represent the three lines in which Brigadier General Daniel Morgan placed his troops. In addition, the motto, "Victoria Liberatis Vindex", Latin for "Victory Vindicates Liberty" was on the medal that Congress awarded Morgan for his valor and leadership at the Battle of Cowpens.The colors blue, gold, red, and green represent the Navy Unit Commendation that CVL-25 earned, and the twelve stars in a circle represent the battle stars. In addition to symbolizing its history, the Coat of Arms denotes the capabilities of CG-63. The Navy sword signifies both the heritage of service and the vertical launch qualifications. The rays shooting upward represent the combat air support and the Aegis Weapons System of CG-63.

Park ranger points to something on the battlefield when speaking to sailors in white — Park ranger gives tour to USS Cowpens crew members.
NPS Photo.

The Town of Cowpens, South Carolina proudly hosts veterans of both ships for the annual Mighty Moo Festival, a local tradition that has been going on for decades. Cowpens National Battlefield has also hosted veteran reunions and visits, and the staff enjoys sharing the history of the American Revolution. Every June the battlefield hosts an event called “Legacy of the Cowpens” to commemorate the two United States Navy ships named after the battle.