The USS Salt Lake City (CA 25) saw considerable action throughout the Pacific theater during the 2nd world war. She was named in honor of the state capital of Utah and was the 2nd member of the Pensacola class to be built. Nicknamed the Swayback Maru, as well as Old Swayback, Salt Lake City survived the Pacific War, earning 11 battle stars along the way for her service. She then survived 2 atomic bomb blasts before ultimately meeting her end at the hands of her fellow surface combatants as a target ship in 1948. She was tough and defiant, helping to hold the line early in the war when there wasn’t much else the US Navy had to throw at the Japanese juggernaut. She had a great career by any measure and kept her men alive.

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