Decommissioning
Leahy was decommissioned on 1 October 1993 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register (NVR) the same day. On 8 October 1993, she was transferred to the USDOT Maritime Administration (MARAD) and laid up as part of the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet in Benicia, CA. In 2004, she was towed by USNS Navajo (T-ATF-169) to the former Rodman Naval Station in the Canal Zone. From there, she was towed by USNS Mohawk (T-ATF-170) and on 21 June 2004 arrived at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility in Beaumont, TX.
On 24 July 2004, Leahy was moved to the International Shipbreaking Limited yards in Brownsville, Texas, to be dismantled. Scrapping started the first week of August 2004, 42 years after her 4 August 1962 commissioning. Three of her sisters, USS Gridley (CG-21), USS England (CG-22) and USS Halsey (CG-23), passed this way before her.
Scrapping was completed 6 July 2005, 44 years after her 1 July 1961 launch date.
Read more about this topic: USS Leahy (DLG-16)