USS Cowpens (CG 63) has the distinction of firing the very first Tomahawk cruise missile in the much-publicized "decapitation strike" that began the 2nd Gulf War. On March 20, 2003 at 5:20 am, Cowpens fired the first of 11 salvos against an Iraqi position which, according to last-minute intelligence data, was occupied by Saddam Hussein and his sons, Uday and Qusai, among other high-level Iraqi officials. While it is unknown who may have been killed in the strike, it appears that Saddam and one of his sons escaped the strike. Speculation exists, however, that one of his sons was killed in the explosions. Due to the last minute nature of the operation, much of the crew was not informed, and many awoke to the sounds of missiles being launched. Confirmation of the report of Cowpens' first strike comes directly from her Commanding Officer, CAPT Charles B. Dixon. More information can be found at the USS Cowpens Veterans Page. http://www.cowpensvets.org/