USS Monterey - Definition and Overview

Four ships of the United States Navy have been named USS Monterey, after the Battle of Monterey in the Mexican-American War.

• The first Monterey was a screw tug that operated in San Francisco Bay from 1863 to 1892.

• The second Monterey (BM-6) was an armored monitor commissioned in 1893.

• The third Monterey (CVL-26) was a light aircraft carrier of World War II, serving from 1943 to 1956.

• The fourth Monterey (CG-61) is a guided missile cruiser commissioned in 1990 and on active service as of 2004.