The USS Lawrence served on blockade duty during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962 and, in 1972, was part of Operation Linebacker in the west Pacific.

After a shakedown cruise on the Great Lakes, USS Lawrence proceeded to Naval Station Norfolk for duty in the Atlantic Fleet.

[1] After returning to Norfolk on 6 December 1962, USS Lawrence began the first of many Mediterranean cruises on 6 February 1963, steaming across the Atlantic to join the Sixth Fleet for operations in European waters, where she remained until 1 July 1963.

During her fourth Mediterranean deployment, USS Lawrence helped rescue crewmen from the sinking merchant vessel New Meadow, in distress off the coast of Crete.

Following two additional Mediterranean deployments, one in 1969 and another in 1971, the much-traveled destroyer made one Vietnam War tour in the Western Pacific from 1972 to 1973, providing naval gunfire support, rescuing downed aviators and serving as plane guard during aircraft carrier operations.

In 1986, she circumnavigated around South America as part of Operation Unitas XVII, exercising with Latin American navies and visiting ports in Puerto Rico, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Uruguay and Brazil.