On 15 November, she was relieved by the destroyer USS John King at Rota, Spain; and, 11 days later, she returned to Charleston where she remained in port for the rest of the year.

In January 1969, she cleared Charleston to participate in ASW and "Springboard" exercises in the Puerto Rican operating area; then returned to her homeport.

In late September, she again crossed the Atlantic for a seven-month deployment with the 6th Fleet; and, on 10 February 1970, while moored at Naples, she was struck by the Greek freighter, SS Mautric.

During 1971, her schedule remained basically the same; but her annual tour with the 6th Fleet, 16 July to 11 October, was followed by visits to the Netherlands and to Denmark for bi-national and NATO operations.

On 20 December, Semmes returned to South Carolina; and, in January 1972, she entered the Charleston Naval Shipyard for conversion of her engineering plant to the Navy Distillate Fuel Oil System.

In September, she participated in NATO exercise "Strong Express," which again took her above the Arctic Circle and which was followed by visits to Norway and Denmark.

In November, she conducted exercises in the Caribbean; and, in December, she prepared for another deployment in the Mediterranean with NATO's Standing Naval Force, Atlantic.

Semmes was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 14 April 1991, sold to Greece on 13 September 1991 and renamed Kimon.