From Wikipedia:

USS John Hancock (DD-981), a Spruance-class destroyer, was the second ship of that name, and the sixth ship of the United States Navy to be named for John Hancock (1737–1793), the President of the Continental Congress and first signer of the Declaration of Independence.

John Hancock was laid down on 16 January 1976 by Ingalls Shipbuilding, in Pascagoula, Miss.; launched on 29 October 1977; and commissioned on 10 March 1979.

John Hancock underwent a conversion and overhaul in Pascagoula, Mississippi at the Ingalls Shipbuilding dry docks Jan 1983. John Hancock proceeded to [Gitmo]Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for 'shakedown' cruise. Nov. 1984 John Hancock provided support during Persian Gulf 9 month tour. Early 1985 John Hancock fell victim to an Exocet Missile fired by an Iraqi fighter, luckily for John Hancock the missile failed to reach its intended target but blew up a tug boat directly in the missiles path several hundred yards from the John Hancock. The John Hancock was near the point where the USS Stark was hit several years later. John Hancock returned home to Charleston South Carolina May 1985.

In 1991 John Hancock deployed with the USS America CV-66 battle group to the North Atlantic for two months in support of North Star '91.