USS Sampson (DDG 102) is the 52nd Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the United States Navy. The ship is named in honor of Rear Adm. William Thomas Sampson (1840-1902), a naval hero in the Spanish-American War. After graduating first in his class at the U.S. Naval Academy in 1861, Sampson served in the Civil War, during which he survived a mine explosion in 1865. When the United States declared war against Spain following the sinking of the battleship Maine, Sampson assumed command of the U.S. North Atlantic Squadron with the rank of rear admiral. Sailing from Key West, Fla., in 1898, aboard USS New York (CA 2), his squadron established a blockade on the Spanish Fleet in the harbor of Santiago, Cuba. When the Spanish fleet attempted escape, it was completely destroyed by Sampson's forces in a running sea battle that lasted five hours. The next day, Sampson sent the now famous message: "The Fleet under my command offers the nation as a Fourth of July present, the whole of Cervera's Fleet!" Sampson retired as commandant of the Boston Navy Yard in 1902. Three previous ships have carried this name: Torpedo-boat destroyer 63, Somers-class destroyer 394 and Charles F. Adams-class guided-missile destroyer 10.

September 16, 2006 PCU Sampson has been christened during a ceremony at Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine. Clara Parsons, great granddaughter of Sampson, served as the ship's sponsor. Cmdr. Philip Roos, born in Leiderdorp, the Netherlands, is the ship's first commanding officer.

November 3, 2007 USS Sampson is commissioned during an 11 a.m. EDT ceremony in Boston, Mass. Sampson’s great granddaughter Clara Parsons served as sponsor of the ship. It will be homeported in San Diego.

December 7, DDG 102 arrived in San Diego for the first time, after completing several exercises. The Sampson crew participated in several evolutions including qualifying in boat operations, seamanship and flight operations.

July 31, 2009 USS Sampson, commanded by Cmdr. Martin H. Hardy III, departed Naval Base San Diego, with USS Nimitz (CVN 68) Carrier Strike Group, for a maiden deployment.

August 24, The guided-missile destroyer pulled to Yokosuka, Japan, for a scheduled port visit.

February 1, 2010 The Sampson pulled to Port Klang, Malaysia, for a scheduled port call.

March 26, USS Sampson returned to home after an eight-month underway period in support of maritime security operations in the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet Areas of Responsibility.

June 3, USS Sampson, along with USS Bunker Hill (CG 52), arrived in Portland, Ore., to celebrate the 103rd annual Portland Rose Festival.

June 9, DDG 102 pulled into CFB Esquimalt near Victoria, British Columbia, to commemorate the 100th birthday of the Canadian Navy.

June 24, The Samson pulled into Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam to take part in the first phase of Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2010.

August 2, 2011 USS Sampson pulled into South Harbor in Seattle, Wash., to participate in Seattle's Seafair celebration. The guided-missile destroyer arrived at Naval Station Everett August 1.

September 26, USS Sampson dispatched an inflatable boat and swimmers to retrieve about 60 bales of assorted drugs from the ocean after the small boat dumped them overboard. The ship is currently off the coast of southern California participating in USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX), in preparation for an independent deployment later this year.