The USS Maddox (DD-731) was a Gearing-class destroyer of the United States Navy, launched in 1950. It served primarily during the Cold War and was involved in various naval operations, including the Vietnam War. The ship is best known for its role in the Gulf of Tonkin incident in August 1964, which escalated U.S. involvement in Vietnam. During the Gulf of Tonkin incident, the USS Maddox reported being attacked by North Vietnamese torpedo boats. This event led to the passage of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, granting President Lyndon B. Johnson the authority to increase military presence in Vietnam. The ship was decommissioned in 1972 and later scrapped.