 {|    |} the second uss steinaker (dd-863/ddr-863/dd-863) was a  of the united states navy, named for private first class donald baur steinaker, usmcr (1922&ndash;1942) who was killed in action on guadalcanal and posthumously awarded the navy cross. steinaker was laid down by the bethlehem steel corporation at staten island in new york on 1 september 1944, launched on 13 february 1945 by miss carol steinaker and commissioned on 26 may 1945. steinaker held her shakedown cruise off guantanamo bay, cuba, and returned to norfolk, virginia, her home port, where she acted as a training ship for the remainder of the year. until 1952, the destroyer alternated her operations between the east coast with the atlantic fleet and deployment with the 6th fleet. she was deployed to the mediterranean in 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, and the first five months of 1952. steinaker entered the norfolk naval shipyard on 1 july 1952 for conversion to a radar picket destroyer and was classified as ddr-863. the work was completed on 28 february 1953 and shakedown at guantanamo bay followed. she made her first deployment to the 6th fleet as a picket destroyer from 16 september to 3 february 1954. she also served with the 6th flee
1945_ships Cold_War_destroyers_of_the_United_States Gearing-class_destroyers_of_the_United_States_Navy QuetzalcA3atl-class_destroyers Ships_built_in_New_York United_States_Navy_New_York-related_ships Vietnam_War_destroyers_of_the_United_States World_War_II_destroyers_of_the_United_States