USS Howard D . Crow ( DE - 252 ) USS Howard D . Crow ( DE - 252 ) was an Edsall - class destroyer escort built for the U . S . Navy during World War II . She served in the Atlantic Ocean the Pacific Ocean and provided destroyer escort protection against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys . She was named in honor of Howard Daniel Crow who was born in Alvarado , Texas , 2 February 1918 , and was commissioned ensign after completing Naval Reserve Midshipman ’ s School , Northwestern University , 14 March 1941 . Ensign Crow reported to battleship " USS Maryland ( BB - 46 ) " 29 March . In the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor 7 December 1941 , " Maryland " was moored inboard of " USS Oklahoma ( BB - 37 ) " and received two bomb hits , one of which killed Ensign Crow . DE - 252 was laid down on 6 February 1943 at Houston , Texas , by Brown Shipbuilding Co . ; named " Howard D . Crow ( DE - 252 ) " on 23 February 1943 ; launched on 26 April 1943 ; sponsored by Miss Viola Elaine Warner , the late Ens . Crow ' s fiancée ( who had been recommended by his parents for the honor of christening the ship ) ; and commissioned at Houston , Texas , on 27 September 1943 , Lt . Comdr . Donald T . Adams , USCG , in command . World War II North Atlantic operations . Manned by the U . S . Coast Guard , " Howard D . Crow " conducted shakedown training out of Bermuda during October and November , reporting to Norfolk , Virginia , for convoy duty 1 December . The destroyer escort sailed with her first convoy 15 December , saw it safely to Casablanca , and returned to New York 24 January 1944 . In the months that followed , " Howard D . Crow " made 10 arduous escort voyages to British ports , protecting the supplies which sustained the great land offensive which was to end the war with Germany . On 11 February 1945 the " Crow " likely helped sink U - 869 . Transferred to the Pacific Fleet . The destroyer escort was berthed at New York when Germany surrendered 8 May 1945 , and after extensive refresher training in the Caribbean , sailed from Guantánamo Bay for the Pacific War 2 July . Arriving Pearl Harbor via the Panama Canal 25 July , " Howard D . Crow " continued into the western Pacific for a tour of vital weather - reporting duty , so important to the operation of the great fleets . She sailed from Midway Island 13 December 1945 , and after stopping at the Panama Canal and New York , arrived Green Cove Springs , Florida , 15 March 1946 . She decommissioned 22 May 1946 and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet . Reclassified as Training Ship . With the Korean War came greater demands on the far - flung Navy , and " Howard D . Crow " recommissioned 6 July 1951 with a Navy crew . After shakedown training she reported to Key West , Florida , as Sonar School training ship , helping develop new equipment and tactics in antisubmarine warfare . Moving north to Newport , Rhode Island , in 1952 , the ship took part in fleet antisubmarine exercises off the coast . For the next 6 years " Howard D . Crow " followed this pattern of operations — antisubmarine training , exercises in the Atlantic and Caribbean , and periodic overhauls . In 1957 , she took part in important NATO exercises with almost 50 ships from a dozen countries and in 1958 the versatile ship acted as communications ship during a successful Jupiter nose - cone recovery off Puerto Rico . " Howard D . Crow " was assigned to Galveston , Texas , as reserve training ship in September 1958 . In this capacity she conducted 2 - week training cruises for reservists , and at the same time maintained the ship in a high state of readiness for any emergency . Her periodic training cruises took the escort vessel to Key West and the Caribbean . In August 1961 , however , the Berlin situation worsened , and " Howard D . Crow " was one of several reserve training ships returned to active service to increase the nation ' s readiness . She conducted refresher training at Guantanamo Bay and operated with the fleet in the Atlantic and Caribbean until August 1962 . The ship returned to reserve training duty 1 August 1962 , again based at Galveston . She continued through 1963 into 1967 to provide at - sea training for naval reservists so vital in keeping America ' s defenses at the highest possible level of training and skill . Final Decommissioning . Stricken from the Navy Register on 23 September 1968 , " Howard D . Crow " was sold in October 1970 .