USS Cowie ( DD - 632 ) USS " Cowie " ( DD - 632 ) ( later DMS - 39 ) , a " Gleaves " - class destroyer , is the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Rear Admiral Thomas Jefferson Cowie . " Cowie " was launched 27 September 1941 Liberty Fleet Day at the Boston Navy Yard ; sponsored by Mrs . C . R . Robinson , daughter of Rear Admiral Cowie and wife of Captain C . R . Robinson ; commissioned 1 June 1942 , Lieutenant Commander C . J . Whiting in command ; and reported to the U . S . Atlantic Fleet . Departing New York 5 October 1942 , " Cowie " escorted " Chenango " ( CVE - 28 ) to Norfolk , then cruised on antisubmarine patrol off Cape Hatteras until 23 October when she sailed from Norfolk with Task Force 34 ( TF 34 ) for the invasion of North Africa . She screened transports off Safi , French Morocco , from 8 to 13 November , and returned to New York on 25 November for repairs and upkeep . After training exercises with submarine s off New London , " Cowie " sailed on escort duty , screening two convoys to Casablanca between 12 December 1942 and 28 April 1943 . Sailing from Norfolk for North Africa again 8 June 1943 , " Cowie " sortied from Oran on 22 June for the invasion of Sicily . In the van of the invading forces , she contacted the British navigational marker submarine HMS " Seraph " ( P219 ) on 9 July to guide the invasion landings at Scoglitti , Sicily , from 9 to 13 July , then took station to give fire support to the assault troops ashore . " Cowie " was one of those whose prompt and effective response to calls for fire support broke up the counterattack by German tank s against the 180th Regimental Combat Team on 11 July . Returning to Oran 16 July , " Cowie " sailed on local escort duty out of that port until 20 July when she arrived at Bizerte to patrol . She sortied 28 July for the invasion landings at Palermo , screening " Philadelphia " ( CL - 41 ) to provide fire support to the Army landing forces , and then swept from Palermo to Cape Milazzo hunting Axis shipping between 31 July and 1 August . " Cowie " returned to Oran 4 August and cleared for New York 8 days later , arriving 22 August . After escorting a convoy to Belfast , Northern Ireland between 5 and 30 September 1943 , " Cowie " was overhauled at New York before returning to convoy escort duty . She made 18 transatlantic voyages to United Kingdom and Mediterranean ports until 5 May 1945 , when she entered Boston Navy Yard for conversion to a high - speed minesweeper ; " Cowie " was reclassified DMS - 39 on 30 May 1945 . Sailing from Boston 24 June 1945 , " Cowie " joined in minesweeping exercises at Norfolk until 18 July when she departed for San Diego , arriving 3 August . Following the cessation of hostilities , she sailed from San Diego 29 August for Okinawa , arriving 27 September . Sweeping mines in the Yellow Sea and off Kobe and Wakayama , Japan , " Cowie " remained in the Far East until 25 March 1946 when she departed Yokosuka for San Francisco , arriving 11 April 1946 . " Cowie " was placed out of commission in reserve 21 April 1947 , berthed at San Diego . She was reclassified DD - 632 , 15 July 1955 . " Cowie " was stricken from the naval register on 1 December 1970 and sold 22 February 1972 and broken up for scrap . " Cowie " received three battle star s for World War II service .