USS Jesse Rutherford ( DE - 347 ) USS " Jesse Rutherford " ( DE - 347 ) was a acquired by the U . S . Navy during World War II and named in honor of Private Jesse Rutherford , Jr . , USMC . Her primary purpose was to escort and protect ships in convoy ; other tasks assigned included patrol and radar picket . Post - war , she returned home with one battle star to her credit . " Jesse Rutherford " was laid down by Consolidated Steel Corp . , Orange , Texas , 22 November 1943 ; launched 29 January 1944 ; sponsored by Mrs . Mary Rutherford , mother of Private Rutherford ; and commissioned 31 May 1944 , with Lt . Comdr . B . M . Henry in command . World War II North Atlantic operations . " Jesse Rutherford " , departed Galveston , Texas , 7 July 1944 for shakedown training in waters off Bermuda , after which she arrived Boston , Massachusetts , 13 August to prepare for Atlantic convoy duty . She engaged in more underway training off the U . S . East Coast , however , before sailing from Norfolk , Virginia , 20 September with her first convoy . The transports arrived Naples , Italy , 4 October , and " Jesse Rutherford " returned to New York 24 October . Pacific War operations . At New York the destroyer escort received the newest in equipment and armament in preparation for the Pacific War , then about to enter its final stages . She sailed 10 November 1944 with Escort Division 76 , bound for the Panama Canal , the Galápagos Islands , and eventually the Society Islands . " Jesse Rutherford " arrived Bora Bora 5 December and departed the next day for the great American staging base on Manus Island . From there the ship was assigned to escort convoys from Hollandia to Leyte Gulf in support of the Allied campaign to recapture the Philippines . In the months that followed " Jesse Rutherford " made nine voyages to Leyte , and in March 1945 she steamed to Lingayen Gulf as well . Arriving Biak after another escort voyage 30 May , she formed a group of LST ' s into a convoy and departed for Manila . Off Mindoro , however , the destroyer escort encountered a merchantman in distress and drifting onto the beach . In response , " Jesse Rutherford " took the freighter in tow and held her off the beach until a tug could relieve her next day . She arrived Subic Bay 8 June . Additional convoy duty in the Philippines occupied " Jesse Rutherford " until July . She departed Morotai on 12 July with amphibious craft to reinforce the allied landing at Balikpapan , Borneo , remaining there until 22 July . The ship then sailed back to Leyte in convoy , and patrolled San Bernardino Strait until war ' s end . " Jesse Rutherford " escorted a group of LCT s to Okinawa , arriving 15 September , after which she returned to the Philippines for patrol duty . Post - war decommissioning . The veteran destroyer escort embarked returning veterans at Samar 28 November 1945 and sailed that afternoon for San Diego , California , where she decommissioned 21 June 1946 . " Jesse Rutherford " was placed in the Pacific Reserve Fleet at Bremerton , Washington , where she remained until she was struck in January 1968 and sunk as target off California 8 December 1968 . Awards . " Jesse Rutherford " received one battle star for World War II service .