USS Harding ( DD - 625 ) USS " Harding " ( DD - 625 ) ( later DMS - 28 ) , a " Gleaves " - class destroyer , was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Seth Harding . " Harding " was launched 28 June 1942 by Seattle - Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp . , Seattle , Washington , sponsored by Mrs . Sherwood A . Taffinder ; and commissioned 25 May 1943 , Lieutenant Commander G . G . Palmer in command . Service history . After shakedown out of San Diego , " Harding " sailed 1 July for Norfolk , via the Panama Canal . Arriving Hampton Roads on 19 July , she trained in Chesapeake Bay and off the East Coast . She joined a convoy at Norfolk on 16 August 1943 and for the next eight months was assigned antisubmarine patrol for merchant convoys in the Atlantic . During this period of guarding the sea " Harding " made three round trips to Casablanca . After escorting on training exercises , " Harding " sailed 18 April with a convoy for Europe , and began her first great combat operation — the invasion of Normandy . She spent the month of May training with other ships between Plymouth and Clyde . Then , early on 6 June 1944 , " Harding " joined other naval units in the historic assault . " Harding " was assigned fire support station , and delivered close gunfire support to the troops ashore for the first hours of the landing . Her accurate gunfire destroyed pillbox es and machine gun emplacements , blasting a way for the troops . " Harding " also sent a boat ashore at Pointe du Hoc to take supplies to the Rangers and bring out prisoners and wounded . She continued operations in the assault area until 16 July , protecting against air attack and assisting several transports in distress . Shifting her operations to the Mediterranean , " Harding " sailed on 1 August for Oran , Algeria , and from there proceeded to the southern France assault area , as a screening ship . She sailed almost immediately to Corsica , later returning to take up patrol station outside the assault area in southern France . On the night of 17 August , she detected a downed German plane , and after recovering bodies , proceeded to investigate an unidentified contact . As " Harding " s signalman sought to illuminate the stranger , a burst of machine - gun fire extinguished the light and revealed the presence of four E - boat s . In company with three other destroyers , " Harding " began a running , twisting battle with the four boats , illuminated by starshell fire , and despite their superior maneuverability , all four were sunk , three by " Harding " . She brought survivors ashore and resumed her patrol until 24 August . " Harding " joined a convoy of LCI s en route to Oran , Algeria on 24 August , returned to southern France until 6 September , and sailed for New York on 25 September 1944 . Arriving New York on 3 October , she proceeded to Boston for conversion to a destroyer minesweeper ; she was reclassified DMS - 28 on 15 November . Emerging on 1 December for her trials , " Harding " underwent training until 30 December and sailed for the Pacific . She arrived San Diego via the Panama Canal Zone on 15 January 1945 , and continued her training in minesweeping techniques . Sailing on 10 February via Pearl Harbor , Harding arrived at Ulithi on 9 March to prepare for the invasion of Okinawa , the last and largest of the giant Pacific amphibious assault s . She departed for Okinawa on 19 March and began her minesweeping operations in the surrounding areas on 24 March . During the initial landings on 1 April 1945 " Harding " served as an outer screening ship , and continued this dangerous duty during the savage air attacks which followed . After a near miss by a horizontal bomber during the first heavy raids of 6 April , " Harding " was assigned to provide fire support to forces ashore the night of 8 April . She returned to screening duties the next day , and on 16 April was attacked with other ships by four " kamikaze s " . One was driven off , another shot down , but a third steered directly for " Harding " s bridge . As gunfire ripped into her , the aircraft splashed close aboard to starboard , tearing a huge gash in " Harding " s side from keel to main deck when her bomb exploded . The stricken ship backed toward Kerama Retto , counting 14 men killed , 8 missing , and 9 wounded . She repaired at Okinawa , and arrived back at Pearl Harbor on 22 August via Saipan . From Hawaii , " Harding " transited the Panama Canal via San Diego and arrived at Norfolk on 17 September . She decommissioned on 2 November 1945 , and was sold for scrap on 16 April 1947 to Luia Brothers Co . , Inc . , of Philadelphia . Awards . " Harding " received three battle star s for World War II service .