USS Eaton ( DD - 510 ) USS " Eaton " ( DD - 510 ) was a " Fletcher " - class destroyer in the service of the United States Navy , named after William Eaton ( 1764 – 1811 ) , an American soldier involved in the First Barbary War . " Eaton " ( DD - 510 ) was launched 20 September 1942 by Bath Iron Works , Bath , Maine ; sponsored by Mrs . Mary Eaton Phillips , great - great - granddaughter of General Eaton ; and commissioned 4 December 1942 , Lieutenant Commander E . L . Beck in command . World War II . 1943 . " Eaton " departed Casco Bay , Maine , 6 February 1943 for duty in the Pacific . Arriving at Efate , New Hebrides , 7 March , she patrolled with Cruiser Division 12 between that port and the Solomons . She also escorted convoys from Espiritu Santo and Nouméa to Guadalcanal . After 10 August , from a new base at Port Purvis , Florida Island , she supported landings at Rendova , Vella Lavella , and Baracoma . In September , she rejoined Cruiser Division 12 for sweeps against Japan ese shipping in " The Slot " , sinking many barges . After a dash to Auckland , " Eaton " embarked Rear Admiral G . H . Fort and staff on 26 October and served as flagship for the landings on Treasury Island the following day . Prior to the landings at Empress Augusta Bay , she led fast minelayers USS " Tracy " ( DM - 19 ) and " Pruitt " ( DM - 22 ) through Bougainville Strait s to seal off the eastern approach , on the night of 1 / 2 November . She continued to patrol from Port Purvis to Bougainville . On 13 November she rushed to help screen the crippled " Denver " ( CL - 58 ) , damaged in the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay . Relieved by " Dyson " ( DD - 572 ) the following day , she continued to escort resupply convoys to Bougainville , Treasury , and Vella Lavella , as well as to bombard coast batteries and hunt Japanese ships . The " I - 20 " Type - C Japanese submarine was sunk on the surface at Vella Lavella on 01 - 10 - 1943 . 1944 . She took part in the landings on Green Island on 15 February 1944 and on Emirau Island on 20 March . " Eaton " sailed 4 May 1944 for the Marshalls , arriving at Majuro on the 7th . Between 29 May and 2 June , she joined " Greiner " ( DE - 37 ) and " Sanders " ( DE - 40 ) in reconnaissance and bombardment of Kusaie Island in the eastern Carolines . On 11 June , she left Kwajalein for the invasion of Saipan , which began four days later . " Eaton " provided fire support , including harassing and illumination fire , against Saipan and Tinian and captured three Japanese aviators from a raft . On 12 August she sailed from Saipan for overhaul at Mare Island . " Eaton " joined the covering force for the Leyte operation at Leyte Gulf , 25 November 1944 . She sank an enemy freighter on 1 December and bombarded Ormoc Bay as she headed to cover the Mindoro landings in December . 1945 . Returning to Manus two days before Christmas , she was up in Lingayen Gulf , Luzon , on 9 January 1945 for screen and patrol duty . During the assault , the following night her crew destroyed an enemy suicide boat only 25 yards from the ship . The explosion killed 1 and wounded 14 of " Eaton " s men . She escorted transports in ballast from Lingayen to Leyte in January , bombarded Corregidor in February , and returned to Leyte Gulf on 1 March . Through May she continued in the liberation of the Philippines , in the landings at Mangarin Bay , Mindoro ; on Panay , and on Mindanao . Sailing from Subic Bay 7 June 1945 , " Eaton " covered the landings at Brunei Bay , Borneo , on 10 June , supporting minesweeping operations , and providing fire support for the invading Australians and underwater demolition teams . Next came invaluable aid to the assault on the great oil entrepot of Balikpapan , on 1 and 2 July . She returned to San Pedro Bay , 5 July , and her base for operations until the end of hostilities . " Eaton " went north , 28 August 1945 , to support minesweeping operations in the Yellow Sea off Jinsen ( Inchon ) in preparation for landings the following month . From 6 September to the end of October , she directed sweeping the Yangtze River approaches and acted as harbor entrance control vessel at Shanghai for the Yangtze River Patrol Force . On 9 September , five Japanese vessels attempting to leave that port were intercepted and boarded by a party from Eaton ; a prize crew remained on board " Medium Landing Ship No . 5 " for nearly a month . Joining the South China Force , " Eaton " was based at Hong Kong and visited ports on the 2 , 000 - mile sweep of Chinese coast , all the way from Haiphong , Indochina , to Hulutao , Manchuria , until 29 December 1945 , also participating in the French Indochina convoy that took the 6th Chinese Army to Manchuria on merchant marine ships . Other targets engaged by the " Eaton " during the war were eight enemy planes shot down . She arrived at New York 8 February 1946 and the following month sailed to Charleston , South Carolina , where she was placed out of commission in reserve , 21 June 1946 . Post World War II . Reclassified DDE - 510 , 2 January 1951 , " Eaton " was recommissioned 11 December 1951 at the Boston Naval Shipyard , and joined Escort Division 22 at Norfolk , Virginia , 29 May 1952 . She operated as far as the Caribbean and made two midshipman cruises in the summer of 1953 : the first to England , France and Italy , the second to Halifax , Nova Scotia . She sailed 28 April 1954 for NATO exercises off Derry , followed by a good will tour of ports in Germany , Belgium , Denmark , England , and France before joining the 6th Fleet for exercises in the Mediterranean , including a mock " defense " of Turkey during which she ' sunk ' the same ' enemy ' Turkish submarine twice . After rescuing four survivors from SS " Mormackite " on her return passage , " Eaton " arrived at Norfolk on 10 October . In the early 1950s the " Eaton " collided with a surfacing submarine , but the following destroyer averted a worse collision owing to quick action of the captain . The collision resulted in damage to the submarine ' s periscopes and conning tower . In early 1956 during ASW exercises " Eaton " was involved in a collision with the destroyer USS " Power " ( DD - 839 ) . On 6 May 1956 , off the Virginia Capes , the battleship USS " Wisconsin " ( BB - 64 ) collided with the " Eaton " in thick fog while night steaming at high speed ( 20 knots ) . The collision caused serious damage to both ships , with the " Eaton " sustaining the BB ' s bow in starboard side forward of bridge , which crushed to port side and broke the keel . The CPO mess area and mess deck were smashed . The ship ' s 1st LT saved the ship by securing bow to stern with anchor chain , and closing WT door beside his room . Only one sailor ( cook ) was struck unconscious . Commander Richard Varley of the " Eaton " was later court - martialed and found negligent . In another accident , the NOTS RUR - 4 " Weapon Alpha " rocket - boosted depth charge projector misfired , with one warhead falling back onto the 01 deck and killing a seaman below . An African cruise between 18 March and 26 July 1957 took " Eaton " by way of the Azores to Freetown , Simonstown , Mombasa , Aden , and Massawa . She operated through the blistering Red Sea between Aden and Massawa much of May , then on through the Suez Canal to Mediterranean ports and Norfolk . A visit to British waters in the fall of 1957 and two to Canada varied Eaton ' s Atlantic and Caribbean duty through 1960 , participating during the Bay of Pigs Invasion events . Later " Eaton " towed a disabled US Navy surveillance vessel from the Havana harbour . During the early 1960s the " Eaton " was assigned as flagship of Destroyer Squadron 28 , serving in Destroyer Division 281 with USS " Bache " , " Murray " , and " Beale " . In 1967 – 68 she served in Vietnam along the " gunline " providing naval fire support up and down the Vietnamese coast . On Memorial Day of 1969 , " Eaton " was decommissioned , and then later towed away , and sunk during gunnery practice 90 miles off the coast of Norfolk . Honors . " Eaton " received 11 battle stars for World War II service .