USS Farragut ( DD - 348 ) The third USS " Farragut " ( DD - 348 ) was named for Admiral David Glasgow Farragut ( 1801 – 1870 ) . She was the lead ship of her class of destroyers in the United States Navy . History . " Farragut " was laid down by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation at Quincy , Massachusetts , on 20 September 1932 , launched on 15 March 1934 by Mrs . James Roosevelt , daughter - in - law of the President , and commissioned on 18 June 1934 , Commander Elliott Buckmaster in command . Because it was nearly 14 years since a new destroyer had been commissioned in the US Navy , " Farragut " devoted much of her early service to developmental operations , cruising out of her homeport of Norfolk , Virginia , to the Caribbean and along the east coast . On 26 March 1935 , she embarked with President Franklin D . Roosevelt at Jacksonville , Florida , and the next day carried him to a rendezvous with a private yacht . Farragut escorted the President ' s yacht on a cruise to the Bahamas ; on 7 April he embarked on her for passage to Jacksonville , where he left the ship on 8 April 1935 . " Farragut " sailed for San Diego , California , arriving there on 19 April 1935 to join Destroyer Squadron 20 as flagship . Fleet maneuvers on the west coast , training operations in the Hawaiian Islands , and cruises during the summer to train men of the Naval Reserve in Alaskan waters continued until 3 January 1939 . " Farragut " then sailed for fleet maneuvers in the Caribbean , returning to San Diego on 12 April . From 2 October she was based at Pearl Harbor , and made two voyages to the west coast to screen carriers to Pearl Harbor . From 1 August 1941 , Farragut was pretty much at sea for exercises with carrier task forces . World War II . " Farragut " was berthed in a nest of destroyers in East Loch , Pearl Harbor , at the time of the Japan ese attack on 7 December 1941 . Ensign James Armen Benham , her engineering officer and senior on board at the time , got her underway , and as she sailed down the channel , she kept up a steady fire . For his action , Ensign Benham won the Bronze Star . Through March 1942 , " Farragut " operated in Hawaiian waters , and from Oahu to San Francisco , California , on antisubmarine patrols and escort duty . On 15 April 1942 , " Farragut " sortied from Pearl Harbor with the " Lexington " ( CV - 2 ) task force , bound for the Coral Sea and a rendezvous with the " Yorktown " ( CV - 5 ) task force . Together these forces engaged Japanese forces in the Battle of the Coral Sea from 4 to 8 May 1942 . For the first 2 days of the battle , " Farragut " sailed with the Attack Force , while the aircraft carrier s in another group launched air strikes on Tulagi . On 6 May , all ships were united as TF 17 , and sailed to the northwestward to make contact with the Japanese Port Moresby Invasion Group . Next day , " Farragut " was detached in the Support Group assigned to continue the search for the Japanese invasion forces . " Farragut ' s " group came under heavy air attack that afternoon , but downed at least five aircraft , and receiving no damage to any ship . " Farragut " arrived at Cid Harbor , Australia , 11 May 1942 , and until returning to Pearl Harbor 29 June , called at Brisbane , Noumea , Suva , Tongatapu , and Auckland while on escort duty . She next sortied from Pearl Harbor 7 July 1942 , in the " Saratoga " ( CV - 3 ) task force , bound for action in the Solomon Islands . She served as screening ship and plane guard during the air operations covering the assault on Guadalcanal 7 August , and then patrolled the eastern Solomons to protect sea lanes to Guadalcanal . On 24 and 25 August , the carrier she guarded engaged Japanese forces in the air Battle of the Eastern Solomons . The destroyer remained in the southwest Pacific , patrolling off Guadalcanal to guard unloading transports , and escorting convoys from Australia to Espiritu Santo , Noumea , and the Fiji Islands . She returned to Pearl Harbor 27 January 1943 , and after a west coast overhaul and training , arrived at Adak 16 April . She patrolled Alaskan waters until 11 May , when she screened transports landing troops on Adak from submarine attack . Next day she made several depth charge attacks on an enemy submarine and she continued antisubmarine patrol off the Aleutian Islands through June . " Farragut " patrolled and blockaded off Kiska from 5 July , joining in the bombardment of the island many times in the days before the landings of 15 August . She continued to protect the troops ashore at Kiska until 4 September , when she left Adak in convoy for San Francisco and a brief overhaul . " Farragut " put to sea , from San Diego 19 October 1943 , bound for training in the Hawaiian Islands and at Espiritu Santo . Again guarding carriers , she took part in the air operations covering the landings on Tarawa 20 November , and screened the carriers until the task force shaped course for Pearl Harbor 8 December . The destroyer continued on to the west coast for a brief repair period and training , sailing from San Diego 13 January 1944 for action in the Marshall Islands . During the assaults on Kwajalein and Eniwetok , she screened carriers , patrolled , and conducted antisubmarine searches , then sailed for air strikes on Woleai and Wakde . Late in April , she was off New Guinea as the carriers supported the landings in the Hollandia ( currently known as Jayapura ) area , and through May joined in training operations out of Majuro . From her arrival off Saipan 11 June 1944 , " Farragut " guarded the carriers covering the landings of 15 June , bombarded the shores of Saipan and Guam , and served as radar picket through the Battle of the Philippine Sea on 19 and 20 June . " Farragut " sailed to replenish at Eniwetok 28 June to 14 July . On 17 and 18 July , she closed the beach at Agat , Guam , to provide covering fire for underwater demolition teams preparing for the assault on the island . After screening a cruiser to Saipan she returned to Guam 21 July to patrol seaward of the Fire Support Group covering the assault landings . On 25 July , she joined in the bombardment of Rota , and 5 days later cleared for overhaul at Puget Sound Navy Yard . " Farragut " arrived at Ulithi 21 November 1944 , and sailed 4 days later to screen a group of oilers serving the fast carrier task force as it sent strikes against Taiwan and Luzon in preparation for the assault on Lingayen . Based on Ulithi , she served with this group as it supported the carriers in their operations of the Iwo Jima and Okinawa invasions , then from 25 to 28 April 1945 served on carrier screening duty for air operations on islands of the Ryukyus not yet invaded . From 11 May to 6 August , she escorted convoys between Ulithi and Okinawa , and during the last 2 weeks of May , served on radar picket duty at Okinawa . Fate . The destroyer was homeward bound from Saipan 21 August 1945 , arriving at the Brooklyn Navy Yard 25 September . " Farragut " was decommissioned on 23 October 1945 , stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 28 January 1947 and sold for scrap on 14 August 1947 . " Farragut " received 14 battle star s for World War II service .