USS Dent ( DD - 116 ) USS " Dent " ( DD – 116 ) was a " Wickes " - class destroyer in the United States Navy during the World War I and later served as APD - 9 in World War II . She was named for Captain John H . Dent . " Dent " was launched 23 March 1918 by William Cramp and Sons , Philadelphia , Pa . ; sponsored by Miss A . W . Collins , great - granddaughter of Captain Dent ; and commissioned 9 September 1918 , Commander B . C . Allen in command . Service history . " Dent " escorted a convoy to Ireland between 19 September and 8 November 1918 , and then carried out training at Guantanamo Bay . On 1 May 1919 she got underway from New York to serve on station off Trepassey Harbor , Newfoundland , during the historic first aerial crossing of the Atlantic , a feat accomplished by a Navy seaplane . She returned to Newport on the 24th , and on 20 June she joined the escort for the yacht " Imperator " , carrying the President of Brazil from New York to Newport . " Dent " arrived at San Pedro , California , 6 August 1919 to join the Pacific Fleet . She cruised to Hawaii as escort for with the Secretary of the Navy embarked in August , then steamed to Seattle for a Fleet Review in September . She returned to San Diego 22 September and went into reserve . She was placed in active commission again 14 December 1920 , and operated with 50 percent of her complement on gunnery and torpedo practice , and in fleet maneuvers . She made a cruise to South America from 7 January to 11 March 1921 , visiting Valparaíso , Chile ; Costa Rica ; and various ports in Mexico . " Dent " was placed out of commission in reserve 7 June 1922 . Recommissioned 15 May 1930 , " Dent " acted as plane guard for carrier operations , trained reservists , and sailed for a fleet problem in the Caribbean and a visit to the East Coast from April to November 1934 . On 18 December , she entered the Rotating Reserve at San Diego and tested ordnance until returning to active commission 10 June 1935 . " Dent " operated along the West Coast and in the Hawaiian Islands until the United States entered World War II . At San Diego on 7 December 1941 , she got underway the next day to screen in her high speed run to Pearl Harbor . World War II . Returning to San Francisco 29 December 1941 , Dent had duty with the Sound School at San Diego and operated along the West Coast on convoy duty until 27 April 1942 when she sailed for Alaskan waters . From 8 May she operated out of Dutch Harbor on convoy and patrol duty , escorting transports for the invasion of Adak 1 September . She returned to Seattle 30 January 1943 for repairs and conversion to a high - speed transport . She was reclassified APD - 9 , 7 March 1943 . " Dent " arrived at Noumea , New Caledonia 20 April 1943 . She operated from this base and Espiritu Santo , landing troops in the assaults on New Georgia , Rendova , Vella Lavella , and Cape Torokina , Bougainville . After overhaul at Sydney , Australia , in November , she returned to Milne Bay , New Guinea on 17 December . While training at Cape Sudest 5 days later , she grounded on an uncharted shoal . Serious structural damage necessitated her return to Australia for repairs through January 1944 . " Dent " arrived at Nouméa 7 February 1944 and landed men of the 4th Marines on Emirau Island 20 March . From Milne Bay , New Guinea , she carried soldiers to the Aitape landings 22 April . Sailing from New Guinea 9 May , she returned to the Solomons to train an underwater demolition team for the invasion of the Marianas . She carried her team to Roi where they were transferred for transportation to Guam , then escorted to Saipan to carry emergency supplies of ammunition to the bombardment ships . " Dent " patrolled off Saipan and Tinian until early July when she escorted transports to Eniwetok and sailed for overhaul at San Diego , arriving 3 August . From 8 November 1944 until the end of the war , " Dent " served with the Amphibious Training Force , Pacific Fleet , at San Diego . She sailed 20 October 1945 for the East Coast , arriving at Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , 6 November . " Dent " was decommissioned there 4 December 1945 and sold 13 June 1946 . Awards . " Dent " received five battle star s for World War II service . As of 2012 , no other ships of this name have served in the United States Navy .