USS Halligan ( DD - 584 ) USS " Halligan " ( DD - 584 ) was a of the United States Navy , named for Rear Admiral John Halligan , Jr . ( 1876 – 1934 ) . " Halligan " was laid down 9 November 1942 by Boston Navy Yard , Boston , Massachusetts ; launched 19 March 1943 , sponsored by Mrs . John Halligan , widow of Admiral Halligan , and commissioned 19 August 1943 , Commander C . E . Cortner in command . World War II . After shakedown off Bermuda " Halligan " in mid - November joined carrying President Franklin D . Roosevelt and his party en route to the historic Teheran Conference . She served as part of the escort screen to Casablanca , then for the next few weeks conducted anti - submarine operations off North Africa . She rejoined " Iowa " 11 December and steamed to the United States , arriving Charleston , South Carolina , 17 December . 1944 . Assigned to duty in the Pacific , " Halligan " departed Charleston 21 December , reached San Diego , California , 4 January 1944 , and arrived Pearl Harbor 11 January . As part of Task Force 52 ( TF 52 ) , she sailed 22 January for the invasion of the Marshall Islands . Between 31 January and 25 February she operated as a screen and patrol ship during the Kwajalein operations , and she screened and patrolled in the forward area until returning to Pearl Harbor 22 May . " Halligan " next joined the screening group for escort carrier s and , carrying Army fighters for support of the Saipan operation . After launching planes 22 June , the task group was attacked the next day by Japanese dive bomber s . After a period at Pearl Harbor , " Halligan " departed 15 September for Eniwetok and Manus , Admiralties . Arriving Seeadler Harbor 3 October , she joined a task force forming for the invasion of the Philippines . Departing 14 October , she entered Leyte Gulf 20 October and was soon in the thick of the fighting as Japanese planes tried unsuccessfully to dislodge the landing forces . While guarding the transports , she survived almost continuous air attacks ; at one point two bombs passed between her stacks and struck the water without exploding . On 25 October she shot down at least two attacking aircraft , one a two - engined bomber . Later that same day , she departed Leyte to screen the battered escort carriers of " Taffy 3 " , withdrawing from their courageous battle against Japanese forces off Samar . She joined the carriers 26 October and steamed to Manus , Admiralties , arriving 1 November . While at Manus , she supported rescue operations following the explosion of 10 November . Two days later she sailed for Leyte , and she finished the year screening for escort carriers between Leyte and the Admiralties . 1945 . " Halligan " ' s next assignment was supporting the invasion of Luzon at Lingayen Gulf . Operating as part of Admiral Jesse B . Oldendorf ' s powerful support forces , she departed the Palaus 1 January 1945 , transited Surigao Strait 3 January , and steamed through the Sulu Sea bound for the western coast of Luzon . Penetrating deep into enemy - held territory , the fleet was subjected to extensive kamikaze attacks . was severely hit 4 January ; and after her survivors were rescued , the burning carrier was sunk by torpedo es fired by . The following day Japanese planes resumed their attacks ; despite withering anti - aircraft fire which shot down most of the attackers , suicide planes damaged several ships during an afternoon attack . " Halligan " shot down one kamikaze 5 January , then sent rescue and repair parties to assist damaged . Arriving off Lingayen Gulf 7 January , " Halligan " screened escort carriers and patrolled in search of enemy submarine s during the important Lingayen landings 9 January . She remained off the Luzon coast until 17 January when she sailed for Leyte as part of the screen for six escort carriers . Arriving Leyte Gulf 22 January , she sailed for Ulithi the next day and arrived 25 January to prepare for the invasion of Iwo Jima . Assigned duty as fire support and shore bombardment ship , " Halligan " departed Ulithi 10 February ; and , after conducting simulated shore bombardment at Tinian , Marianas , she departed Saipan 12 February for Iwo Jima . On 17 February she served as lifeguard ship north of Iwo Jima during preinvasion air strikes . At dawn she sighted and took under fire a Japanese twin - engined bomber , which attacked the ship from the port bow . Hit repeatedly by accurate gunfire , the attacker dropped a large bomb which landed about 100 yards off the port bow and failed to explode . Burning as it passed over the ship , the enemy plane crashed more than a mile away . " Halligan " closed to within 2 , 700 yards ( 2 . 5 km ) of the shore of Iwo Jima 19 February ; and , as the first wave of Marines headed for the beach , she joined other ships in providing a heavy support barrage . Her guns destroyed a Japanese shore battery , and she spent much of D - Day pounding assigned target areas in support of the main landings . Later that day she joined other destroyers screening for escort carriers , and during the remainder of her duty off Iwo Jima she served as a screen and plane guard ship for offshore carrier operations . One of the last destroyers to return from the Iwo Jima operation , " Halligan " arrived Ulithi in mid - March . She was soon underway again , this time as part of the mighty fleet steaming for the invasion of Okinawa — gateway to the heart of the Japanese Empire . Assigned to a fire support unit , she arrived off the southwestern part of Okinawa 25 March and began patrolling between Okinawa and Kerama Retto . In addition she covered minesweeper s during sweep operations through waters which had been heavily mined with irregular patterns . " Halligan " continued her offshore patrols 26 March . At about 18 : 35 a tremendous explosion rocked the ship , sending smoke and debris 200 feet in the air . The destroyer had hit a moored mine head on , exploding the forward magazines and blowing off the forward section of the ship including the bridge , back to the forward stack . " PC - 1128 " and USS LSM ( R ) - 194 arrived soon after the explosion to aid survivors . Ensign Richard L . Gardner , the senior surviving officer who was uninjured organized rescue parties and directed the evacuation of the living to waiting rescue vessels . Finally , he gave the order to abandon ship as the smoking hulk drifted helplessly . The gallant " Halligan " , veteran of so many important operations in the Pacific , lost half of her crew of 300 in the disaster ; and only 2 of her 21 officers survived . The abandoned destroyer drifted aground on Tokashiki a small island west of Okinawa , the following day . There the hulk was further battered by pounding surf and enemy shore batteries . Her name was struck from the Navy List 28 April 1945 , and in 1957 her hulk was donated to the government of the Ryukyu Islands . " Halligan " received six battle star s for World War II service .