USS Jeffers ( DD - 621 ) USS " Jeffers " ( DD - 621 ) ( later DMS - 27 ) , a , was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Commodore William N . Jeffers . " Jeffers " was laid down by Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co . , Kearny , New Jersey , 25 March 1942 ; launched 26 August 1942 ; sponsored by Mrs . Lucie Jeffers Lyons , great - granddaughter of Commodore Jeffers ; and commissioned 5 November 1942 , Lieutenant Commander W . G . McGarry in command . Atlantic and Mediterranean service . After shakedown and training in Casco Bay , Maine , " Jeffers " operated briefly on the East Coast until departing Norfolk on 18 February 1943 on her first transatlantic voyage escorting a convoy to Casablanca and returning 14 April . The ship patrolled off NS Argentia , Newfoundland , for a week before steaming to Norfolk to prepare for the coming invasion of Sicily . " Jeffers " sailed from Norfolk 8 June with Task Force 65 ( TF 65 ) and arrived Oran , Algeria , 22 June . While preparing for the giant assault on Sicily , she patrolled off other African ports , shooting down a German bomber during 6 July Luftwaffe raid on Bizerte . " Jeffers " sailed two days later with Rear Admiral John Hall ' s force for Gela ; and , upon arrival 9 June , she guarded the transports . Early next day the great assault began , with " Jeffers " assigned the task of shooting out shore searchlights and providing fire support for the Amphibious Battle of Gela . As the landing proceeded with great success in the following days , the ship fired support missions and served on antisubmarine patrol . She sailed to Bizerte 18 July , but was back at Palermo on 31 July with cargo ships . " Jeffers " sailed to Oran the next day , and from that port continued to New York , arriving 22 August . After repairs at New York , the destroyer was assigned to convoy duty between East Coast ports and Scotland . As the Allies began the great buildup of men and materiel in Britain for the landings in northern France , " Jeffers " made five voyages between 5 September 1943 and 22 April 1944 . On her second convoy crossing to Scotland , 21 October the ship picked up survivors from , after that destroyer had been cut in two by a tanker . She also took part in salvage operations which saved the stern of the stricken vessel . After training operations , " Jeffers " sailed from New York 5 May 1944 for the United Kingdom , where she prepared for the invasion of Normandy in June . She departed Belfast 3 June for Utah Beach , where she patrolled and provided fire support as troops stormed ashore on D - Day . The veteran destroyer remained off the beach until 29 June , driving off several enemy planes and assisting damaged ships . For the next two weeks she convoyed transports from Belfast to Utah Beach as more troops and supplies were poured into the beachhead , finally departing for the Mediterranean on 16 July . Next on the Allied timetable for the defeat of Germany was another invasion of France , this one in the south . Assigned to screen escort carriers covering the operation , " Jeffers " departed Malta 12 August to join her task group . Three days later , as troops landed between Cannes and Toulon , the ship remained with supporting carriers , continuing to cruise off shore until 28 September . She then sailed for New York , arriving 7 October to prepare for duty in the far Pacific . Pacific service . " Jeffers " was converted to a destroyer - minesweeper at New York , and was reclassified " ' DMS - 27 " on 15 November , She sailed 3 January 1945 for the Panama Canal and California , arriving San Diego for training 17 January . In February she moved on to Pearl Harbor and from there to the great advance base at Ulithi to prepare for the Okinawa invasion , last and largest amphibious operation of the war against Japan . As part of the preliminary minesweeping group , " Jeffers " arrived off Okinawa on 24 March , one week before the landings , and began clearing mines and marking boat lanes . During the assault 1 April the ship moved to antisubmarine screening and air defense . During the great Japanese air attack of 6 April she downed a twin - engine bomber . Six days later , while on radar picket station , she again was under heavy air attack . She downed at least one of the attackers and was nearly hit by one of the deadly Yokosuka MXY - 7 Ohka s as the attack was repulsed . " Jeffers " then assisted survivors of sunken . The veteran ship steamed into Kerama Retto to repair battle damage later that afternoon , emerging 16 April to join a carrier group operating off Okinawa in support of ground forces . She then sailed to Guam on 3 May for further repairs . Departing again 26 June , " Jeffers " sailed via Saipan and Ulithi to Kerama Retto , and spent the next 6 weeks on minesweeping operations north of Okinawa . She was at anchor off Okinawa when the news of the Japanese acceptance of terms was received 15 August 1945 . " Jeffers " steamed into Tokyo Bay on 29 August with occupation forces , and was present for the surrender ceremonies 2 September . She then joined a minesweeping group for vital sweeping operations around Japan , including hazardous operations in Tsushima Strait . Operating out of Sasebo , she continued to sweep in the Yellow Sea during November , getting underway 5 December for the United States . 1946 – 1955 . " Jeffers " arrived San Diego 23 December and steamed via the Panama Canal to Norfolk , where she arrived 9 January 1946 . The ship then began her peacetime duty , arriving Charleston 12 June . She remained there for the rest of 1946 except for a short training cruise to Casco Bay . 1947 was spent on maneuvers in the Caribbean during April and May , followed by exercises on the East Coast of the United States ; and 1948 was spent entirely at various East Coast ports on training duty . After making a short cruise to the Caribbean in early 1949 , " Jeffers " sailed 6 September from Charleston for her first Mediterranean cruise . This was the period of unrest in Greece and Israel , and the ship took part in maneuvers around Malta until October , as America showed her might in the cause of peace and stability . She returned to Charleston 13 October . The next year was spent at Charleston , except for a training cruise to Guantanamo Bay in March . She got underway again , however , 9 January 1951 for another cruise to the troubled Mediterranean . She visited Oran , Palermo , Athens , and Naples during this deployment , again taking part in U . S . 6th Fleet ' s important peace - keeping operations . Arriving Charleston 17 May 1951 , " Jeffers " engaged in minesweeping and antisubmarine exercises until her next scheduled Mediterranean cruise , 5 June 1952 . She operated with 6th Fleet carriers and destroyers until returning to her home port 13 October . " Jeffers " spent the first half of 1953 in training off the Virginia Capes , departing Norfolk 16 September for operations with carrier and units of the Royal Canadian Navy in the Mediterranean . She returned to Charleston 3 February 1954 . Operations from New York to Key West and Havana occupied the veteran destroyer - minesweeper until she decommissioned at Charleston 23 May 1955 . She entered the Charleston Group , Atlantic Reserve Fleet as DD - 621 , having been reclassified 15 January 1955 . " Jeffers " was stricken from the register 1 July 1971 and later sold 25 May 1973 and broken up for scrap . " Jeffers " received seven battle star s for World War II service .