USS Swearer ( DE - 186 ) USS " Swearer " ( DE - 186 ) was a in the United States Navy during World War II . She was later transferred to the French Navy as " Bambara " . " Swearer " was laid down by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company of Newark , New Jersey on 12 August 1943 , launched on 31 October 1943 , and commissioned on 23 November 1943 . " Swearer " was named for Lt . Walter John Swearer who was killed in action aboard during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands in October 1942 . Service history . 1944 . From commissioning until mid - January 1944 , " Swearer " was attached to the Operational Training Command , Atlantic Fleet for shakedown training and post - shakedown availability . On 19 January 1944 , she put to sea from New York City in the screen of a convoy of troop transports bound for the Panama Canal . She transited the canal at the end of January and continued on to Hawaii . " Swearer " arrived in Pearl Harbor on 15 February and remained there until the 29th , conducting training and undergoing repairs . On the 29th , she set sail for Eniwetok Atoll in the screen of a convoy and , after a stop at Kwajalein , reached her destination on 8 March . For a little more than ten months , " Swearer " contributed to America ' s war effort in the Pacific by shepherding the logistics groups which supported the fighting . During the bulk of the time , she operated from Eniwetok and Ulithi atolls , screening the fueling group of the 3rd / 5th fleets to and from fueling rendezvous . In being so engaged , the destroyer escort participated in the raids on Palau , Yap , Woleai , Truk , Sata - wan , and Ponape in March and April 1944 . In early April , she also screened escort carriers from Manus to resupply rendezvous with the larger carriers then engaged in operations in western New Guinea . After a month at Pearl Harbor in repairs , she returned to the central Pacific and to screening duty with the fueling group . She participated in the capture and occupation of the Mariana Islands between June and August , then moved south to Manus to screen escort carriers during the western Carolines and Leyte operations . In November , " Swearer " resumed duty with the fueling group . During these last three months with the fueling groups , she supported the fast carriers as they struck Luzon in the Philippines and as they made their sweep of Formosa , the China coast , and of the Nansei Shoto . 1945 . After repairs and upkeep at Ulithi in the western Carolines , from 21 January to 6 February 1945 , " Swearer " joined a convoy of cargo and troopships bound for the invasion of Iwo Jima . The convoy stopped at Guam for a week , then headed for Iwo Jima on 6 February . " Swearer " and her convoy arrived off the island on 19 February , the date of the assault . For five days , she patrolled the transport area and helped fight off Japanese air attacks , before departing on the 23rd for Leyte Gulf in the Philippines . The destroyer escort remained in San Pedro Bay until 19 March , preparing for the invasion of Okinawa . Between the 19 – 26 March , she screened a convoy of cargo , troop , and amphibious warfare ships to the Okinawa staging area at Kerama Retto . " Swearer " remained in the vicinity of Okinawa for three months , patrolling , screening , escorting , and fighting off kamikaze attacks . She was attacked by a " Zeke " on the day of the invasion , but her gunners brought him down before he could crash her . On 16 April , a " Val " tried to crash - dive " Swearer " , but again her gunners brought him down . The destroyer escort continued to patrol Kerama Retto until 5 July . She suffered two more air attacks during that time , one by a bomber on 13 May and another by a torpedo bomber on 27 June . In both cases , however , neither plane nor ship inflicted damage upon the other . For the duration of the war the " Swearer " was under the command of Captains John M . Trent and Kenneth H . Hannan . During her long tour of duty the " Swearer " received a total of 9 battle stars , 7 for the Philippine liberation and 2 for surviving without injury or damage following actions of aerial strafing , aerial torpedo , dive - bombing , two kamikaze attacks , and Typhoon Cobra . " Swearer " returned to Eniwetok on 12 July , and headed for the United States on the following day . After a stop at Pearl Harbor , she entered San Diego on 27 July , and commenced overhaul . Three months later , she headed south to the Panama Canal , transited it on 4 November , and headed north to Norfolk , where she arrived on 10 November . Decommissioning and transfer . On 25 February 1946 , " Swearer " was placed out of commission and berthed at Green Cove Springs , Florida . She remained there until the spring of 1950 , when she was moved to Philadelphia to repair for turnover to the Republic of France . On 16 September 1950 , she joined the French Navy as " Bambara " ( F - 719 ) , and her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 20 October 1950 . " Bambara " was stricken by the French Navy and broken up in 1959 .