USS Richard W . Suesens ( DE - 342 ) USS " Richard W . Suesens " ( DE - 342 ) was a " John C . Butler " - class destroyer escort in the United States Navy . It was named after Lieutenant ( Junior Grade ) Richard Wayne Suesens ( 30 July 1915 – 5 June 1942 ) who died during the Battle of Midway and was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for " extraordinary heroism " . " Richard W . Suesens " was laid down 1 November 1943 by the Consolidated Steel Corporation , of Orange , Texas ; launched on 11 January 1944 , sponsored by Mrs . R . W . Suesens , widow of Lieutenant ( junior grade ) Suesens ; and commissioned on 26 April 1944 , with Lieutenant Commander Milford McQuilkin in command . History . Completing shakedown off Bermuda and post - shakedown availability at Boston , " Richard W . Suesens " sailed for Long Island Sound on 29 June 1944 . That night , in Buzzard ' s Bay , she collided with . The coastal minesweeper sank and the DE transported survivors to Newport , Rhode Island . Then she continued on , reported for duty at New York City , thence , on 4 July , proceeded south . A unit of CortDiv 69 , she served as escort for ships en route to Mayport , then steamed on through the Panama Canal , reporting to the Pacific Fleet 23 July . On 2 August she arrived at San Diego , whence she sailed with TransDiv 10 to Hawaii . Arriving on 19 August , she trained there until mid - September , then headed west with convoy PD - 89 - T , bound for Eniwetok . There , on 22 September , she joined TF 33 and 8 days later sailed for Manus and duty with the 7th Fleet . Assigned to TU 77 . 4 . 24 , an escort carrier unit , " Richard W . Suesens " sailed for the Philippines 14 October . On 16 October , TG 77 . 4 rendezvoused with TG 78 . 6 to provide air coverage for transports en route from Hollandia to Leyte . Through the landings on 20 October and the covering operations which followed , the DE , alternating plane guard and screening duties continued to operate with the " jeep " carriers . On 22 October TU 77 . 4 . 24 was dissolved . " Richard W . Suesens " with six CVE ' s , three DD ' s , and four other DE ' s formed TU 77 . 4 . 2 and with TU 77 . 4 . 1 and TU 77 . 4 . 3 took up patrol duties to the east of Leyte Gulf whence their planes could provide air support for the amphibious forces , fly CAP and ASP for the Leyte areas , interdict Japan ese supply movements , and drop supplies to Army units inland . Called " Taffy 1 " , " Taffy 2 " , and " Taffy 3 " from the radio call sign used by each unit commander , the units proceeded to their operational areas : Taffy 1 off northern Mindanao , Taffy 2 off the entrance to Leyte Gulf , Taffy 3 off Samar . During the early morning hours of 25 October , the Battle of Surigao Strait was fought and daybreak searches were ordered flown to hunt down the retiring Japanese ships . Planes from Taffy 1 were designated to fly the searches while other units continued air support and patrol operations . At dawn the planes were launched on their missions . At 0645 " Suesens " intercepted ship plane traffic on VHF reporting an enemy battleship and cruiser force closing on Taffy 3 as its carriers made every effort to get torpedo planes airborne along with fighters to drive off the enemy ships . All available planes from Taffy 2 were dispatched to join those of Taffy 3 . The Battle off Samar had begun . By 0720 the enemy force had closed to within 20 miles of Taffy 2 . The destroyers formed a line between the carriers ' circular disposition and the approaching enemy . The escorts remained with the carriers as they continued to rearm returning planes and send them northward into the now visible gunsmoke clouds over Taffy 3 . Through the morning " Richard W . Suesens " , screening Taffy 2 , listened as torpedo planes and fighters conducted aerial attacks and Taffy 3 ' s destroyer s and escorts challenged the enemy ' s larger ships on the surface . By 0920 the latter were only 12 miles from Taffy 2 and their shells splashed among the destroyers , but the battle was turning . The Japanese now so close to their objective - entrance into Leyte Gulf - were no longer on the offensive . TG 77 . 4 , despite staggering losses while protecting shipping in the Gulf , now commenced the pursuit , which , taken up by others , continued until 29 October . Rescue operations and logistic resupply followed on 26 October . On the night of 27 – 28 October , " Richard W . Suesens " resumed screening and plane guard duties and at the end of the month she headed south . Arriving at Manus 3 November , " Richard W . Suesens " spent the next 3 weeks undergoing upkeep and maintenance , then reported for duty in TF 79 , the force staging for the invasion of Luzon . On 31 December the force sortied from Seeadler Harbor and headed for the Philippines . On 8 January 1945 , the Japanese attacked . ( CVE - 71 ) and HMAS " Westralia " ( F95 ) were damaged by kamikaze s , but the force continued on to arrive in Lingayen Gulf in the early hours of 9 January . During the assault , and after , " Richard W . Suesens " patrolled off the transport area . On 12 January as she rescued survivors from ( DE - 508 ) , she was closed by a kamikaze in a steep , full - power dive . Anti - aircraft fire apparently killed the pilot , but the plane kept its momentum and , after skimming the after 40 mm gun , crashed into the sea . The subsequent explosion injured 11 of the DE ' s crew and caused minor damage to the hull . " Richard W . Suesens " then retired to Leyte , whence she sailed on 27 January to screen landing craft to Nasugbu . There , on 31 January , she covered the assault forces as they began their fight to Manila . Retiring to Mindoro on 2 February , she screened resupply runs to Nasugbu and brought out casualties through 23 February , witnessing on 16 February the paratroop landing on Corregidor . Returning to Leyte , she prepared for Operation Iceberg , the invasion of the Ryukyus , and on 21 March sailed with the Western Islands Attack Force . Arriving off Kerama Retto on 26 March she screened the transport area there during the initial assault , then remained on patrol off that anchorage into mid - April when she shifted to the Hagushi Beach anchorage . Employed as a picket ship in the antisubmarine and antiaircraft ring around the Kerama Retto - Okinawa area , she survived the nightly air raids and numerous kamikaze attacks , splashing four planes and assisting in the destruction of two more before retiring to Ulithi on 26 April . In early May she underwent availability at Ulithi , then served as radar picket ship north of that base . On 27 May she returned to Okinawa where , until 28 June , she alternated escort duty with picket ship responsibilities . She then returned to Leyte , joined TG 32 . 1 and between 1 July and 6 August covered minesweeping operations in the East China Sea in support of the blockade of the Japanese home islands . On 7 August she returned to Okinawa where she was employed in escort work for the remainder of the war . From the mid - August cessation of hostilities until late September , she continued escort runs , including one to Jinsen , Korea . Then , on 22 September , she sailed for Japan . There she supported occupation forces in the Wakayama - Wakanoura area through October . On 1 November , she was en route home . Fate . On 21 November " Richard W . Suesens " arrived at San Diego for inactivation . In commission , in reserve , from March 1946 , she decommissioned on 15 January 1947 and was berthed with the San Diego Group , Pacific Reserve Fleet . Although she was later moved to Stockton , California , she remained a unit of the Reserve Fleet until struck from the Navy List on 15 March 1972 . She was sold 13 June 1973 to the National Metal and Steel Corporation , Terminal Island , California for scrapping . Honors . " Richard W . Suesens " earned five battle stars during World War II .