USS Dennis J . Buckley ( DD - 808 ) USS " Dennis J . Buckley " ( DD / DDR - 808 ) was a of the United States Navy , named for Fireman First Class Dennis J . Buckley , Jr . ( 1920 – 1943 ) . " Dennis J . Buckley " was launched on 20 December 1944 by Bath Iron Works Corp . , Bath , Maine ; sponsored by Mrs . D . J . Buckley , mother of F / 1c Buckley ; and commissioned on 2 March 1945 , Commander K . C . Walpole in command . Service history . 1945 – 1955 . " Dennis J . Buckley " sailed from Norfolk on 7 November 1945 for occupation duty in the $ 3 , arriving at Tokyo Bay on 22 December . She operated in the Marianas and visited Manila , Philippine Islands , before returning to San Diego on 13 April 1946 . On her second tour of duty in the Far East , in 1947 , she cruised off the coast of China providing services to the Fleet and joined in exercises off Okinawa . On 1 October 1948 she steamed for Tsingtao , China , where she patrolled during the evacuation of civilians from the threat of the Communist advance into northern China . She joined and and sailed by way of Hong Kong and Singapore ; Colombo , Ceylon ; Bahrein and Jidda , Saudi Arabia ; and Port Said , Egypt , to Athens , Greece where the three ships joined others for a visit to Istanbul , Turkey . She returned to New York on 22 February 1949 , completing a round - the - world cruise . " Dennis J . Buckley " departed New York on 1 March 1949 for a brief period of operations on the west coast , returning to the Canal Zone 10 May for exercises in Caribbean waters . She was re - classified a radar picket destroyer , DDR - 808 , on 18 March 1949 . She then operated along the eastern seaboard from Norfolk to NS Argentia , Newfoundland and sailed from Newport on 15 April for a tour of duty in the Mediterranean with the 6th Fleet , returning to Newport on 6 October for local and Caribbean operations . From April to October 1951 she cruised to northern Europe , visiting Plymouth , Liverpool , and Weymouth , England ; Bremerhaven , Germany ; Antwerp , Belgium ; and Cork , Ireland and Derry , Northern Ireland . Between 1952 and 1955 , " Dennis J . Buckley " completed three tours of duty in the Mediterranean , and served as gunnery and engineering school ship for destroyer officers . She participated in air defense exercises in the North Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico and trained midshipmen and reservists . 1956 – 1960 . " Dennis J . Buckley " sailed from Boston on 1 May 1956 to join the Pacific Fleet . Arriving at Long Beach on 28 June , she got underway on 9 July for a tour of duty in the western Pacific from which she returned to Long Beach on 21 October . During her second Far Eastern tour , in 1957 , she screened , patrolled off Taiwan briefly , and served as flagship for Commander , Destroyer Flotillas , western Pacific , during October , when she was visited by the Chief of Naval Operations , Admiral Arleigh A . Burke . Local operations engaged " Dennis J . Buckley " until 23 August 1958 when she again sailed for the Far East where she joined Task Force 72 ( TF 72 ) to resupply Nationalist Chinese holding the Quemoy Islands against the threat of Communist seizure . Returning to Long Beach on 27 February 1959 , she sailed again for duty in the western Pacific on 15 October . She returned to Long Beach on 11 March 1960 for operations until May , underwent a three - month overhaul , and then resumed west coast duty for the remainder of the year . On 2 July 1973 , " Dennis J . Buckley " was decommissioned and stricken from Naval Vessel Register and custody accepted by Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility , San Diego . On 29 April 1974 the ex - " Buckley " was sold to Levin Metals Corp . for $ 314 , 699 . 00 , which started scrapping her in Richmond , California on 3 July 1974 .