USS Lester ( DE - 1022 ) USS " Lester " ( DE - 1022 ) ( 1957 - 1973 ) was a United States Navy , named after Fred Faulkner Lester , a Navy Corpsman who was killed in action while assigned to the United States Marine Corps during the Battle of Okinawa in World War II . He was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his heroic actions on June 8 , 1945 . " Lester " was laid down at the Defoe Shipbuilding Company , Bay City , Michigan , on September 2 , 1954 ; launched on January 5 , 1956 , sponsored by Mrs . Fred W . Lester , mother of Hospital Apprentice First Class Fred F . Lester . The ship was commissioned on June 14 , 1957 and decommissioned in 1973 . In December 1957 , after shakedown cruise , " Lester " arrived in Newport , Rhode Island , just before Christmas , reporting for duty to Escort Squadron 14 . She trained off New England until February 8 , 1958 , and then participated in convoy and ASW exercises off the Florida coast . On February 17 , she steamed from Savannah , Georgia , to rescue the survivors of the sunken Italian oreship " Bonitoz " , and then returned to Newport . On May 12 , the ship departed for the Mediterranean with units of CORTRONs 14 and 10 and the aircraft carrier . She arrived in Gibraltar on May 21 joining the 6th Fleet . When the fleet acted in Lebanon and averted world crisis in July , " Lester " played an important role in barrier patrol and other duties supporting the operations . History . On September 29 , 1958 , " Lester " departed Gibraltar and arrived back at Newport on October 7 . For the next three months , she participated in three Anti - submarine warfare exercises with Task Group Charlie , a force of ASW professionals which had the vital mission of improving convoy tactics and doctrines . On February 6 , 1959 , " Lester " next sailed from Newport to join Task Force 86 at Trinidad . She departed Trinidad on February 21 on a combination ASW training and good will cruise to Latin America . The cruise was intended to implement hemisphere defenses and provide practical experience for the four maritime nations of eastern South America . Upon her return to Newport on May 5 , she proceeded to Boston , Massachusetts for overhaul , remaining there for the rest of the summer . She was back at Newport in early September , and sailed on September 11 for refresher training exercises at Guantanamo Bay . During this period the ship operated with units of the British , Dutch , and Greek navies . She returned to Newport on October 20 for one more exercise with Task Group Charlie . January 1960 found " Lester " participating in operation " Springboard " in the Caribbean . The following months were spent in convoy and individual exercises developing ASW tactics . During September and October , the ship steamed to northern Europe to take part in NATO fall convoy exercises , after which she returned to Newport to prepare for the 1961 operation " Springboard " . After a brief operation in the North Atlantic , " Lester " overhauled at Boston from September to November 20 , then cruised to Guantanamo Bay for refresher training . For the next two years , " Lester " continued similar operations . A highlight was UNITAS III on ASW exercises with South American navies . Departing on August 16 , 1962 , she steamed over 18 , 000 miles and received more than 20 , 000 visitors . " Lester " entered Boston Naval Shipyard on September 12 for a major conversion to improve her ASW capabilities . On January 22 , 1964 , " Lester " resumed operations from Newport . These included a joint United States - Canadian ASW operation in May and another in September following her assignment to newly formed Escort Squadron 8 . In late January 1965 , " Lester " left for Key West , Florida , for surveillance duty and to provide school services for the Fleet Sonar School . She returned to Newport in late February , and on March 16 , departed for operation " Springboard " . She joined a United States - Canadian exercise in May , and again in June for operation " Pole Star . " After a brief operation in July , the vessel entered Boston Naval Shipyard for a restricted availability period . On the day before Thanksgiving , " Lester " returned to Newport to resume her vital peacetime training mission . On January 31 , 1966 , " Lester " began seven months of participation in the Destroyer Escort Petty Officer Training Program , better preparing over one hundred non - rated men for their eventual advancement to petty officer . In June , she also demonstrated the Navy ' s capabilities to cadets from the U . S . Military Academy at West Point , New York . On October 15 , she again entered Boston Naval Shipyard for overhaul . The overhaul was completed on January 24 , 1967 , and " Lester " operated locally until sailing south in March . She served as Sonar School Ship , Key West , Florida , prior to refresher training out of Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , through April . Spending May in Newport , " Lester " departed on January 29 for deployment to northern Europe and the Mediterranean . She returned late in September and spent the remainder of the year in local operations out of Newport . February through June 1968 saw another voyage to north European and Mediterranean waters . Into 1969 , " Lester " continued her vital peacekeeping operations and readiness exercises out of her home port , Newport . In 1970 it was home ported in Naples , Italy and in 1973 , Norfolk , Virginia . " Lester " was decommissioned at Naval Station Norfolk , Virgina and stricken from the Navy Register on December 14 , 1973 . The ship was sold for scrapping on June 18 , 1974 .