USS Black ( DD - 666 ) USS " Black " ( DD - 666 ) was a " Fletcher " - class destroyer of the United States Navy , named for Lieutenant Commander Hugh D . Black ( 1903 – 1942 ) , who was killed in action during the sinking of his ship , in February 1942 . " Black " was launched 28 March 1943 by Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co . , Kearny , N . J . ; sponsored by Mrs . H . D . Black , widow of Lieutenant Commander Black ; and commissioned 21 May 1943 , Lieutenant Commander J . Maginnis in command . Service history . World War II . " Black " proceeded to Pearl Harbor , via San Diego , Calif . , and reported for duty on 15 November 1943 . Shortly thereafter , she steamed to Tarawa and was assigned screening duty off Tarawa Lagoon entrance . She continued this duty until 22 January 1944 , with occasional diversion as escort for transports to the 180th meridian . On 15 January 1944 she rescued 22 survivors of two downed patrol aircraft 50 miles ( 95 km ) south of Jaluit . After seeing her first combat during the invasion of Majuro Atoll , Marshall Islands ( 29 January – 8 February 1944 ) , " Black " rendered fine service in The destroyer then returned to San Francisco , Calif . for repairs which lasted until February 1945 . Repairs completed , she sailed to Ulithi where , upon arrival on 13 March , she reported to the Fast Carrier Task Force ( then TF 58 ) for duty . Between 17 March and 30 May " Black " participated in the 5th and 3rd Fleet raids in support of the Okinawa operation . After a period of rest and upkeep at Leyte Gulf , " Black " took part in the 3rd Fleet operations against Japan ( 10 July – 15 August 1945 ) and , on 15 August , the day Japan agreed to surrender , was present during one of the Pacific War ' s final " kamikaze " attacks . After the cessation of hostilities " Black " remained off Japan assisting in the occupation until 1 September when , as a unit of TF 72 , she departed with the occupation forces for Inchon , Korea . She served in the Far Fast on occupation duty until 10 November 1945 , when she left Tsingtao , China , for the United States . Upon arrival , " Black " reported for inactivation and was placed out of commission in reserve on 5 August 1946 at Long Beach , Calif . 1951 - 1969 . " Black " was recommissioned on 18 July 1951 and reported to the Atlantic Fleet . She participated in type and fleet operations along the eastern seaboard and in the Caribbean until 10 January 1953 when she departed Norfolk , Va . for the Pacific , via the Panama Canal , on a round - the - world cruise . She arrived off the coast of Korea on 4 March and two days later commenced harassing fire on the beach . " Black " continued her Korean operations until 4 June 1953 . On 9 June , " Black " departed for Norfolk , via the Suez Canal , arriving on the east coast 6 August . Until January 1955 , she conducted type training , fleet operations , and plane guard duties along the east coast and in the Caribbean . In January 1955 " Black " transferred to the Pacific Fleet arriving at Long Beach 26 January . Over the next decade and a half , " Black " regularly crossed the great ocean to take her place as a unit of the 7th Fleet , serving as an aircraft carrier escort , taking part in antisubmarine warfare exercises , patrolling in the Taiwan Strait and visiting ports throughout the Far East . Her tenth , eleventh , twelfth , and thirteenth post - World War II $ 3 deployments , beginning in early 1965 , included Vietnam War service . Among her duties during this time were early participation in Operation Market Time coastal patrol and interdiction operations , providing naval gunfire support for forces ashore and screening carriers as they took the war to the North Vietnam ese enemy . " Black " s last overseas cruise ended in July 1969 . She was decommissioned in late September of that year and sold for scrapping in February 1971 . Awards . " Black " received six battle star s for her World War II service and two battle stars for service off Korea .