USS Formoe ( DE - 509 ) USS Formoe ( DE - 509 ) was a " John C . Butler " - class destroyer escort acquired by the U . S . Navy during World War II . The primary purpose of the destroyer escort was to escort and protect ships in convoy , in addition to other tasks as assigned , such as patrol or radar picket . Post - war she proudly returned home with two battle stars to her credit . " Formoe " ( DE - 509 ) was named in honor of Clarence Melvin Formoe , born 25 January 1909 in Seattle , Washington . Formoe served in the Naval Reserve from 25 November 1930 , on active duty after 1 July 1941 . While serving in the Air Scouting Force at the Naval Air Station , Kaneohe Bay , Oahu , Aviation Machinist ' s Mate First Class Formoe was killed in action during the Japanese attack of 7 December 1941 . He was posthumously commended for his efforts to repel the attack in utter disregard of his own safety . Construction and commissioning . " Formoe " was laid downby Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company , Newark , New Jersey on 3 January 1944 and launched on 2 April 1944 , sponsored by Mrs . A . L . Bolshazy . The ship was commissioned on 5 October 1944 , Lieutenant Commander J . C . Spencer in command . U . S . Navy service history . World War II , 1944 - 1946 . " Formoe " arrived at Manus from the U . S . East Coast 15 January 1945 , and ten days later sailed for Morotai to join a troop convoy bound with reinforcements for Lingayen . She entered Lingayen Gulf 10 February , and for the next month and a half operated in the Philippines , guarding minecraft and exploding the mines they swept in Baler Bay and Casiguran Sound , and sailing as escort from Lingayen to Leyte . From 21 to 30 March , " Formoe " patrolled off Panay in a picket line covering landings there , then continued her Philippine escort duty , making one voyage to Manus to bring landing craft north . The escort departed Subic Bay 18 April 1945 to stage at Morotai for the invasion of Borneo . She arrived at Tarakan 1 May escorting the amphibious force , and from 3 to 30 May off Borneo , acting as headquarters ship for Captain Charles Gray , the officer commanding all naval activities at Tarakan . In addition to driving off several Japanese air attacks , she fired in four separate shore bombardments to support the troops advancing ashore . Between 2 June and the close of the war , " Formoe " ranged widely on escort duty , calling at Leyte , Hollandia , Ulithi , Manila , and Okinawa . At Manila at the close of hostilities , she began occupation duty with a return voyage to Okinawa , then served as escort for the flagship of Fleet Air Wing 1 for most of the remainder of her career , calling at Shanghai and Hong Kong , as well as in Tokyo Bay . She returned to San Francisco , California , 20 January 1946 , and was decommissioned and placed in reserve at San Diego , California , 27 May 1946 . Cold War , 1951 - 1957 . Recommissioned 27 June 1951 , " Formoe " sailed from San Diego , California , 5 October 1951 for Newport , Rhode Island , her home port . For the next year she trained in New England and Caribbean waters , then served from October to December as training ship at the Fleet Sonar School , Key West , Florida . She had similar duty the next autumn , otherwise continuing her east coast and Caribbean operations until sailing from Newport 13 September 1954 to rejoin the U . S . Pacific Fleet . From February through June 1955 , and again from October 1955 to March 1956 , " Formoe " carried out tours of duty in the Far East , taking part in hunter - killer operations and serving as station ship at Hong Kong . Final decommissioning . Upon her return she prepared for foreign transfer at San Francisco , California , where she was decommissioned 7 February 1957 and transferred the same day to Portugal under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program . Military awards . " Formoe " received two battle stars for her World War II service . Portuguese Navy . After being loaned to Portugal on 7 February 1957 , the ship served in the Portuguese Navy as NRP " Diogo - Cão " ( F - 333 ) until decommissioned on 19 November 1968 . The United States sold her to Portugal outright in December 1968 , and she was scrapped in 1970 .