USS Edison ( DD - 439 ) USS " Edison " ( DD - 439 ) , a " Gleaves " - class destroyer , was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for Thomas Alva Edison , an inventor and businessman who developed many important devices . " Edison " was launched 23 November 1940 by Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company , Kearny , New Jersey sponsored by Mrs . Thomas Alva Edison , widow of the inventor ; and commissioned 31 January 1941 , Lieutenant Commander A . C . Murdaugh in command . Murdaugh was allowed to hand - pick the specific 5 " / 38 caliber gun barrels to be installed on the ship himself , but , much to his dismay , President Roosevelt personally ordered them transferred to the British cruiser . In the months following commissioning , " Edison " operated on the east coast , training and exercising with the fleet , with passenger and mail runs to NS Argentia , Newfoundland . In November she escorted a convoy to Iceland , her first of many voyages which kept the lifelines open to northern bases and Britain . On 24 October 1942 " Edison " set sail from Norfolk with a task group bound for the invasion at Fedhala , French Morocco , 8 November . She engaged shore batteries and enemy destroyers at Cape Fedhala and protected shipping lying off the beachheads during the Naval Battle of Casablanca : Returning to Norfolk 1 December , " Edison " made a voyage to Gulf ports escorting tankers , then resumed safeguarding convoys from New York and Norfolk to Casablanca and Oran . From July 1943 to February 1944 , " Edison " served in the Mediterranean Sea . On 10 July she provided fire support for the troops landing on Sicily to which she escorted support convoys from Algiers and Bizerte until September . She screened the assault transports in the invasion at Salerno on 9 September , and remained off the beaches to guard minesweepers and provide fire support for the advancing troops . Continuing Mediterranean escort duty , on 16 December " Edison " screened while forced to the surface with depth charge s and sank it with gunfire . " Edison " picked up 11 survivors . On 21 January 1944 " Edison " arrived off Anzio to patrol during the invasion landings . She provided fire support to the beleaguered troops and escorted transports and cargo ships to the beachhead until February , then sailed home for overhaul . " Edison " returned to the Mediterranean 1 May 1944 for escort and patrol off Italy . On 15 August she was in the thick of the invasion of southern France . Until the end of the year , she continued to pound shore batteries , railroads , and troop concentrations as well as patrol . At New York 17 January 1945 , " Edison " underwent overhaul then escorted a convoy to Le Havre during April and May . Post - war . " Edison " sailed inter coastal from New York 8 June 1945 , and was training at Pearl Harbor when the war ended . She reached Japan in September for the occupation . She left Nagoya on 3 November to be a weather station in the Aleutians . The destroyer returned to San Francisco on 30 December , then continued to the east coast where she was placed out of commission in reserve at Charleston 18 May 1946 , later in Philadelphia , where she lay at end of 1962 . She was sold on 29 December 1966 . " Edison " received six battle star s for World War II service .