USS McDermut ( DD - 677 ) USS " McDermut " ( DD - 677 ) was a " Fletcher " - class destroyer of the United States Navy , the second Navy ship named for Lieutenant Commander David A . McDermut . " McDermut " was laid down 14 June 1943 by the Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co . , Kearny , N . J . ; launched 17 October 1943 ; sponsored by Mrs . Woodrow Wilson , widow of the 28th President ; and commissioned 19 November 1943 , Comdr . P . L . Wirtz in command . World War II . " McDermut " , departed New York 25 January 1944 for duty with the Pacific Fleet . She arrived at Kwajalein 4 March , remained until the 20th and then crossed to Majuro where she joined the Fast Carrier Task Force ( then 5th Fleet ' s TF 58 , later 3rd Fleet ' s TF 38 ) . She sortied with Task Group 58 . 2 ( TG 58 . 2 ) , 22 March , and before returning to Majuro , 6 April , participated in strikes on Palau , Yap , Ulithi , and Woleai . Next assigned to cargo and escort work , she steamed back to Pearl Harbor , returning to Kwajalein 31 May . On 10 June she got underway with TG 52 . 17 for Saipan and preinvasion bombardment duties . Assigned to fire support during the landing operations , the destroyer cruised off Tanapag Harbor , firing on small Japanese demolition craft as they attempted to set fire to shipping there . After the 17th she took up antisubmarine and antiaircraft patrol duties which she continued until the 24th . She then steamed to Eniwetok where she joined TF 53 , and with that force bombarded the shore and then covered the landings at Guam . On 22 July she returned to the Saipan - Tinian area for further fire support duties during mopping up operations on the latter island . " McDermut " , detached from her second duty with TG 52 . 17 , 4 August , sailed to Guadalcanal for rehearsal landings in preparation for the Palau offensive . By 15 September she was in position off Peleliu to support the 1st Marine Division as it landed , shifting to Angaur on the 17th to assist Army assault units . Departing the Palaus on 21 August , she headed northeast for ASW / AAW patrol duty during the occupation of Ulithi Atoll . Assigned next to the 7th Fleet , " McDermut " reported 1 October at Manus Island , the staging area for the Leyte operation . On 11 October , the fleet sortied from Seeadler Harbor , entering Leyte Gulf in the early morning hours of the 20th . On that morning " McDermut " , screening the transports as they approached the Dulag landing area , warded off enemy planes and rescued downed American pilots . In the afternoon , she was ordered to join with and in an anti torpedo - boat screen in Surigao Strait . Later , as reports of Japanese fleet movements were added to the seemingly constant air attacks on shipping in Leyte Gulf , two more ships of Destroyer Squadron 54 ( DesRon 54 ) , and , joined the screen . On the night of the 24th Rear Admiral Jesse B . Oldendorf deployed his forces for what was to be the last engagement of a battleline , the Battle of Surigao Strait . ComDesRon 54 divided his ships into eastern and western Attack Groups to launch offensive torpedo attacks as the Japanese steamed up the strait . " McDermut " was assigned to the Western Group with Monssen and positioned close to the Leyte shore . Soon after midnight the enemy was reported entering the strait . Between 03 : 00 and 03 : 01 the Eastern Group commenced launching torpedoes , firing 27 “ fish ” in less than 2 minutes . At 03 : 10 " McDermut " and " Monssen " launched their attack . At 03 : 20 explosions flashed , " McDermut " ’ s torpedoes hitting three destroyers . " Yamagumo " sank immediately , while and " Asagumo " were disabled and drifting , the latter having lost her bow . After launching their torpedoes , the destroyers retired north as planned , hugging the coastlines of Leyte and Dinagat to avoid fire from the ships of DesRons 24 and 56 and those of the battleline . The squadron ’ s total score with its 47 torpedoes , was five hits and three enemy ships sunk , more than earning Admiral Oldendorf ’ s praise of a “ brilliantly conceived and well executed ” torpedo attack . The following evening " McDermut " departed for Hollandia , arriving 30 October . During November she screened convoys to Leyte and in December headed for the Sulu Sea to support the initial attack on Mindoro on the 15th . By the 26th she was back in Leyte Gulf to take up patrol at the entrance to San Pedro Bay . On 11 January 1945 " McDermut " steamed into Lingayen Gulf for shore bombardment duty with the reinforcement echelon for Luzon operations . She departed on the 15th , and 8 days later arrived at Ulithi for a 2 month overhaul . McDernut joined the fast carriers again , 3 April , as they provided air support for the Okinawa campaign . In the screen of TG 58 . 4 , she participated in strikes on enemy installations , shipping , and troop concentrations in the Ryukyu Islands and Kyūshū . By 1 July the aircraft carriers were once again set to strike at the northern Japanese home islands . On the 7th " McDermut " was sent to intercept the Japanese hospital ship " Takasago Maru " and divert her from a course which would have taken her into the task force ’ s fueling area . On the 8th , the ship was located and a boarding party was dispatched with a message guaranteeing safe conduct if the captain and crew would comply with instructions and courses given . By 10 April , the ships of TF 38 had refueled and were underway to conduct strikes against the Tokyo industrial area . " McDermut " released her charge and rejoined TG 38 . 4 for further strikes on Honshū , Hokkaidō , and the Kuriles . The destroyer was detached from the carrier force 12 August with orders to proceed , via Adak , to the west coast for a navy yard overhaul . On 14 August , she received word of the Japanese surrender , and new orders to return to Japanese waters with TF 92 for occupation duty in the Ōminato Naval Base area . Two months later she departed Japan for San Francisco , Calif . . Arriving in November , she remained in operation on the west coast until decommissioning and going into reserve 15 January 1947 . 1950 – 1963 . In 1950 , as hostilities again flared in the Western Pacific , " McDermut " was brought out of mothballs and recommissioned at Long Beach 29 December . By 6 June 1951 , she was at Yokosuka ready for action off Korea . On the 13th , she rendezvoused with TF 77 for operations along the Korean east coast and in Van Diemen Strait . In August she conducted ASW training off the Japanese coast , returning to TF 77 on the 30th . From 21 September through 4 October she participated in the bombardment of Wonsan and then headed south for duty with TG 96 . 7 off Okinawa . She rejoined TF 77 3 November for another month of Korean combat duty before departing for the United States 7 December . On 12 August 1952 , " McDermut " once again joined U . N . naval forces off the Korean coast , reporting to the bombardment group in the Wonsan - Songjin - Yang - do area on the 13th . In mid - September she steamed to Japan for escort and plane guard duty with carriers conducting training exercises , followed by duty with the Taiwan patrol . By 26 December she was back off the east coast of Korea for flight operations screening duty with TF 77 . On 29 January 1953 she departed for San Diego , arriving 16 February . For the next 10 years , " McDermut " maintained an annual schedule of 6 months of west coast operations alternated with western Pacific deployments . The latter , in 1954 – 55 , involved her in the efforts of the 7th Fleet to preclude the possibility of the occupation of the Tachen Islands by Chinese Communist Forces . During 1963 the destroyer remained on the west coast conducting local operations until decommissioned at San Diego on 16 December . She was berthed at San Diego as a part of the Pacific Reserve Fleet and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 April 1965 . " McDermut " was sold on 4 January 1966 to the National Metal and Steel Corporation , Terminal Island , Los Angeles , California , and was towed away for scrapping in February 1966 . " McDermut " received 10 battle star s for World War II service and 5 battle stars for Korean War service .