USS Earl K . Olsen ( DE - 765 ) USS " Earl K . Olsen " ( DE - 765 ) was a built for the United States Navy during World War II . She served in the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys . At war ' s end , she continued service as a training ship . She was named in honor of Earl Kenneth Olsen , who lost his life while attempting to bring a fellow officer to safety during the night Battle of Tassafaronga , off Guadalcanal , 30 November – 1 December 1942 . Lieutenant Commander Olsen was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross . " Earl K . Olsen " was launched on 13 February 1944 by Tampa Shipbuilding Co . , Inc . , Tampa , Florida ; sponsored by Mrs . H . E . Olsen , mother of Lieutenant Commander Olsen ; and commissioned on 10 April 1944 , Lieutenant Commander W . F . DeLong , USNR , Commanding ; Lieutenant R . G . Nichols , USN , Executive Officer . World War II North Atlantic operations . After serving as school ship for the Fleet Sound School at Key West , Florida , from 24 June to 13 August 1944 , " Earl K . Olsen " sailed to Casco Bay , Maine , for refresher training before reporting to Boston , Massachusetts , on 24 August , for convoy duty . Between 28 August 1944 and 24 May 1945 , she made six voyages escorting convoys between Boston , New York , and United Kingdom ports . On the fifth voyage as the convoy sailed for Southampton , and the collided on 13 March in a violent storm . " Earl K . Olsen " rescued two men and escorted the two stricken ships into Ponta Delgada , Azores , for emergency repairs while " Olsen " rejoined her convoy . Transfer to the Pacific Theatre . At the close of the war in Europe , " Earl K . Olsen " , now under the command of Lieutenant Commander Robert G . Nichols USN , sailed from New York on 8 June 1945 to join the Pacific Fleet , training at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , during her passage to Pearl Harbor . She arrived on 19 July . Heading west again on 6 August , she escorted ships to island ports and arrived at Manila on 3 September . The same day she commenced the first of four voyages to escort LST s to Yokohama , and then operated in the Philippines until 9 January 1946 . End - of - War activity . " Earl K . Olsen " returned to San Pedro , California , on 24 February 1946 , and sailed on 10 March for Norfolk , Virginia , arriving the 26th . On 11 April she got underway for Green Cove Springs , Florida , arriving the 13th , to decommission . Her Captain at decommissioning was Lieutenant Commander Robert G . Nichols USN . She was placed out of commission in reserve on 17 June 1946 . Reassigned as training ship . Assigned to Naval Reserve duty on 13 December 1946 , " Earl K . Olsen " was towed to Tampa , Florida , and served with reduced complement . Recommissioned on 21 November 1950 , she reached Charleston , South Carolina , her new home port , on 7 January 1951 . With her complement increased , she continued to train Naval Reservists , but with a larger cruising range , visiting the Caribbean , France , Spain and Portugal two summers , 1951 and 1955 . From 18 July 1953 , she continued Reserve training duty out of Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , punctuated by fleet exercises . Final deactivation . Reporting for inactivation on 23 November 1957 , " Earl K . Olsen " was placed out of commission in reserve again on 25 February 1958 , at Philadelphia . She was sold on 15 October 1973 and broken up for scrap .