USS Converse ( DD - 509 ) USS " Converse " ( DD - 509 ) , a , was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for George A . Converse ( 1844 – 1909 ) . " Converse " was launched 30 August 1942 by Bath Iron Works Corp . , Bath , Maine ; sponsored by Miss A . V . Jackson ; and commissioned 20 November 1942 , Commander D . C . E . Hamberger in command . Solomon Islands , May 1943 – March 1944 . After training at Guantanamo Bay and Pearl Harbor , " Converse " arrived at Nouméa 17 May 1943 , and through the summer covered convoys carrying men and supplies to New Georgia , then escorted ships moving between Espiritu Santo and Guadalcanal . Arriving at Port Purvis 16 September 1943 , she joined Destroyer Squadron 23 ( DesRon 23 ) , with whom she was to win a Presidential Unit Citation ( US ) for operations in the northern Solomons between 31 October 1943 and 4 February 1944 . On the first of those dates , " Converse " sortied with her squadron and cruiser s to provide cover for amphibious landings on Bougainville , and on the night of 31 October – 1 November 1943 , bombarded Buka and Bonis airfields and targets in the Shortlands . The next night her force intercepted a Japanese group of cruisers and destroyers heading for an attack on the transports lying at Bougainville , and opened fire in the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay . The Japanese lost one cruiser and one destroyer in this action , and were turned back from their intended attack on the transports , although the American defenders came under severe attack by aircraft from Rabaul supporting the Japanese ships . " Converse " continued bombardments and escort duty supporting the Bougainville operation , and on the night of 16 – 17 November 1943 joined in firing on a surfaced submarine , scoring several hits . On the night of 24 – 25 November , the squadron intercepted five Japanese destroyers attempting to evacuate critically needed aviation troops from Buka to Rabaul . In a skillfully - executed torpedo attack followed by a persistent chase , during which " Converse " was struck by a torpedo which failed to explode , the squadron sank three of the enemy ships and caused heavy damage to a fourth , while emerging unscathed themselves . While escorting a group of ships carrying reinforcements and supplies to Bougainville 3 December 1943 , " Converse " came under heavy attack from six waves of Japanese bombers . A near miss caused an electrical failure , putting her radar out of commission and resulting in a loss of power forward . Repairs were quickly made , and the Japanese force fought off , but " Converse " sailed from Port Purvis 14 December for complete repairs at Sydney , Australia . She rejoined her squadron at Port Purvis 30 January 1944 for bombardments and hunting forays against Japanese shipping through February and March in the northern Solomons . Central Pacific , March – August 1944 . " Converse " cleared Port Purvis 27 March 1944 to join the Fast Carrier Task Force ( then - TF 58 ) for screening duty during the air strikes on the Palaus from 30 March to 1 April , and with that force covered the Hollandia landings through preinvasion air attacks and bombardment , continuing their fire during the landings 22 April . Carrier attacks on Truk , Satawan , and Ponape at the close of the month found " Converse " continuing her screening duties . Attacks preparatory to , and covering , the invasion of Saipan began 12 June as targets throughout the Marianas were hit . While the landings themselves were made on 15 June , " Converse " ' s task force hit at Japanese bases in the Bonins , then returned to the Marianas to continue their close support . When the Japanese fleet challenged the American operations in the Marianas on 19 June , " Converse " continued her screening through the resulting aerial Battle of the Philippine Sea , a 2 day engagement which resulted in the sinking of three Japanese carriers and the loss to Japan of many aircraft and their irreplaceable pilots . After joining in shore bombardment of Guam and Rota at the , close of June , " Converse " replenished at Eniwetok , and on 4 August , sailed for overhaul at Mare Island Naval Shipyard . Philippines and Okinawa , November 1944 – August 1945 . The destroyer returned to action 3 November 1944 when she joined the screen of carriers covering the convoy routes to newly invaded Leyte . On 21 December , while escorting the first resupply echelon to Mindoro , " Converse " came under attack by desperate Japanese suicide planes , and fired to drive them away as well as rescuing 266 survivors of " LST - 749 " . She gave fire support to the landings in Lingayen Gulf on 9 and 10 January 1945 , and then joined the task unit assigned to recapture Corregidor . Her guns destroyed gun emplacements , barges , suicide boats , and entombed about 100 enemy troops by sealing the entrance to Malinta Tunnel . After brief overhaul in Subic Bay , " Converse " patrolled off Corregidor until mid - March 1945 , and from 18 March to 1 April joined in the invasion of Panay and Negros . Through the next month she carried out a variety of duties in the development of Iloilo as a staging center for the planned invasion of Japan . On 16 May , " Converse " arrived off Okinawa , where she operated on dangerous and demanding radar picket duty until the close of the war . Often firing to drive off suicide - bent Japanese aircraft , she received no damage during the difficult months that followed . On 10 September she sailed from Okinawa for Pearl Harbor , the Panama Canal , and Washington , D . C . , where on 19 October , the ceremonial award of the Presidential Unit Citation was made to her squadron . After overhaul at Brooklyn , she was decommissioned and placed in reserve at Charleston , South Carolina , 23 April 1946 . In addition to the Presidential Unit Citation , " Converse " received 11 battle star s for World War II service . " Almirante Valdés " ( D23 ) . On 1 July 1959 " Converse " was transferred under the Mutual Assistance Program to Spain , where she was renamed " Almirante Valdés " ( D23 ) . The ship was stricken 17 November 1986 and scrapped in 1988 .