USS Key ( DE - 348 ) USS " Key " ( DE - 348 ) was a 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 returned home proudly with one battle star to her credit . Key was launched 12 February 1944 by Consolidated Steel Corp . , Orange , Texas , sponsored by Mrs . Ira F . Key , mother of " Lt . Key " ; and commissioned 5 June 1944 , Lt . Comdr . F . D . Buckley in command . World War II North Atlantic operations . Following shakedown off Bermuda , " Key " operated out of Norfolk , Virginia , training crews for destroyer escorts and patrolling the North Atlantic in quest of submarines . Clearing Hampton Roads 20 September , she escorted a convoy to Naples , Italy , then returned to New York 24 October . As a unit of CortDiv 76 , she sailed from New York 10 November for duty with the U . S . 7th Fleet in the Southwest Pacific . Transfer to the Pacific Fleet . " Key " arrived Hollandia , New Guinea , 27 December , and between 1 January 1945 and 6 February she made five escort runs from Hollandia to Leyte Gulf . On 9 February she began antisubmarine patrols east of Leyte Gulf ; then she steamed to Mangarin Bay , Mindoro , 19 February for similar duty in the South China Sea . Returning to Leyte 14 March , the versatile destroyer escort operated out of Leyte Gulf and Polloc , Mindanao , screening ships en route to Lingayen Gulf , Luzon ; Zamboanga , Mindanao ; Jolo , Sulu Archipelago ; and Legaspi and Manila , Luzon . After escorting a convoy of LSM s and LCI s to Davao Gulf 15 May , " Key " bombarded and destroyed an important Japanese PT base at Piso Point before returning to Polloc the 17th . After additional escort runs to Davao Gulf , Leyte Gulf , and Legaspi , Luzon , " Key " departed Manila Bay 11 June for duty in the Dutch East Indies . Arriving Morotai Island 14 June , she screened Tawitawi - bound LCI ' s 23 – 26 June before escorting a convoy the 28th to a rendezvous the following day with the amphibious force en route to the assault at Balikpapan , Borneo . While at Balikpapan 7 July , Key rescued a survivor from an LCM sunk by a mine in the harbor . She patrolled for enemy submarines until 22 July when she sailed via Morotai for Leyte Gulf , arriving 4 August . End - of - war operations . Operating out of Leyte after the end of hostilities , " Key " steamed on antisubmarine patrols east of Leyte 22 to 31 August and escorted a convoy to Ulithi , Western Carolines before sailing to Manila 8 September . Between 18 September and 23 November she made two escort runs from Manila Bay to Okinawa to support American occupation operations in Japan . Clearing Manila Bay 25 November , she embarked homebound veterans 27 November at Guiuan , Samar and departed the next day for the United States . Post - war decommissioning . Arriving San Pedro , California , 17 December , she decommissioned 9 July 1946 at Terminal Island and entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet . She was struck from the Navy List on 1 March 1972 and sold for scrapping 19 December 1972 . Awards . " Key " received one battle star for World War II service .