USS Cotten ( DD - 669 ) USS " Cotten " ( DD - 669 ) was a of the United States Navy , named for Captain Lyman A . Cotten ( 1874 – 1926 ) . " Cotten " was launched 12 June 1943 by Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company , Kearny , New Jersey ; sponsored by Mrs . L . A . Cotten , widow of Captain Cotten ; and commissioned 24 July 1943 , Lieutenant Commander F . T . Sloat in command . World War II . Departing Norfolk , Virginia 9 October 1943 , " Cotten " arrived at Pearl Harbor 31 October . Here she joined the 5th Fleet , and on 10 November sortied for the invasion of the Gilbert Islands , screening the escort carrier s providing air support and patrolling against submarine s off Tarawa . Returning to Pearl Harbor 7 January 1944 , she sailed with the vast Fast Carrier Task Force ( then TF 58 , later 3rd Fleet ' s TF 38 ) on 16 January for air strikes on the Marshalls on 29 and 30 January . Based at Majuro , " Cotten " participated in the Truk raid of 16 and 17 February ; supported the landings at Emirau Island ; and screened the carriers as they launched strikes on Palau , Yap , Ulithi and Woleai between 30 March and 1 April . Continuing her screening , she joined in covering the Hollandia operation from 21 to 24 April and air strikes on Truk , Satawan , and Ponape between 29 April and 1 May . After a brief overhaul at Pearl Harbor , " Cotten " rejoined TF 58 for the invasion of the Marianas . She screened the carriers during air strikes on Saipan ; sank a sampan 17 June ; splashed a dive bomber making a run on during the Battle of the Philippine Sea of 19 and 20 June ; and screened air strikes on Guam , the Palaus , Yap , Ulithi , and the Bonins . She sailed from Eniwetok 30 August 1944 for raids to neutralize Japanese bases in the Philippines during the invasion of the western Carolines , returning to Ulithi 1 October . Five days later she sortied with TF 38 for strikes on Okinawa , northern Luzon and Formosa from 10 to 14 October . When the crippled and were used as lures to draw out the Japanese Fleet ( " BaitDiv 1 " ) , " Cotten " waited with the striking force , then from 15 October she operated in support of the Leyte landings as aircraft from her carriers struck Luzon repeatedly . She fought off the air attacks on the escort carriers during the Battle of Surigao Strait phase of the Battle for Leyte Gulf on 24 , 25 , and 26 October and joined in the pursuit of the remnants of the Japanese fleet after the battle . She rejoined TF 38 to pound Luzon from 5 November , survived the 18 December typhoon which damaged the 3d Fleet , and arrived at Ulithi to repair storm damage and replenish 24 December . On 30 December 1944 " Cotten " in TF 38 put to sea to support the invasion of Luzon by screening during strikes on Formosa , Luzon ( 6 – 7 January ) , Camranh Bay , Indo - China ; Hong Kong and Canton ; and the Nansei Shoto . On 10 February the task force ( again TF 58 ) sortied to open the Iwo Jima operation with a strike on Honshū on 16 February , with " Cotten " on the advanced scouting line . They returned to Iwo Jima to fly cover over the invasion landings on 19 February . Except for screening another raid on Japan on 25 February and one on Okinawa on 1 March , " Cotten " remained on fire support duty off Iwo Jima until 28 March . With she swept the area for Japanese shipping on 14 and 15 March , sinking two enemy picket boats . After overhaul and training on the west coast , " Cotten " sailed by way of Pearl Harbor for the raid on Wake Island of 6 August , called at Eniwetok and Guam , and anchored in Tokyo Bay 3 September . She remained in Japan carrying out a variety of occupation duties until 5 December when she sailed for home , arriving at San Diego , California 22 December and New York 17 January 1946 . " Cotten " was placed out of commission in reserve at Charleston , South Carolina , 15 July 1946 . The wartime exploits of " Cotten " are the subject of the novel " 200 , 000 Miles Aboard the Destroyer Cotten " by C . Snelling Robinson who served aboard her during World War II . ISBN 0873386450 ISBN 978 - 0873386456 . 1951 – 1960 . Recommissioned 3 July 1951 , " Cotten " conducted operations in the Caribbean and acted as plane guard at Mayport , Fla . , before sailing from her homeport of Newport , R . I . 18 May 1953 for a tour of duty in the western Pacific during which she patrolled off Korea . Sailing westward from Japan to complete a round - the - world cruise , she arrived home 15 January 1954 . Local operations and exercises in the Caribbean were followed by a tour with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean from 28 July to 28 November 1955 . On 4 January 1957 she departed Newport for a new area of operations . Calling at Trinidad , Freetown , Mombasa , Karachi , and Aden , " Cotten " operated between Massawa and Aden , Cape Town , and Freetown before returning to Newport 1 July 1957 . On 3 September she sailed for 6th Fleet duty in the Mediterranean . Returning to Newport 27 November , " Cotten " continued east coast and Caribbean operations until making a final tour of duty in the Mediterranean , Red Sea , and Persian Gulf between March and November 1959 . On 2 May 1960 , she was decommissioned and placed in reserve at Norfolk , Virginia " Cotten " was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register 1 December 1974 . She was sold 31 July 1975 and broken up for scrap . Awards . " Cotten " received nine battle star s for World War II service and one for Korean War service .