USS MacLeish ( DD - 220 ) USS " MacLeish " ( DD - 220 / AG - 87 ) was a " Clemson " - class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II . She was named for Lieutenant Kenneth MacLeish . " MacLeish " was laid down 19 August and launched 18 December 1919 from William Cramp & Sons ; sponsored by Miss Ishbel MacLeish , sister of Lieutenant Kenneth MacLeish ; and commissioned 2 August 1920 , Lieutenant Commander F . T . Berry in command . Service history . After brief duty with the Pacific Fleet , " MacLeish " sailed 5 June 1922 from Philadelphia to join the U . S . Naval Forces in Turkish waters . Until June 1924 , she operated in the Black Sea and in the eastern Mediterranean , protecting American interests and assisting in the evacuation of refugees . In October 1922 members of her crew participated in the landings at Smyrna , Turkey . Joining the Scouting Fleet in 1924 , the destroyer visited various ports in Europe before returning to the United States in July . Shortly after arriving at Boston , Massachusetts , " MacLeish " departed for west coast duty . On 7 May 1925 she sailed for the Asiatic Fleet , arriving at Shanghai 21 June . Operating between ports in China and the Philippines , the destroyer patrolled and trained while protecting American interests . In 1925 , while on this station , members of her crew joined a force which landed at Shanghai during the civil disorder following shooting of Chinese students by municipal police . " MacLeish " remained in Asiatic and Pacific waters until 11 March 1938 , when she was decommissioned and entered the Reserve Fleet at San Diego , California . World War II . With the outbreak of hostilities in Europe in 1939 , " MacLeish " recommissioned 25 September 1939 . Assigned to the eastern sea frontier , she was ready for sea by 1 February 1940 and engaged in maneuvers and patrol duty in the Caribbean before being rearmed in preparation for convoy duty . By the end of January 1941 , with new armament and additional fuel tanks , and following intensive training , she escorted several convoys on coastal voyages . In July , she was transferred to North Atlantic patrol and convoy operations , and continued this duty after the United States entered the war . In the spring of 1942 , she was reassigned to coastal patrol and on 2 May was credited with a probable kill off the Florida coast . By February 1943 , " MacLeish " had safely escorted 12 convoys between Norfolk , Virginia and Key West and 9 between New York and Guantanamo Bay . With the Allied offensive in north Africa calling for an ever increasing flow of supplies , by February 1943 , every available escort was assigned to transatlantic duty . " MacLeish " made two voyages between New York and Casablanca . In June she joined one of the first escort carrier groups , and for the next 7 months steamed over 50 , 000 miles covering the Norfolk - Casablanca convoy route . On the second trip , in July , planes from " MacLeish " s group made three probable sinkings . " MacLeish " served the first 3 months of 1944 as a target ship for marine torpedo planes off Key West . Following overhaul , she returned to convoy duties , departing in May for ports in the Mediterranean as flagship of TF 63 . After D - Day , " MacLeish " escorted one more convoy across the Atlantic , this time to Cherbourg . Next she served as target ship for submarines , passing through the Panama Canal on their way to the Pacific . At Boston on 5 January 1945 , she was redesignated AG - 87 and her topside armament was removed . Following conversion , she returned to Panama to resume duties as target ship , training 25 submarines before steaming for Rhode Island to tow targets for naval aircraft . Decommissioned 8 March 1946 , " MacLeish " was struck from the Navy list 13 November , sold 18 December to Boston Metals Company , Baltimore , Maryland , and scrapped . Awards . " MacLeish " received one battle star for her World War II service . As of 2005 , no other ship have been named " MacLeish " .