USS Leonard F . Mason ( DD - 852 ) USS " Leonard F . Mason " ( DD - 852 ) was a in the United States Navy , She was named for Private First Class Leonard F . Mason USMC ( 1920 – 1944 ) , who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism during the Battle of Guam . " Leonard F . Mason " was laid down on 2 May 1945 by Bethlehem Steel Co . ' s Fore River Shipyard , Quincy , Massachusetts ; launched on 4 January 1946 ; sponsored by Mrs . Hillary Mason , mother of PFC Mason ; and commissioned on 28 June 1946 , Commander S . D . B . Merrill in command . Service history . 1946 – 1950 . Following shakedown in the Caribbean , DD - 852 joined Destroyer Division 32 ( DesDiv 32 ) in the Pacific on 22 January 1947 . From 1947 to 1950 , the ship completed two cruises in the western Pacific , as well as stateside operations . Korea , 1950 – 1953 . During the early stages of the Korean War , " Leonard F . Mason " steamed for the Pacific on 13 November 1950 and joined in anti - submarine exercises . On 16 May 1951 she joined Task Force 85 ( TF 85 ) at the siege of Wonsan to fire in the continuous shore bombardment which inflicted heavy damage on enemy bridges , tunnels , and troop concentrations . Bombardment was intense , and performed in cycles of 2 , 3 and 5 minutes . While anchored in Wonsan , the North Koreans attempted to board the ship through the anchor chain , but were unsuccessful . Departing Wonsan on 23 July , she steamed for San Diego , California arriving 8 August 1951 . After overhaul , the ship sailed on 23 February 1952 for the Orient , and again operated in Wonsan Harbor and along the eastern coast of Korea . Departing Yokosuka on 13 September , she arrived Long Beach on 27 September and remained there until 16 May 1953 when she again steamed for the Far East . Arriving in Korean waters on 9 June , " Mason " joined Task Group 70 . 1 ( TG 70 . 1 ) for escort and bombardment action with the battleship off Wonsan and in the Yellow Sea . 1954 – 1963 . After the close of the Korean War , she departed Yokosuka on 20 November for Long Beach , arrived on 8 December , and readied herself for peacetime duty . Between 1954 and 1960 " Leonard F . Mason " made three more WestPac cruises , providing an element of security in the turbulent Far East . During the Suez Crisis of November 1956 she sailed with fast carrier TF 11 on guard against any spread of trouble to the Far East . From May 1960 to May 1962 , " Leonard L . Mason " was homeported at Yokosuka for anti - submarine patrols and other peacekeeping missions . During 1963 she underwent FRAM I conversion at Boston Naval Shipyard , then returned by way of the west coast to Yokosuka on 21 July 1964 . Vietnam , 1964 – 1973 . For the next two years , she operated with various task groups of the 7th Fleet , conducting gunfire support missions off the coast of Vietnam , patrolling in the Taiwan Straits , and serving in the Gemini Recovery Force . Long experience and training paid off on 17 March 1966 when Gemini VIII splashed down early , southeast of Okinawa , instead of the intended Caribbean landing site . " Mason " had astronauts Major David Scott , USAF , and Neil Armstrong and their capsule aboard within three hours and headed for Okinawa , where her passengers and cargo were offloaded the next day . " Leonard F . Mason " then returned to gunfire support chores off Vietnam until June . With an overhaul projected , her home port changed to Long Beach , California . She departed Yokosuka on 17 June and arrived at the west coast on 2 July . The remainder of the year was spent in diverse operations off the California coast , with a trip to Acapulco in November . On 5 January 1967 the destroyer entered San Francisco Bay Naval Shipyard , Vallejo , California , for overhaul . She returned to Long Beach in May , then resumed local operations , including six weeks of refresher training . On 19 September she departed for WestPac , where she conducted plane guard duty on " Yankee Station " and naval gunfire support , until sailing for home , arriving Long Beach on 12 March . Her stay was not long , however , for she left once again for the Far East at the end of July . Yokosuka again became her homeport on 19 August 1968 , and she continued to operate with the 7th Fleet , ranging from Japan to the South China Sea into 1969 . In December 1972 , " Mason " participated in " Operation Linebacker " , together with several other Navy destroyers shelled various targets along the coast of North Vietnam . During one mission , " Mason " came under severe shelling from coastal batteries . The ship ' s starboard rudder was severely damaged from a round that exploded near the fantail . A chaff device misfired , streaming chaff instead of launching it away from the ship . This resulted in a bright trail on the screens of the coastal radar sites . Crew members reported hearing shell fragments hitting the hull numerous times . On 12 February 1973 , " Mason " was the final U . S . warship of the Vietnam War to call at the base at Da Nang , Vietnam . From February to March 1973 , " Mason " was attached to Task Force 78 and participated in " Operation End Sweep " . " Mason " rode shotgun for the minesweepers clearing Hai Phong Harbor . On 2 November 1976 , " Leonard F . Mason " was struck from the Naval Vessel Register . ROCS " Shuei Yang " ( DDG - 926 ) . Following her striking , the destroyer was sold to the government of the Republic of China on 10 March 1978 and renamed the ROCS " Lai Yang or Shuei Yang " . The ship was decommissioned on 16 February 2000 , and sunk on 11 April 2003 to create an artificial reef . Awards . " Leonard F . Mason " received three battle star s for her Korean War service .