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USS Heywood L. Edwards (DD-663)
Encyclopedia
USS Heywood L. Edwards (DD-663) was a of the United States Navy
, named for Lieutenant Commander Heywood L. Edwards
(1905–1941), captain of , the first U.S. Navy ship sunk in World War II
.
Heywood L. Edwards was launched
by Boston Navy Yard
6 October 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Louise S. Edwards, mother of Lt.Comdr. Edwards; and commissioned
26 January 1944, Comdr. J. W. Boulware in command.
and after gunnery exercises off the Maine
coast departed to join the Pacific Fleet. Sailing from Boston, Mass. 16 April, she transited the Panama Canal
, stopped at San Diego, Calif.
, and arrived Pearl Harbor
8 May. There Edwards, took part in training maneuvers with Task Force 52 (TF 52) under Vice Admiral Richmond K. Turner
, helping to weld the coordinated amphibious force which was to sweep across the Pacific. The ships got underway from Pearl Harbor 29 May for the Marianas with Heywood L. Edwards acting as screening unit for the transport group, and during the initial landings on Saipan
15 June the destroyer took up patrol station to seaward of the invasion beaches. From 21–30 June she closed the beaches to deliver vital fire support for the advancing Marines
, and continued that highly effective duty until 2 July. Edwards then joined cruiser
for the bombardment of Tinian
, another island objective of the Marianas campaign
.
The destroyer returned to her gunfire support role off Saipan
6 July, and the next night, 7 July, she was called upon to rescue a group of soldiers cut off from the American lines and stranded on the beach. Heywood L. Edwards put over her whaleboat
and made four shuttle trips over the treacherous reef
s to rescue the 44 men, transferring them to a nearby LCI
. Between 19 and 21 July she fired more bombardment missions off Tinian in support of the impending landing there
, returned to Saipan fire support duties for a few more days, and got underway from the Marianas 30 July for Eniwetok.
With the Marianas secured, the next objective in the push across the Pacific was the capture of advance bases for the invasion of the Philippines
. Heywood L. Edwards took part in the Peleliu operation
, departing 18 August for training exercises with amphibious forces on Florida Island and sailing for the western Carolines 6 September. Arriving 11 September, the destroyer maintained an antisubmarine patrol around the heavier bombardment units until 13 September, when she was detached to provide close support for underwater demolition team
s (UDTs) working on beach obstructions. On 15 September, the day of the assault on this strategic island, Edwards provided fire support to forces ashore, illumination fire at night, and succeeded in knocking out an ammunition dump next day as the struggle continued. She encountered a group of barge
s loaded with reinforcements shortly after midnight 23 September, and after illuminating them with star shell opened with her main battery. By dawn she had sunk 14 of the barges, aided by landing craft, and had helped prevent the landing of some 650 Japanese troops.
, Admiralty Islands
, where she arrived 1 October. There she joined with Rear Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf
's fire support and bombardment group for the historic return to the Philippines, departing for Leyte 12 October 1944. She conducted pre-invasion bombardment 18–20 October and provided gunfire support for the landings 20 October. This work continued for 4 days under frequent enemy air attack. Then Edwards joined once more with Rear Admiral Oldendorf's force for the impending Battle of Surigao Strait, as the Japanese made a desperate attempt to destroy the landing force.
As Oldendorf's masterfully deployed forces waited at the end of Surigao Strait
, Heywood L. Edwards headed section 3 of Destroyer Squadron 56 (DesRon 56), screening the left flank of the cruiser line. Torpedo boat
s and destroyers made the initial attacks, farther down the strait, and just after 03:00 25 October Edwards and her unit were ordered to attack. In company with and the destroyer steamed down the port side of the enemy column and ran through a hail of gunfire to launch torpedoes. Two hits were obtained on Japanese
battleship
with on the American side damaged but afloat. After this intrepid attack, the Japanese steamed into Oldendorf's trap. As the destroyers retired, his heavy units pounded the enemy line, allowing only cruiser Mogami (later sunk by aircraft) and destroyer to escape. As morning broke over Surigao Strait, Heywood L. Edwards took station on the port bow of the cruisers in search of enemy cripples, patrolled the eastern entrance to the strait for a day, then returned to take up station in Leyte Gulf
.
With the American victory complete at sea, Heywood L. Edwards remained in the invasion area until 25 November, patrolling and protecting the shipping building up in the gulf. She arrived Manus for a much-needed rest and repair period 29 November. Soon underway again, however, she sailed 15 December, and after training exercises in the Palau Islands departed 1 January with Oldendorf's group for the second important phase of the Philippine invasion, at Lingayen Gulf
. Fighting off kamikaze
suicide planes as they steamed, the ships arrived Lingayen Gulf
6 January, and Edwards downed two of these aircraft during a strong attack that day. She then took up her fire support duties for UDT teams, and with the landings 9 January covered troops on the beachhead and fired at strong points ashore. She continued these assignments in addition to protecting arriving and departing convoy
s until 22 January, when she departed for Ulithi
.
, seen as a key base for B-29
operations against the mainland of Japan
. Heywood L. Edwards participated in landing rehearsals 12–14 February 1945 and screened heavy units during the pre-invasion bombardment. As the Marines stormed ashore on Iwo Jima
19 February she began firing support missions, aiding the hard fighting ashore until 27 February, when she sailed for Saipan. The destroyer then sailed on to Ulithi and formed with the supporting forces for the coming invasion of Okinawa
.
The task force for this landing departed Ulithi 21 March, and after her arrival 4 days later Heywood L. Edwards covered the UDT teams' reconnaissance of Kerama Retto
. As those islands were captured 27 March in preparation for the larger landings, the destroyer found herself in the midst of heavy suicide attacks and shot down many of the kamikazes. She covered the UDT landings on Okinawa 30 March, bombarded an airfield ashore that afternoon, and 1 April joined in the bombardment of the assault areas. During the next weeks of bitter fighting ashore, naval forces effectively sealed off the island from any possible reinforcement and effectively supported the troops with gunfire. Edwards and the other vessels had to fight off continuing suicide attacks and other menaces. When destroyer ran aground on a reef 18 May, Heywood L. Edwards knocked out shore batteries which had opened on the stricken ship. She then continued performing fire support and radar picket
duties off Okinawa until 28 July, when she sailed for Leyte Gulf. She had helped to carry out one of the most prolonged and successful fire support operations in the history of amphibious warfare.
The destroyer departed Leyte 2 August, and after a time at Saipan and Eniwetok she got underway again 29 August. Sailing toward Japan, Heywood L. Edwards covered the initial occupation of the Ominato area 6 September 1945 and departed that port 22 October for the United States, via Pearl Harbor. She arrived Seattle 10 November, decommissioned 1 July 1946, and entered the Long Beach Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet.
was loaned to Japan
(ironically, given the ship's extensive Pacific theatre history) under the Military Assistance Program. She served in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
as JDS Ariake (DD-183) until 1974.
Ariake was broken up for scrap in 1976.
and a Navy Unit Commendation
for her outstanding part in the great amphibious operations of 1944–45.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, named for Lieutenant Commander Heywood L. Edwards
Heywood L. Edwards
Heywood Lane Edwards was an officer of the United States Navy. He was one of the first American casualties of World War II, more than a month before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.-Biography:...
(1905–1941), captain of , the first U.S. Navy ship sunk in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Heywood L. Edwards was launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
by Boston Navy Yard
Boston Navy Yard
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...
6 October 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Louise S. Edwards, mother of Lt.Comdr. Edwards; and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
26 January 1944, Comdr. J. W. Boulware in command.
Marianas and Palaus
Heywood L. Edwards conducted her shakedown beginning 25 February off BermudaBermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
and after gunnery exercises off the Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
coast departed to join the Pacific Fleet. Sailing from Boston, Mass. 16 April, she transited the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
, stopped at San Diego, Calif.
Naval Station San Diego
Naval Base San Diego is the largest base of the United States Navy on the west coast of the United States, in San Diego, California. Naval Base San Diego is the principal homeport of the Pacific Fleet, consisting of 54 ships and over 120 tenant commands. The base is composed of 13 piers stretched...
, and arrived Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
8 May. There Edwards, took part in training maneuvers with Task Force 52 (TF 52) under Vice Admiral Richmond K. Turner
Richmond K. Turner
-Footnotes:...
, helping to weld the coordinated amphibious force which was to sweep across the Pacific. The ships got underway from Pearl Harbor 29 May for the Marianas with Heywood L. Edwards acting as screening unit for the transport group, and during the initial landings on Saipan
Battle of Saipan
The Battle of Saipan was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the island of Saipan in the Mariana Islands from 15 June-9 July 1944. The Allied invasion fleet embarking the expeditionary forces left Pearl Harbor on 5 June 1944, the day before Operation Overlord in Europe was...
15 June the destroyer took up patrol station to seaward of the invasion beaches. From 21–30 June she closed the beaches to deliver vital fire support for the advancing Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
, and continued that highly effective duty until 2 July. Edwards then joined cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
for the bombardment of Tinian
Tinian
Tinian is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.-Geography:Tinian is about 5 miles southwest of its sister island, Saipan, from which it is separated by the Saipan Channel. It has a land area of 39 sq.mi....
, another island objective of the Marianas campaign
Mariana and Palau Islands campaign
The Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, also known as Operation Forager, was an offensive launched by United States forces against Imperial Japanese forces in the Mariana Islands and Palau in the Pacific Ocean between June and November, 1944 during the Pacific War...
.
The destroyer returned to her gunfire support role off Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
6 July, and the next night, 7 July, she was called upon to rescue a group of soldiers cut off from the American lines and stranded on the beach. Heywood L. Edwards put over her whaleboat
Whaleboat
A whaleboat is a type of open boat that is relatively narrow and pointed at both ends, enabling it to move either forwards or backwards equally well. It was originally developed for whaling, and later became popular for work along beaches, since it does not need to be turned around for beaching or...
and made four shuttle trips over the treacherous reef
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
s to rescue the 44 men, transferring them to a nearby LCI
Landing craft
Landing craft are boats and seagoing vessels used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. Most renowned are those used to storm the beaches of Normandy, the Mediterranean, and many Pacific islands during WWII...
. Between 19 and 21 July she fired more bombardment missions off Tinian in support of the impending landing there
Battle of Tinian
The Battle of Tinian was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the island of Tinian in the Mariana Islands from 24 July 1944 to 1 August 1944.-Background:...
, returned to Saipan fire support duties for a few more days, and got underway from the Marianas 30 July for Eniwetok.
With the Marianas secured, the next objective in the push across the Pacific was the capture of advance bases for the invasion of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. Heywood L. Edwards took part in the Peleliu operation
Battle of Peleliu
The Battle of Peleliu, codenamed Operation Stalemate II, was fought between the United States and the Empire of Japan in the Pacific Theater of World War II, from September–November 1944 on the island of Peleliu, present-day Palau. U.S...
, departing 18 August for training exercises with amphibious forces on Florida Island and sailing for the western Carolines 6 September. Arriving 11 September, the destroyer maintained an antisubmarine patrol around the heavier bombardment units until 13 September, when she was detached to provide close support for underwater demolition team
Underwater Demolition Team
The Underwater Demolition Teams were an elite special-purpose force established by the United States Navy during World War II. They also served during the Korean War and the Vietnam War...
s (UDTs) working on beach obstructions. On 15 September, the day of the assault on this strategic island, Edwards provided fire support to forces ashore, illumination fire at night, and succeeded in knocking out an ammunition dump next day as the struggle continued. She encountered a group of barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
s loaded with reinforcements shortly after midnight 23 September, and after illuminating them with star shell opened with her main battery. By dawn she had sunk 14 of the barges, aided by landing craft, and had helped prevent the landing of some 650 Japanese troops.
Philippines
The landing a success, Heywood L. Edwards proceeded to Manus IslandManus Island
Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth largest island in Papua New Guinea with an area of 2,100 km², measuring around 100 km × 30 km. According to the 2000 census, Manus Island had a...
, Admiralty Islands
Admiralty Islands
The Admiralty Islands are a group of eighteen islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the south Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-covered islands form part of Manus Province, the smallest and...
, where she arrived 1 October. There she joined with Rear Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf
Jesse B. Oldendorf
Jesse Bartlett "Oley" Oldendorf was an admiral in the United States Navy, famous for defeating a Japanese force in the Battle of Leyte Gulf during World War II...
's fire support and bombardment group for the historic return to the Philippines, departing for Leyte 12 October 1944. She conducted pre-invasion bombardment 18–20 October and provided gunfire support for the landings 20 October. This work continued for 4 days under frequent enemy air attack. Then Edwards joined once more with Rear Admiral Oldendorf's force for the impending Battle of Surigao Strait, as the Japanese made a desperate attempt to destroy the landing force.
As Oldendorf's masterfully deployed forces waited at the end of Surigao Strait
Surigao Strait
Surigao Strait is a body of water in the Philippines located between the islands of Mindanao and Leyte. This strait connects the Bohol Sea with Leyte Gulf and is regularly crossed by ferries that transport goods and people between Visayas and Mindanao...
, Heywood L. Edwards headed section 3 of Destroyer Squadron 56 (DesRon 56), screening the left flank of the cruiser line. Torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
s and destroyers made the initial attacks, farther down the strait, and just after 03:00 25 October Edwards and her unit were ordered to attack. In company with and the destroyer steamed down the port side of the enemy column and ran through a hail of gunfire to launch torpedoes. Two hits were obtained on Japanese
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
with on the American side damaged but afloat. After this intrepid attack, the Japanese steamed into Oldendorf's trap. As the destroyers retired, his heavy units pounded the enemy line, allowing only cruiser Mogami (later sunk by aircraft) and destroyer to escape. As morning broke over Surigao Strait, Heywood L. Edwards took station on the port bow of the cruisers in search of enemy cripples, patrolled the eastern entrance to the strait for a day, then returned to take up station in Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf is a body of water immediately east of the island of Leyte in the Philippines, adjoining the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, at . The Gulf is bounded on the north by the island of Samar, which is separated from Leyte on the west by the narrow San Juanico Strait, and on the south by...
.
With the American victory complete at sea, Heywood L. Edwards remained in the invasion area until 25 November, patrolling and protecting the shipping building up in the gulf. She arrived Manus for a much-needed rest and repair period 29 November. Soon underway again, however, she sailed 15 December, and after training exercises in the Palau Islands departed 1 January with Oldendorf's group for the second important phase of the Philippine invasion, at Lingayen Gulf
Battle of Luzon
The Battle of Luzon was a land battle fought as part of the Pacific Theater of Operations of World War II by the Allied forces of the U.S., its colony The Philippines, and Mexico against forces of the Empire of Japan. The battle resulted in a U.S. and Filipino victory...
. Fighting off kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
suicide planes as they steamed, the ships arrived Lingayen Gulf
Lingayen Gulf
The Lingayen Gulf is an extension of the South China Sea on Luzon in the Philippines stretching . It is framed by the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union and sits between the Zambales Mountains and the Cordillera Central...
6 January, and Edwards downed two of these aircraft during a strong attack that day. She then took up her fire support duties for UDT teams, and with the landings 9 January covered troops on the beachhead and fired at strong points ashore. She continued these assignments in addition to protecting arriving and departing convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
s until 22 January, when she departed for Ulithi
Ulithi
Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...
.
Iwo Jima and Okinawa
Next on the relentless timetable of Pacific victory was Iwo JimaIwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
, seen as a key base for B-29
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
operations against the mainland of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Heywood L. Edwards participated in landing rehearsals 12–14 February 1945 and screened heavy units during the pre-invasion bombardment. As the Marines stormed ashore on Iwo Jima
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima , or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan. The U.S...
19 February she began firing support missions, aiding the hard fighting ashore until 27 February, when she sailed for Saipan. The destroyer then sailed on to Ulithi and formed with the supporting forces for the coming invasion of Okinawa
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
.
The task force for this landing departed Ulithi 21 March, and after her arrival 4 days later Heywood L. Edwards covered the UDT teams' reconnaissance of Kerama Retto
Kerama Retto
The are a group of 22 islands located southwest of Okinawa Island in Japan. Four of the islands are inhabited:,., and. The islands are within Shimajiri District. The Kerama-shotō coral reef is a Ramsar Site....
. As those islands were captured 27 March in preparation for the larger landings, the destroyer found herself in the midst of heavy suicide attacks and shot down many of the kamikazes. She covered the UDT landings on Okinawa 30 March, bombarded an airfield ashore that afternoon, and 1 April joined in the bombardment of the assault areas. During the next weeks of bitter fighting ashore, naval forces effectively sealed off the island from any possible reinforcement and effectively supported the troops with gunfire. Edwards and the other vessels had to fight off continuing suicide attacks and other menaces. When destroyer ran aground on a reef 18 May, Heywood L. Edwards knocked out shore batteries which had opened on the stricken ship. She then continued performing fire support and radar picket
Radar picket
A radar picket is a radar-equipped ship, submarine, aircraft, or vehicle used to increase the radar detection range around a force to protect it from surprise attack. Often several detached radar units encircle a force to provide increased cover in all directions.-World War II:Radar picket ships...
duties off Okinawa until 28 July, when she sailed for Leyte Gulf. She had helped to carry out one of the most prolonged and successful fire support operations in the history of amphibious warfare.
The destroyer departed Leyte 2 August, and after a time at Saipan and Eniwetok she got underway again 29 August. Sailing toward Japan, Heywood L. Edwards covered the initial occupation of the Ominato area 6 September 1945 and departed that port 22 October for the United States, via Pearl Harbor. She arrived Seattle 10 November, decommissioned 1 July 1946, and entered the Long Beach Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet.
JDS Ariake (DD-183)
Heywood L. Edwards was brought out of reserve in 1959, and along with her sister ship Richard P. LearyUSS Richard P. Leary (DD-664)
USS Richard P. Leary was a of the United States Navy, named for Rear Admiral Richard P. Leary .Richard P. Leary was laid down 4 July 1943 at the Boston Navy Yard, Boston, Mass.; launched 6 October 1943, sponsored by Mrs. George K. Crozer III; and commissioned 23 February 1944, Commander Frederic S...
was loaned to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
(ironically, given the ship's extensive Pacific theatre history) under the Military Assistance Program. She served in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
The , or JMSDF, is the naval branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. It was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy after World War II....
as JDS Ariake (DD-183) until 1974.
Ariake was broken up for scrap in 1976.
Awards
Heywood L. Edwards received seven battle stars for her service in World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and a Navy Unit Commendation
Navy Unit Commendation
The Navy Unit Commendation of the United States Navy is an award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944...
for her outstanding part in the great amphibious operations of 1944–45.