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USS Hollister (DD-788)
Encyclopedia
USS Hollister (DD-788) was a of the United States Navy
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 the three Hollister brothers
Hollister brothers
The three Hollister brothers were sailors in the United States Navy during World War II, who were killed in 1943. Unlike the Sullivan brothers, they were not all in the same unit....
, who were killed in 1943 while serving in the Navy during 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...
.
Hollister 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...
on 9 October 1945 by Todd Shipyard, Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
; sponsored by Mrs. Howard J. Hollister, mother of the three Hollister brothers; 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...
on 29 March 1946, Commander W. T. Samuels in command.
1946–1961
After shakedown along the California coast, Hollister departed San Diego, CaliforniaNaval 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...
on 9 November 1946 for operations in the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
. She arrived Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, on 1 December and later that month assisted the Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n Government in the prevention of smuggling. She continued operations in Far Eastern waters until returning to San Diego on 22 June 1947. For the next 14 months Hollister engaged in training exercises and fleet maneuvers along the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
.
Hollister departed on 1 September 1948 for her second deployment in the western Pacific where she joined the 7th Fleet
United States Seventh Fleet
The Seventh Fleet is the United States Navy's permanent forward projection force based in Yokosuka, Japan, with units positioned near Japan and South Korea. It is a component fleet force under the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with...
on peacekeeping operations. She returned to Long Beach on 24 April 1949 and operated in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
waters until July 1950.
Immediately after North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
invaded South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
in June 1950, the United States committed its military might to halting aggression. Hollister was among the first reinforcements rushed to the battle area, departing San Diego on 5 July. Operating with Fast Carrier Task Force 77 (TF 77), she served as a screening ship and performed plane guard duty. In mid-September Hollister engaged in support of the highly successful landing at Inchon.
The 3d Battalion, 5th Marines
3rd Battalion 5th Marines
3rd Battalion 5th Marines is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps. The battalion, nicknamed "Dark Horse", is based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California and consists of approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors...
landed at 06:33, 15 September. Later that day General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
praised the performance saying that "The Navy and 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...
have never shone more brightly than this morning." A week later Hollister took Rear Admiral Ewen (TF-77) for a conference with Commander 7th Fleet. In a message to his command, Admiral Ewen echoed MacArthur in praising its work: "The performance of Task Force 77 throughout the Inchon operations
Battle of Inchon
The Battle of Inchon was an amphibious invasion and battle of the Korean War that resulted in a decisive victory and strategic reversal in favor of the United Nations . The operation involved some 75,000 troops and 261 naval vessels, and led to the recapture of the South Korean capital Seoul two...
has added another page to the glorious history of our Navy and its airpower. It has been made possible only through the determination, the relentless effort and the esprit de corps of a team that is really great. Task Force 77 will sail for the high seas soon and will stay at sea until the North Korean Communists have their bellies full ..." In late September the destroyer was detached for diversionary bombardment in Communist-held areas, effectively weakening enemy positions as American forces smashed north.
In early November 1950, Hollister sailed with the Formosa Straits
Taiwan Strait
The Taiwan Strait or Formosa Strait, formerly known as the Black Ditch, is a 180-km-wide strait separating Mainland China and Taiwan. The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to East China Sea to the northeast...
patrol, returning to Korea in mid-December for support of the Hŭngnam
Hungnam
Hŭngnam was the third largest city in North Korea.It is a port city on the eastern coast, in South Hamgyong Province, on the Sea of Japan . The city covers an area of 250 square kilometers...
evacuation. She continued support operations, anti-junk patrols and shore bombardment before returning to San Diego on 11 April 1951. Hollister operated in the San Diego area until she returned to Korean action a year later. In late April 1955, she resumed duties with Task Force 77, including fire-support missions, patrol, antisubmarine warfare (ASW) exercises and screening duty. Hollister joined the Formosa patrol in August, but resumed operations in Korea before returning to San Diego on 18 November.
The veteran ship operated out of San Diego until 21 July 1953 when she sailed for another Far Eastern tour. Hollister engaged in patrols both off Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
and Formosa
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
to make clear America's objective of protecting her allies. After six months in this area she returned home on 19 February 1954. In September, she was deployed to the Western Pacific at a time when the Chinese Communists were stirring trouble in the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
. During the next three months she engaged in hunter-killer operations off 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...
and had patrol duty in the South China Sea. In late January 1955, Hollister accompanied the 7th Fleet in the evacuation of Chinese Nationalists
First Taiwan Strait Crisis
The First Taiwan Strait Crisis was a short armed conflict that took place between the governments of the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China . The PRC seized the Yijiangshan Islands, forcing the ROC to abandon the Tachen Islands...
from the Tachen
Tachen
The Dachen Islands or Tachen Islands is a group of islands off the coast of Zhejiang, the People's Republic of China. Currently it is part of Jiaojiang District of Taizhou, Zhejiang.-ROC evacuation:...
Islands. Constant aerial coverage from this powerful carrier force enabled the Nationalists to move from an untenable position. This was considered by some as "the most forthright U.S. action against communism since the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
." She returned to San Diego on 13 March for local operations.
Another deployment to the Far East from 27 September 1955 to 11 March 1956, saw Hollister resume her important peace keeping operations in this explosive area. Only six months passed before departing on another tour of duty with the 7th Fleet, this time visiting Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Manus
Manus 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...
, and Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
en route to the South China Sea. In January and February 1957, she operated with the Formosa Patrol and conducted training out of Japan before returning to San Diego 24 March.
Hollister deployed on 25 October on her ninth Western Pacific tour. In the early months of 1958 she operated with units of the 7th Fleet on Formosa Patrol. Units in this area were placed on alert as a crisis in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
threatened the existing government. The presence of U.S. seapower exerted a powerful influence; the crisis subsided. The destroyer returned to San Diego 23 April but sailed again for the Western Pacific on 18 December to operate with the 7th Fleet. Returning San Diego on 13 June 1959, Hollister spent the remainder of the year engaged in tactical exercises out of San Diego.
Hollister departed on 6 February 1960 for her 11th Western Pacific deployment and began patrol duty in the Formosa Straits. This tour of duty also saw her engaged in various antisubmarine warfare exercises with the Philippine Navy
Philippine Navy
The Philippine Navy is the naval arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines . Its official name in Filipino is Hukbong Dagat ng Pilipinas, literally, "Sea Force of the Philippines"....
. She returned to San Diego on 14 June to resume training and readiness operations.
1961–1979
Hollister entered the Puget Sound Naval ShipyardPuget Sound Naval Shipyard
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility is a United States Navy shipyard covering 179 acres on Puget Sound at Bremerton, Washington...
on 15 March 1961 for FRAM (Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization
Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization
The Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization program of the United States Navy extended the lives of World War II-era destroyers by shifting their mission from a surface attack role to that of a submarine hunter...
) overhaul, remaining there through the end of the year for addition of a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
deck and hangar aft. After refresher training, she departed Long Beach, California on 7 June 1962 for duty with the 7th Fleet
United States Seventh Fleet
The Seventh Fleet is the United States Navy's permanent forward projection force based in Yokosuka, Japan, with units positioned near Japan and South Korea. It is a component fleet force under the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with...
. This cruise came after the Laos crisis and Communist insurgency threatened Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
.
She remained in the Far East until 21 December 1962 when she returned to Long Beach. During 1963 Hollister engaged in shore bombardment exercises and antisubmarine training off the coast of California and in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
an waters.
In the first half of 1964, Hollister engaged in antisubmarine exercises on the American West Coast. On 19 June, she departed Long Beach, California, with an antisubmarine group bound for 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...
, arriving on 27 June. After a passage 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...
, she took up station for contingency operations in the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
on 4 August, and received the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States military, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy...
for her patrol services off Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. After continuing these operations intermittently until 17 November, Hollister began transit from Yokosuka, Japan
United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka
U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, or Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka is a United States Navy base, in Yokosuka, Japan. Its mission is to maintain and operate base facilities for the logistic, recreational, administrative support and service of the U.S. Naval Forces Japan, U.S. 7th Fleet and...
, to Long Beach on 23 December, arriving on 6 January 1965.
With three months of overhaul complete, the ship engaged in continuous training exercises from 28 May to 20 August. Deploying again to the western Pacific in August, Hollister was ordered to Taiwan Patrol duty on 14 September.
By 22 September, she returned to Subic Bay
Subic Bay
Subic Bay is a bay forming part of Luzon Sea on the west coast of the island of Luzon in Zambales, Philippines, about 100 kilometers northwest of Manila Bay. Its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility named U.S...
, Philippine Islands, to commence plane guard
Plane guard
A plane guard is a warship or helicopter tasked to recover the aircrew of planes or helicopters which ditch or crash in the water during aircraft carrier flight operations.-Ships:...
and anti-submarine screen duties supporting . Hollister accompanied the aircraft carrier on "Yankee Station
Yankee Station
Yankee Station was a point in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of Vietnam used by the U.S. Navy aircraft carriers of Task Force 77 to launch strikes in the Vietnam War. While its official designation was "Point Yankee," it was universally referred to as Yankee Station...
" off Vietnam, giving valuable support to the naval operations exercised in opposing the North Vietnamese Communists.
On 19 December she left station and arrived in Yokosuka on 30 December, prior to her departure for the United States the following day.
After a six-month repair and training period, Hollister left Long Beach on 25 June for the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
once again. Arriving on 15 July, she screened carriers and prevented infiltration of supplies to the Viet Cong. Hollister remained in the Far East, where she was on station in May 1967.
- [1967–1973]
In September '73 "Hollister" was entered into the Reserve Fleet unit Desron 27, NAVSUPACT, Long Beach, CA with four other ships, the USS McKean DD784, USS Higbee DD806, USS DeHaven DD727 and the USS Henderson DD785. She operated as a training vessel for approximately 124 Naval Reservists. She had an active duty crew of approximately 212. During her reserve assignment she maintained high standards of preparedness to meet any assignment she was called to.
Hollister was decommissioned in September 1979. She was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 31 August 1979.
ROCS Shao Yang (DDG-929)
On 3 March 1983, Hollister was transferred to the Republic of ChinaRepublic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
(Taiwan). She served in the Republic of China Navy
Republic of China Navy
The Republic of China Navy is the maritime branch of the Armed forces of the Republic of China . The ROC Navy's primary mission is to defend ROC territories and the sea lanes that surround Taiwan against a blockade, attack, or possible invasion by forces of the People's Republic of China...
as ROCS Shao Yang (DDG-929). She was scheduled for decommissioning on 1 June 2004 at Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
, Taiwan.