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USS Wiltsie (DD-716)
Encyclopedia
USS Wiltsie (DD-716) was a in the United States Navy
. She was named for Irving Wiltsie
.
Wiltsie was laid down on 13 March 1945 at Port Newark, New Jersey, by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
; launched on 31 August 1945; sponsored by Mrs. Irving D. Wiltsie, the widow of Capt. Wiltsie; and commissioned on 12 January 1946 at the New York Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn, New York, Commander Raymond D. Fusselman in command.
, Cuba
, Wiltsie transited the Panama Canal
on 8 July 1946 and proceeded to San Diego, California
. She spent the fall and winter of 1946 engaged in training exercises before departing the west coast on 6 January 1947, bound for the Far East. She subsequently operated out of Tsingtao, China
, on exercises and maneuvers while standing by the American community in that port during rising local tensions between the communist and Nationalist Chinese. Wiltsie remained at Tsingtao until June 1947, when she shifted to Sasebo
, Japan
, for occupation duty. Departing Sasebo on 8 March 1948, the destroyer proceeded to Bremerton, Washington
, for an overhaul at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
.
After training off the west coast, Wiltsie sailed once more for the Far East, departing San Diego on 1 October. Late that autumn, she again operated out of Tsingtao during the evacuation of Americans from that port to Yokohama
because of the Chinese civil war
then raging. During this period, Wiltsie briefly visited Hong Kong
and Okinawa before returning to Tsingtao.
Chinese communist forces rolled southward, and Nanking fell in April 1949. Wiltsie arrived at Shanghai on 22 April, to stand by during the evacuation of all foreign nationals from the city. Over the ensuing days, Wiltsie watched a veritable parade of merchant vessels of many nationalities—Chinese, Dutch
, Norwegian
, French
, Danish
, British
, and American—as well as American, British, and Chinese naval vessels. On Thursday, 5 May 1949, 20 days before the fall of the city to the communists, Wiltsie departed Chinese waters for the last time, bound for Buckner Bay, Okinawa.
From there, Wiltsie soon headed homeward and made port at San Diego, California
on 4 June 1949. She later moved up the coast; embarked NROTC midshipmen at Treasure Island, near San Francisco, California
on 1 August; and departed the following day for a training cruise to Balboa, Panama
, and the Galápagos Islands
. Returning to San Diego on 31 August, the destroyer soon sailed for Hawaii
, where she participated in Operation "Miki", a mock invasion of the Hawaiian Islands in which Army
, Navy, and Air Force
units all took part. Returning to the west coast soon afterwards, Wiltsie spent the period from December 1949 to April 1950 at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard
, Vallejo, California
, undergoing an overhaul.
n waters.
On the evening of 16 August, , with four LST's and escorting destroyers, closed the coast. Capt. J. R. Clark, Commander, Destroyer Division 111, embarked in the recently arrived Wiltsie, assumed direction of the embarkation operation for the ROK troops. He ordered the four LSTs to beach at a pre-arranged site, guided in by jeep headlights from shore. Before sunrise the next day, 327 officers and 3,480 men of the 3rd ROK Division, 1,260 civilians, and 100 vehicles had been loaded.
American forces went ashore at Inchon on 15 September 1950. Wiltsie participated in one phase of this assault, screening the fast carriers of Task Force (TF) 77— , , and —as their aircraft hit communist ground targets to support the advance of troops ashore. For the remainder of the deployment, Wiltsie supported UN troops ashore with call-fire support; screened TF 77 as it conducted air strikes against supply lines and troop concentrations; and patrolled in the Taiwan Strait
.
Wiltsie returned to San Diego in March 1951, underwent repairs at Long Beach, California
and subsequently departed the west coast for her fourth tour of duty in the Far East. In Korean waters, she resumed her screening, call-fire, and interdiction duties. Highlighting her blockading activities of Wonsan
, Wiltsie fired retaliatory gunfire missions against communist shore batteries.
Wiltsie returned to the west coast late in 1952, but soon found herself back in the Far East for her third Korean War
deployment. After leaving the west coast on 2 January 1953, the destroyer patrolled the Formosa Strait for a time and operated off the North Korean coast before shifting to Wonsan. The Navy continued it operations to support UN ground troops, interdicted enemy supply lines by air and by surface gunfire, and blockaded the enemy's coasts.
Eight days after Wiltsie and had destroyed a train near Tanchon
on 3 June, communist shore batteries took Wiltsie under fire off Wonsan, lobbing 45 105-millimeter shells in her direction, scoring a hit on the destroyer's fantail. The ship suffered no casualties and soon resumed her local patrol operations. On 15 June, Wiltsie evacuated 13 Korean civilians from Yo-do Island to Sokcho-ri.
While preparing to abandon the Wonsan siege in accordance with the armistice stipulations, Wiltsie screened minesweeping operations and joined in the last-minute shelling of communist ground targets. In company with and , Wiltsie shelled targets at Wonsan until a few minutes before the 2200 deadline. On 27 July 1953, the Korean armistice finally came into effect. However, Wiltsie remained in Korean waters, screening the continuing minesweeping operations between Hungnam
and Wonsan until 6 August 1953.
, and Sasebo
, Japan; Hong Kong; and Philippine ports such as Olongapo and Manila
. Also during this time, she plane-guarded for fast carrier task forces, patrolled the Taiwan Strait, and undertook antisubmarine warfare and gunnery training exercises.
Between deployments to WestPac and the Far East, Wiltsie underwent regular overhaul and repair periods at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard. In addition, she conducted an NROTC midshipman training cruise; visited Seattle, Washington
, and Esquimalt, British Columbia
; and visited Melbourne
, Australia
, in May 1959 to celebrate the anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea
.
, in which she underwent Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) alterations. She received an enclosed bridge; a helicopter hangar and landing platform; triple-mounted Mk. 32 torpedo tubes; an ASROC launcher; and late model radar and sonar. She also received many improvements in accommodations for both officers and enlisted men. Following this "face lift", Wiltsie conducted refresher training and upkeep before becoming flagship
of DesDiv 72, home-ported in San Diego.
Following sonar
calibrations at Puget Sound, Wiltsie spent one week off southern California, participating in exercises. After the conclusion of this maneuver, Wiltsie departed the west coast for the Far East, leaving San Diego on 18 May 1963. Arriving at Yokosuka on 6 June, via Pearl Harbor and Midway
, Wiltsie soon got underway for a 30-day Taiwan Strait mission. During this time, she visited Keelung
and Kaohsiung
, Formosa. Her scheduled rest period at Hong Kong at the end of the assignment had to be cancelled because of a typhoon.
Returning to Yokosuka for upkeep on 30 July, Wiltsie departed in early August for participation in Exercise "Tire Iron."
Wiltsie subsequently operated out of Sasebo and Yokosuka into the fall of 1963; she departed Sasebo on 29 October and operated briefly with TG 77.6 until 10 November, when she was detached to return home. After a stop at Pearl Harbor, the destroyer made port at San Diego on 24 November.
In January 1964, Wiltsie joined , Theodore E. Chandler, and in anti-aircraft warfare exercises off the west coast and served as a plane guard for the carrier. She subsequently moved westward to the middle Pacific with Ticonderoga and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 18 February. After completing her exercises in Hawaiian waters, she returned to the west coast in the spring and participated in antisubmarine and antiair warfare training with and .
In June, Wiltsie embarked midshipmen for a six-week training program and later underwent 10 days of hull repairs at Long Beach. Later in the month, she participated in exercises in support of Marine Corps units engaged in night reconnaissance and in amphibious and paratroop landing training at San Clemente Island
and at Camp Del Mar, California.
Drydocked during August and September for hull and sonar dome repair, Wiltsie put to sea soon afterwards for tests and trials of her DASH (drone antisubmarine helicopter) qualification system which ended successfully on 3 November. The destroyer subsequently participated in Operation "Union Square", an extensive fleet exercise, before returning to San Diego to prepare for the ship's 14th WestPac deployment.
in February.
The destroyer spent 69 of her next 80 days at sea in Vietnamese waters. She served in a variety of roles, including antisubmarine warfare screening ship, plane guard destroyer, and early warning picket ship. In March, before proceeding to Hong Kong, she shadowed a Russia
n intelligence ship which was gathering information on American task groups.
Wiltsie again sailed for Vietnam and operated with TG 71.1 on Operation Market Time
, engaged in patrolling the South Vietnamese coastline.
In May and June, Wiltsie conducted several gunfire support missions against Viet Cong supply depots and troop concentrations in South Vietnam. During this deployment, Wiltsie transferred 64.2 short tons of stores from by the vertical replenishment method.
Following a visit to Japan in mid-June, Wiltsie returned to the United States, arriving at San Diego on 2 July. Wiltsie next underwent a period of repairs and refresher training which carried over into 1966. After taking part in training evolutions off the west coast in the spring, Wiltsie again headed for the Orient on 4 June 1966. While at Guam
for a refueling stop, the destroyer suffered slight damage on 22 June when a fuel barge collided with the ship, necessitating repairs which delayed her for 15 hours.
On 2 July, Wiltsie commenced duty with TU 70.8.9, a naval gunfire support unit.
After a brief period of upkeep, Wiltsie proceeded to the northern search and rescue (SAR) station, approximately 50 miles east of the North Vietnamese port of Haiphong
, to stand by with Towers ready to recover downed airmen. For two periods—from 31 July to 2 September and from 28 September to 1 November, Wiltsie patrolled the northern SAR station. In August and again in October, the destroyer participated in rescues from the waters off the North Vietnamese coast, saving a total of nine men. The ship acted as a refueling vessel for units of Helicopter Squadron 6.
Upon completion of these SAR duties, Wiltsie prepared for her homeward voyage. She called at the port of Hualien, Taiwan, on 4 November, for a five-day visit. She departed Nationalist Chinese waters on 10 November, made a fuel stop at Okinawa the next day, and arrived at Yokosuka on 14 November.
Wiltsie joined TG 77.8, based around , and stood out of Yokosuka on 22 November, bound for the west coast. Three days out, the task group ran into bad weather. High winds prevailed for five days, and all ships suffered moderate storm damage. The heavy seas battered open a seam forward in Wiltsie; caused three cracks in the fantail area of the main deck and the loss of two ladders; and ripped two holes in the port bow of the motor whaleboat.
An underway replenishment with on the evening of 29 November turned out to be a difficult affair. Only after three separate approaches, seven fuel hose separations, and seven hours alongside was the fueling completed. The ship remained blackened by oil on parts of her superstructure and hull sides until after she arrived at San Diego on 3 December. Wiltsie moored at San Diego for upkeep which would last into the new year, 1967.
Following operations off the southern California coast, Wiltsie departed San Diego on 19 September 1967. After stopovers at Pearl Harbor
and Guam
, the destroyer arrived at Subic Bay
on 11 October. Shifting to Da Nang
, South Vietnam, soon afterwards, Wiltsie moved to the northern SAR station on 21 October and shifted to the southern SAR station five days later. Typhoon "Emma" forced the ship to sortie from Tonkin Gulf on 5 November, before the storm abated enough to allow the ship to resume her operations on the 7th.
During this tour, she assisted in the search for two men lost overboard from . and also took part, but high seas and strong winds hampered search operations and prevented any of the ships from sighting the men.
On 13 November, Wiltsie relieved on the northern SAR station, only to be relieved in turn by . After rest and relaxation at Hong Kong
, an upkeep alongside , and an in-port period at Subic Bay, Wiltsie returned to the SAR station in Tonkin Gulf, operating in company with King. During this second deployment, Wiltsie participated in six rescues involving 10 men. The first took place at 1420 on 22 December, when an A-7 Corsair II
from VA-147 went down at a position some 40 miles northwest of King.
An intensive search failed to locate the downed plane's pilot, and all search aircraft were vectored back to their base. Wiltsie refueled a helicopter during this period when the chopper approached the ship low on fuel. The Christmas cease-fire which went into effect on 25 December resulted in only photo-reconnaissance flights being run against North Vietnam; no SAR opportunities were thus presented to Wiltsie and King until 29 December, when an F-4 Phantom of VF-161 (Coral Sea) crashed 51 miles from the northern SAR station among some islands off the coast near Haiphong
. King guided a helicopter to the scene and it picked up both pilots—cold but well—and returned them to their carrier, Coral Sea.
Monsoons limited air action over the last few days of 1967 and the first few days of 1968. Two Oriskany planes went down on 10 January 1968; Wiltsie provided communications relays where necessary and closely plotted aircraft positions, while King assumed air control function and direction. The latter's UH-2 helicopter picked up two pilots from one of the planes while a logistics helo plucked the crewman of the second plane from the water. Later in the day, King picked up two more downed pilots, giving her a total of four for the day.
After being relieved by and , King sailed to Subic Bay and Wiltsie to Hong Kong before she, too, headed for Subic Bay, where she arrived on the 23d. Three days later, while at Subic Bay, Wiltsie received word of the capture of the American intelligence-gathering vessel . On the following day, Wiltsie and King sailed for SAR station to relieve De Haven and Reeves a day early.
When the SAR station was shifted south, Wiltsie, King, and the PIRAZ station ship conducted joint patrols in the heavy weather hanging over the station. Wiltsies SAR tour was largely uneventful, as monsoon activity curtailed American air strikes over the north, and no opportunities presented themselves to pick up airmen.
Relieved by on station on 17 February, Wiltsie sailed to Subic Bay where she offloaded part of her ammunition in preparation for the cruise home. Departing there on 22 February in company with Buck and King, Wiltsie and her consorts made a fuel stop at Darwin
and visited Brisbane from 2 March to 7 March before proceeding on to the west coast of the United States.
Following stops at Pago Pago, American Samoa
, and Pearl Harbor, for fuel, Wiltsie moored at San Diego on 23 March and remained there into May. On 22 May, she became schoolship for an engineering officers' course and performed this duty until 9 June Assigned plane guard duties for during that ship's carrier qualification evolution from 10 June to 22 June, Wiltsie put her own motor whaleboat in the water on one occasion when one of the carrier's F-8 Crusader
s went into the water immediately after takeoff. However, Hancock's rescue helo effected the rescue before the destroyer's boat arrived.
On the 26th, Wiltsie sailed for San Francisco Bay to undergo an overhaul at the naval shipyard at Vallejo, California
. Emerging from the yard on 6 November, Wiltsie spent the remainder of 1968 in refresher training which continued into the spring of 1969.
Departing San Diego on 16 April 1969, in company with the remainder of DesDiv 72—Buck, , and —Wiltsie participated in type training evolutions with Oriskany before arriving at Pearl Harbor on 24 April. Underway again soon afterwards, bound for the ship's WestPac deployment, Wiltsie refueled at Midway
, steamed on picket station ahead of Oriskany, and arrived at Subic Bay on 10 May.
Underway for Yankee Station soon afterwards, Wiltsie arrived there on 16 May and was soon shuffled between three carriers—Oriskany, , and —within a 24-hour span, serving successively as plane guard for each. Returning to Subic Bay in company with Ticonderoga on 20 May, Wiltsie underwent a tender upkeep alongside before being shifted to Sasebo, Japan. At Sasebo from 29 May to 6 June, Wiltsie then deployed to Yankee Station to provide "shotgun" services for . When Wiltsies evaporators broke down on the 10th, the destroyer was relieved by and headed back to Sasebo for repairs.
She subsequently operated in the Sea of Japan
escorting for three weeks before returning to Sasebo on 13 July. Eleven days later, the destroyer departed Japanese waters, bound for the Vietnam war zone.
Wiltsie provided plane guard services for Bonhomme Richard until detached to join and on the south SAR station. After conducting antisubmarine warfare exercises en route, Wiltsie spent from 7 August to 10 August on south SAR before deploying to the PIRAZ station with King on the 10th, llth, and 12th. Returning to south SAR on the 13th, she remained at sea there for the remainder of August.
After rejoining Bonhomme Richard, Wiltsie escorted the carrier to Sasebo, Japan, from 2 September to 4 September. Following a period of upkeep and recreation there, the destroyer visited Hong Kong en route to her final commitment in the yietnamese war zone. She was deployed on Yankee Station for the remainder of September, and the destroyer then shifted to Subic Bay. There, she prepared for a gunnery exercise and proceeded to sea on 10 October for operations with and . On that day, Wiltsie participated in sinking the after section of the hull of , the destroyer that had been cut in two during a collision with Australian aircraft carrier the previous 3 June.
Rendezvousing with Bonhomme Richard soon afterwards, Wiltsie and the carrier steamed to Japan, arriving at Yokosuka on 15 October. Two days later, with ComDesDiv 72 embarked, Wiltsie got underway with the remainder of her division to escort Bonhomme Richard back to the United States and arrived at San Diego at the end of a fortnight's voyage. For the remainder of 1969, the destroyer remained in her home port.
Wiltsie conducted an ASW training operation early in January 1970 and returned to San Diego on the 8th. Between that day and 15 April, Wiltsie remained in port. During this time, she suffered hull damage while moored alongside John W. Thomason. "Exceptionally high winds" buffeted the ships together when a mooring camel between the two ships overturned, opening riveted seams in Wiltsie's hull. On 13 March 1970, Wiltsie was drydocked at the San Diego Marine and Shipbuilding Co. and was under repairs there until 7 April.
.
Relieving three days later as picket for on TF 77's northern SAR/ PIRAZ station, Wiltsie operated on station until 9 September. During that assignment, the ship provided in-flight refueling services to ship and shore-based helicopters standing ready to rescue downed aircrews. Although the ship originally headed for Kaohsiung
for upkeep, the track of Typhoon Georgia resulted in a re-routing to Subic Bay.
Departing Luzon
on 18 September, Wiltsie sailed for regions II and III of South Vietnam to perform 22 days of gunfire support duty to assist operations of the United States 1st Air Cavalry Division; the 1st Australian Task Force, South; and an ARVN battalion. During the deployment on the "gun line"—her first since 1967—Wiltsie fired 3,365 rounds of 5-inch ammunition before she departed the station on 11 October and headed for Taiwan for rest and recreation at Keelung
.
While there, Wiltsie was preparing to move on to Japan when urgent orders arrived on the evening of 19 October to report back to the "gun line." Typhoon "Joan" had damaged another destroyer severely enough to limit her ability to fight, so Wiltsie was substituted. Arriving at her station in the Gulf of Thailand
on the morning of 23 October, Wiltsie supported the ARVN 21st Division with gunfire, shelling communist troop concentrations, gun positions, and supply lines for five days, expending 485 rounds of 5-inch projectiles.
Returning to Subic Bay
, she offloaded the special equipment taken on board for the "gunline" deployments—flak jackets, .50-caliber machine guns (for use against possible sappers or small boats), and "pool radio equipment"—and departed the Philippines on 20 January, bound for the United States. After stopping en route at Guam, Midway, and Pearl Harbor, Wiltsie arrived at San Diego on 11 February.
During the ensuing year, Wiltsie remained on the coast of southern California, for the most part at San Diego. In March and April, she served plane guard duty for Oriskany and ; and, in June, she entered the Long Beach Naval Shipyard
for an overhaul which lasted until mid-November 1971.
On 19 February 1972, the destroyer was notified that, effective 1 July, she would be assigned to the Naval Reserve Force and based at San Francisco for training duty. While she was in the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard preparing for her new role, however, she received word on 22 May that—instead of beginning reserve duty in July—she would head back to the Far East for her 19th deployment in the western Pacific.
On 25 July, Wiltsie sailed for the Orient in company with and and touched at Pearl Harbor, Midway, and Guam before arriving at Subic Bay on 16 August.
Refueling and rearming from on the 29th, Wiltsie headed north, for Japan, sidestepping Typhoon "Kate" en route. She reduced her speed to 12 knots (23.5 km/h) in the worsening weather conditions before putting into Buckner Bay, Okinawa, to refuel on 2 November before again setting out for Sasebo. The next morning, while underway and approaching the coast of Kyushu, Fire Control Technician 3d Class Bernhardt L. Olsen was swept over the side. Wiltsie, joined by Richard B. Anderson, and the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force vessels Asagunmo, Makiguma, and Hic-kugo, conducted a day-long search for her missingsailor but came away empty-handed. A few days later, his body was discovered washed up on a nearby island.
Later departing Sasebo on 6 November, she served as screen for King as a Peacetime Aerial Reconnaissance Program (PARPRO) picket in the Sea of Japan
from the 8th to the 10th, before returning to Sasebo. Shifting to Korean waters for a port visit to Pusan, South Korea, from 27 November to 30 November, and replenishing at Sasebo, Wiltsie served a second tour as PARPRO picket ship for from 30 November to 6 December.
Subsequently returning again to Sasebo to replenish, Wiltsie refueled at Keelung and spent Christmas at Hong Kong before shifting to the Philippines where she spent the remainder of 1970. Early in 1971, the destroyer returned to Vietnamese coastal waters to render gunfire support for South Vietnamese army units between 4 January and 18 January 1971.
Undergoing four days of upkeep and repairs alongside , Wiltsie prepared for another "gun line" mission off the Vietnamese coast. The destroyer loaded the extra equipment necessary for her specialized support role—flak jackets for exposed personnel, .50-caliber machine guns, and special radio equipment for contacting shore units calling for gunfire support. Wiltsie departed Subic Bay on 21 August.
On 23 August, Wiltsie became part of TG 75.9, operating off the Northern Military Region I. While providing gunfire support for Operation "Lam Son 72", the destroyer fired some 1,803 rounds of 5-inch shells to support the ARVN 147th Brigade in efforts to destroy enemy forces in their area. Typhoon "Elsie", which was approaching near the DMZ, temporarily suspended Wiltsie's gunfire support operations while she sidestepped the tropical disturbance by moving to safer waters. Resuming her operations after three days of typhoon evasion, Wiltsie returned to the "gun line" and supported ARVN operations around Quang Tri City. Ordered to proceed south on 6 September, Wiltsie departed the waters off northern South Vietnam to fire gunnery missions supporting the 2d ARVN Division in the vicinity of Chu Lai.
Terminating her operations supporting the 2d ARVN Division to shift to interdiction of waterborne logistics craft and surveillance of merchant ships in the Hon La anchorage in North Vietnam, Wiltsie found diversified operations and hostile fire in store for her. Her 5-inch guns wreaked havoc on storage dumps, coastal defense sites, radar installations, and supply routes. On 14 September, she spotted a crippled A-7 Corsair plunging into the Gulf of Tonkin and rescued the pilot from the water.
Two days later, she conducted a single-ship raid against a bridge on a major North Vietnamese supply route. During the action, she came under fire from North Vietnamese shore batteries that fired some 70 rounds at the destroyer. This was the only time that the ship came under hostile fire in Vietnam. The next day, Wiltsie and two other ships conducted a "reactive strike" on the coastal defense site, pounding it with 5-inch gunfire. Supply route and waterborne supply interdiction continued thereafter until Wiltsie, relieved by , departed the area on the 20th.
Returning to Subic Bay for upkeep on the 21st, the destroyer remained in port until 27 September when she sailed for the Gulf of Thailand for gunnery support duties off the west coast of Vietnam. Between late September and early November, Wiltsie operated on station in the Gulf of Thailand. During the gunfire operations, she expended 1,940 rounds of 5-inch into the U Minh forest, supporting the ARVN 21st Division. Gunfire direction was provided by air spotting, but the dense foliage of the U Minh forest often prevented assessment of results.
In addition to her gunfire support duties, Wiltsie was given the task of detecting and tracking waterborne supply traffic. Supported in this operation by P-3 Orion
patrol planes, Wiltsie discouraged the enemy from attempting supply by sea along the western coastline of South Vietnam. Henry W. Tucker relieved Wiltsie on 2 November.
After a week of upkeep at Singapore, Wiltsie resumed gunfire support operations in Military Region I near the DMZ. She spent a week firing round-the-clock gunfire support missions before joining with TU 72.0.1, as plane-guard destroyer. Between 21 November and 8 December, she escorted the attack carrier as she launched air strikes against enemy forces ashore. In the predawn hours of 28 November, an A-6 Intruder
crashed upon takeoff; and Wiltsie proceeded to the scene of the accident, pinpointing the location and vectoring rescue helicopters from Saratoga to the point. One of the aircraft's crew was rescued quickly and returned to his carrier, but the other pilot, despite the combined efforts of Bainbridge and helicopters from , was never found.
Wiltsie proceeded to Hong Kong
for rest and recreation and to Kaohsiung for an upkeep alongside . During this availability, all four of her 5-inch guns were rebarreled due to the excessive wear experienced during her gunfire support deployments. The ship departed Taiwan on 27 December to return to the "gun line."
Arriving on station two days later, she resumed her operations off Quang Tri City, south of the DMZ, and continued these operations until 22 January 1973, when she was detached from TG 75.9 to proceed to Yokosuka. Prom there, the ship sailed for home, arriving at her new home port, San Francisco, on 16 February.
However, Wiltsie's time on the west coast was comparatively brief for—following a yard period at Willamette Shipyard, Richmond, California
—she got underway again for WestPac on 16 June 1973. Arriving at Yokosuka, via Adak, Alaska
, on 28 June, the destroyer shifted to Kure before conducting ASWEX 7-73 with Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force units from 9 July to 12 July. Moving to Kaohsiung on 22 July, the ship participated in Exercise "Sharkhunt II" with Chinese units before spending an in-port period at Keelung from 28 July to 1 August.
Wiltsie returned home via Pearl Harbor, arriving at San Francisco on 30 August. She participated in COMPTUEX 11-73 in October and served as plane guard for Coral Sea in local operations off the California coast in December. The destroyer continued the routine of local operations out of San Francisco for the remainder of her active service, embarking Naval Reserve units for active duty training on cruises off the west coast and to Hawaii
and, on occasion, serving as escort vessel for submarines on their sea trials out of Mare Island.
Wiltsie (DD-716) received nine battle stars for Korean War service and seven for Vietnam.
As of 2006, no other ship in the United States Navy has been named Wiltsie.
Decommissioning preparations began at Alameda in November 1975, and Wiltsie was decommissioned there on 23 January 1976. Simultaneously struck from the Navy List
, the veteran of Korean War and Vietnam service was transferred, via sale, to Pakistan
.
Transferred on 29 April 1977, the destroyer was reactivated and overhauled during 1977. Renamed Tariq (D.165), the ship reached Pakistan in mid-1978 to commence her active service with the Pakistani Navy.
Tariq became the flagship
of Pakistani Navy on 25 January 1990 and renamed Nazim. She was decommissioned by Pakistan Navy and given to Maritime Security Agency for service as MSS nazim, its 'on sea' headquarters. The ship is moored some km away from karachi harbour, painted 'white'. it is non-ops, hasn't been moved in years. it is the flagship of the Maritime security agency (MSA)[Pakistan].
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...
. She was named for Irving Wiltsie
Irving Wiltsie
Irving Day Wiltsie was an officer in the United States Navy.-Biography:Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Wiltsie graduated in the United States Naval Academy class of 1921. He then served at sea in a succession of ships, including Arizona , Wyoming , Raleigh , and Cleveland...
.
Wiltsie was laid down on 13 March 1945 at Port Newark, New Jersey, by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
The Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company was a United States shipyard, active from 1917 to 1949. During World War II, it built ships as part of the U.S. Government's Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Operated by a subsidiary of the United States Steel Corporation, the shipyard was located at...
; launched on 31 August 1945; sponsored by Mrs. Irving D. Wiltsie, the widow of Capt. Wiltsie; and commissioned on 12 January 1946 at the New York Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn, New York, Commander Raymond D. Fusselman in command.
1946-1950
Following a shakedown cruise which took the ship to Guantanamo BayGuantanamo Bay Naval Base
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. The base is located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Wiltsie 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...
on 8 July 1946 and proceeded to San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. She spent the fall and winter of 1946 engaged in training exercises before departing the west coast on 6 January 1947, bound for the Far East. She subsequently operated out of Tsingtao, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, on exercises and maneuvers while standing by the American community in that port during rising local tensions between the communist and Nationalist Chinese. Wiltsie remained at Tsingtao until June 1947, when she shifted to Sasebo
Sasebo, Nagasaki
is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 259,800 and the density of 609 persons per km². The total area is 426.47 km². The locality is famed for its scenic beauty. The city includes a part of Saikai National Park...
, 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...
, for occupation duty. Departing Sasebo on 8 March 1948, the destroyer proceeded to Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...
, for an overhaul at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
Puget 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...
.
After training off the west coast, Wiltsie sailed once more for the Far East, departing San Diego on 1 October. Late that autumn, she again operated out of Tsingtao during the evacuation of Americans from that port to Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
because of the Chinese civil war
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
then raging. During this period, Wiltsie briefly visited Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Okinawa before returning to Tsingtao.
Chinese communist forces rolled southward, and Nanking fell in April 1949. Wiltsie arrived at Shanghai on 22 April, to stand by during the evacuation of all foreign nationals from the city. Over the ensuing days, Wiltsie watched a veritable parade of merchant vessels of many nationalities—Chinese, Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and American—as well as American, British, and Chinese naval vessels. On Thursday, 5 May 1949, 20 days before the fall of the city to the communists, Wiltsie departed Chinese waters for the last time, bound for Buckner Bay, Okinawa.
From there, Wiltsie soon headed homeward and made port at San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
on 4 June 1949. She later moved up the coast; embarked NROTC midshipmen at Treasure Island, near San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
on 1 August; and departed the following day for a training cruise to Balboa, Panama
Balboa, Panama
Balboa is a district of Panama City, located at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal.- History :The town of Balboa, founded by the United States during the construction of the Panama Canal, was named after Vasco Núñez de Balboa, the Spanish conquistador credited with discovering the Pacific Ocean...
, and the Galápagos Islands
Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a...
. Returning to San Diego on 31 August, the destroyer soon sailed for 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...
, where she participated in Operation "Miki", a mock invasion of the Hawaiian Islands in which Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, Navy, and Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
units all took part. Returning to the west coast soon afterwards, Wiltsie spent the period from December 1949 to April 1950 at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Mare Island Naval Shipyard
The Mare Island Naval Shipyard was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located 25 miles northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates the peninsula shipyard from the main portion of the...
, Vallejo, California
Vallejo, California
Vallejo is the largest city in Solano County, California, United States. The population was 115,942 at the 2010 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area on the northeastern shore of San Pablo Bay...
, undergoing an overhaul.
1950-1953 (Korean War)
In July 1950, Wiltsie sailed for the Far East to augment the American naval presence in KoreaKorea
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 waters.
On the evening of 16 August, , with four LST's and escorting destroyers, closed the coast. Capt. J. R. Clark, Commander, Destroyer Division 111, embarked in the recently arrived Wiltsie, assumed direction of the embarkation operation for the ROK troops. He ordered the four LSTs to beach at a pre-arranged site, guided in by jeep headlights from shore. Before sunrise the next day, 327 officers and 3,480 men of the 3rd ROK Division, 1,260 civilians, and 100 vehicles had been loaded.
American forces went ashore at Inchon on 15 September 1950. Wiltsie participated in one phase of this assault, screening the fast carriers of Task Force (TF) 77— , , and —as their aircraft hit communist ground targets to support the advance of troops ashore. For the remainder of the deployment, Wiltsie supported UN troops ashore with call-fire support; screened TF 77 as it conducted air strikes against supply lines and troop concentrations; and patrolled in the Taiwan Strait
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...
.
Wiltsie returned to San Diego in March 1951, underwent repairs at Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
and subsequently departed the west coast for her fourth tour of duty in the Far East. In Korean waters, she resumed her screening, call-fire, and interdiction duties. Highlighting her blockading activities of Wonsan
Wonsan
Wŏnsan is a port city and naval base in southeastern North Korea. It is the capital of Kangwŏn Province. The population of the city is estimated to have been 331,000 in 2000. Notable people from Wŏnsan include Kim Ki Nam, diplomat and Secretary of the Workers' Party.- History :The original name of...
, Wiltsie fired retaliatory gunfire missions against communist shore batteries.
Wiltsie returned to the west coast late in 1952, but soon found herself back in the Far East for her third 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...
deployment. After leaving the west coast on 2 January 1953, the destroyer patrolled the Formosa Strait for a time and operated off the North Korean coast before shifting to Wonsan. The Navy continued it operations to support UN ground troops, interdicted enemy supply lines by air and by surface gunfire, and blockaded the enemy's coasts.
Eight days after Wiltsie and had destroyed a train near Tanchon
Tanchon
Tanchon or Tanch'ŏn is a city in northeastern South Hamgyong province, North Korea. It has a population of approximately 360,000. Tanchon borders the Sea of Japan , into which the Namdae River flows.-Economy:Mining...
on 3 June, communist shore batteries took Wiltsie under fire off Wonsan, lobbing 45 105-millimeter shells in her direction, scoring a hit on the destroyer's fantail. The ship suffered no casualties and soon resumed her local patrol operations. On 15 June, Wiltsie evacuated 13 Korean civilians from Yo-do Island to Sokcho-ri.
While preparing to abandon the Wonsan siege in accordance with the armistice stipulations, Wiltsie screened minesweeping operations and joined in the last-minute shelling of communist ground targets. In company with and , Wiltsie shelled targets at Wonsan until a few minutes before the 2200 deadline. On 27 July 1953, the Korean armistice finally came into effect. However, Wiltsie remained in Korean waters, screening the continuing minesweeping operations between Hungnam
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...
and Wonsan until 6 August 1953.
1953-1961
Wiltsie conducted seven Western Pacific deployments between 1953 and 1961. During each tour, she carried out training and patrol assignments in Far Eastern waters, operating off the coasts of Japan, Korea, and Okinawa; visiting such ports as Yokosuka, KobeKobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
, and Sasebo
Sasebo, Nagasaki
is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 259,800 and the density of 609 persons per km². The total area is 426.47 km². The locality is famed for its scenic beauty. The city includes a part of Saikai National Park...
, Japan; Hong Kong; and Philippine ports such as Olongapo and Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
. Also during this time, she plane-guarded for fast carrier task forces, patrolled the Taiwan Strait, and undertook antisubmarine warfare and gunnery training exercises.
Between deployments to WestPac and the Far East, Wiltsie underwent regular overhaul and repair periods at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard. In addition, she conducted an NROTC midshipman training cruise; visited 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...
, and Esquimalt, British Columbia
Esquimalt, British Columbia
The Township of Esquimalt is a municipality at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. It is bordered to the east by the provincial capital, Victoria, to the south by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, to the west by Esquimalt Harbour and Royal Roads, to the northwest by the...
; and visited Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, in May 1959 to celebrate the anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea
Battle of the Coral Sea
The Battle of the Coral Sea, fought from 4–8 May 1942, was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval and air forces from the United States and Australia. The battle was the first fleet action in which aircraft carriers engaged...
.
1961-1964
In November 1961, Wiltsie began a 10-month scheduled overhaul at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, Pearl HarborPearl 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...
, in which she underwent Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) alterations. She received an enclosed bridge; a helicopter hangar and landing platform; triple-mounted Mk. 32 torpedo tubes; an ASROC launcher; and late model radar and sonar. She also received many improvements in accommodations for both officers and enlisted men. Following this "face lift", Wiltsie conducted refresher training and upkeep before becoming flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of DesDiv 72, home-ported in San Diego.
Following sonar
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
calibrations at Puget Sound, Wiltsie spent one week off southern California, participating in exercises. After the conclusion of this maneuver, Wiltsie departed the west coast for the Far East, leaving San Diego on 18 May 1963. Arriving at Yokosuka on 6 June, via Pearl Harbor and Midway
Midway Atoll
Midway Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago, about one-third of the way between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Tokyo, Japan. Unique among the Hawaiian islands, Midway observes UTC-11 , eleven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time and one hour...
, Wiltsie soon got underway for a 30-day Taiwan Strait mission. During this time, she visited Keelung
Keelung
Keelung City is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. It borders New Taipei and forms the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area, along with the Taipei and New Taipei. Nicknamed the Rainy Port for its frequent rain and maritime role, the city is Taiwan's second largest seaport...
and 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...
, Formosa. Her scheduled rest period at Hong Kong at the end of the assignment had to be cancelled because of a typhoon.
Returning to Yokosuka for upkeep on 30 July, Wiltsie departed in early August for participation in Exercise "Tire Iron."
Wiltsie subsequently operated out of Sasebo and Yokosuka into the fall of 1963; she departed Sasebo on 29 October and operated briefly with TG 77.6 until 10 November, when she was detached to return home. After a stop at Pearl Harbor, the destroyer made port at San Diego on 24 November.
In January 1964, Wiltsie joined , Theodore E. Chandler, and in anti-aircraft warfare exercises off the west coast and served as a plane guard for the carrier. She subsequently moved westward to the middle Pacific with Ticonderoga and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 18 February. After completing her exercises in Hawaiian waters, she returned to the west coast in the spring and participated in antisubmarine and antiair warfare training with and .
In June, Wiltsie embarked midshipmen for a six-week training program and later underwent 10 days of hull repairs at Long Beach. Later in the month, she participated in exercises in support of Marine Corps units engaged in night reconnaissance and in amphibious and paratroop landing training at San Clemente Island
San Clemente Island
San Clemente Island is the southernmost of the Channel Islands of California. It is owned and operated by the United States Navy, and is a part of Los Angeles County. Defined by the United States Census Bureau as Block Group 2 of Census Tract 5991 of Los Angeles County, California, it is long and...
and at Camp Del Mar, California.
Drydocked during August and September for hull and sonar dome repair, Wiltsie put to sea soon afterwards for tests and trials of her DASH (drone antisubmarine helicopter) qualification system which ended successfully on 3 November. The destroyer subsequently participated in Operation "Union Square", an extensive fleet exercise, before returning to San Diego to prepare for the ship's 14th WestPac deployment.
1965-1969
Wiltsie sailed for the western Pacific on 5 January 1965, in company with the 16 other ships of Cruiser Destroyer Flotilla 7. Wiltsie was diverted to duty with Coral Sea and during bombing raids on Viet Cong positions in South VietnamSouth Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
in February.
The destroyer spent 69 of her next 80 days at sea in Vietnamese waters. She served in a variety of roles, including antisubmarine warfare screening ship, plane guard destroyer, and early warning picket ship. In March, before proceeding to Hong Kong, she shadowed a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n intelligence ship which was gathering information on American task groups.
Wiltsie again sailed for Vietnam and operated with TG 71.1 on Operation Market Time
Operation Market Time
Operation Market Time was the United States Navy’s effort to stop troops and supplies from flowing by sea from North Vietnam to South Vietnam during the Vietnam War...
, engaged in patrolling the South Vietnamese coastline.
In May and June, Wiltsie conducted several gunfire support missions against Viet Cong supply depots and troop concentrations in South Vietnam. During this deployment, Wiltsie transferred 64.2 short tons of stores from by the vertical replenishment method.
Following a visit to Japan in mid-June, Wiltsie returned to the United States, arriving at San Diego on 2 July. Wiltsie next underwent a period of repairs and refresher training which carried over into 1966. After taking part in training evolutions off the west coast in the spring, Wiltsie again headed for the Orient on 4 June 1966. While at 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...
for a refueling stop, the destroyer suffered slight damage on 22 June when a fuel barge collided with the ship, necessitating repairs which delayed her for 15 hours.
On 2 July, Wiltsie commenced duty with TU 70.8.9, a naval gunfire support unit.
After a brief period of upkeep, Wiltsie proceeded to the northern search and rescue (SAR) station, approximately 50 miles east of the North Vietnamese port of Haiphong
Haiphong
, also Haiphong, is the third most populous city in Vietnam. The name means, "coastal defence".-History:Hai Phong was originally founded by Lê Chân, the female general of a Vietnamese revolution against the Chinese led by the Trưng Sisters in the year 43 C.E.The area which is now known as Duong...
, to stand by with Towers ready to recover downed airmen. For two periods—from 31 July to 2 September and from 28 September to 1 November, Wiltsie patrolled the northern SAR station. In August and again in October, the destroyer participated in rescues from the waters off the North Vietnamese coast, saving a total of nine men. The ship acted as a refueling vessel for units of Helicopter Squadron 6.
Upon completion of these SAR duties, Wiltsie prepared for her homeward voyage. She called at the port of Hualien, Taiwan, on 4 November, for a five-day visit. She departed Nationalist Chinese waters on 10 November, made a fuel stop at Okinawa the next day, and arrived at Yokosuka on 14 November.
Wiltsie joined TG 77.8, based around , and stood out of Yokosuka on 22 November, bound for the west coast. Three days out, the task group ran into bad weather. High winds prevailed for five days, and all ships suffered moderate storm damage. The heavy seas battered open a seam forward in Wiltsie; caused three cracks in the fantail area of the main deck and the loss of two ladders; and ripped two holes in the port bow of the motor whaleboat.
An underway replenishment with on the evening of 29 November turned out to be a difficult affair. Only after three separate approaches, seven fuel hose separations, and seven hours alongside was the fueling completed. The ship remained blackened by oil on parts of her superstructure and hull sides until after she arrived at San Diego on 3 December. Wiltsie moored at San Diego for upkeep which would last into the new year, 1967.
Following operations off the southern California coast, Wiltsie departed San Diego on 19 September 1967. After stopovers at 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...
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...
, the destroyer arrived at 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...
on 11 October. Shifting to Da Nang
Da Nang
Đà Nẵng , occasionally Danang, is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of...
, South Vietnam, soon afterwards, Wiltsie moved to the northern SAR station on 21 October and shifted to the southern SAR station five days later. Typhoon "Emma" forced the ship to sortie from Tonkin Gulf on 5 November, before the storm abated enough to allow the ship to resume her operations on the 7th.
During this tour, she assisted in the search for two men lost overboard from . and also took part, but high seas and strong winds hampered search operations and prevented any of the ships from sighting the men.
On 13 November, Wiltsie relieved on the northern SAR station, only to be relieved in turn by . After rest and relaxation at Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, an upkeep alongside , and an in-port period at Subic Bay, Wiltsie returned to the SAR station in Tonkin Gulf, operating in company with King. During this second deployment, Wiltsie participated in six rescues involving 10 men. The first took place at 1420 on 22 December, when an A-7 Corsair II
A-7 Corsair II
The Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II is a carrier-based subsonic light attack aircraft introduced to replace the United States Navy's Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, initially entering service during the Vietnam War...
from VA-147 went down at a position some 40 miles northwest of King.
An intensive search failed to locate the downed plane's pilot, and all search aircraft were vectored back to their base. Wiltsie refueled a helicopter during this period when the chopper approached the ship low on fuel. The Christmas cease-fire which went into effect on 25 December resulted in only photo-reconnaissance flights being run against North Vietnam; no SAR opportunities were thus presented to Wiltsie and King until 29 December, when an F-4 Phantom of VF-161 (Coral Sea) crashed 51 miles from the northern SAR station among some islands off the coast near Haiphong
Haiphong
, also Haiphong, is the third most populous city in Vietnam. The name means, "coastal defence".-History:Hai Phong was originally founded by Lê Chân, the female general of a Vietnamese revolution against the Chinese led by the Trưng Sisters in the year 43 C.E.The area which is now known as Duong...
. King guided a helicopter to the scene and it picked up both pilots—cold but well—and returned them to their carrier, Coral Sea.
Monsoons limited air action over the last few days of 1967 and the first few days of 1968. Two Oriskany planes went down on 10 January 1968; Wiltsie provided communications relays where necessary and closely plotted aircraft positions, while King assumed air control function and direction. The latter's UH-2 helicopter picked up two pilots from one of the planes while a logistics helo plucked the crewman of the second plane from the water. Later in the day, King picked up two more downed pilots, giving her a total of four for the day.
After being relieved by and , King sailed to Subic Bay and Wiltsie to Hong Kong before she, too, headed for Subic Bay, where she arrived on the 23d. Three days later, while at Subic Bay, Wiltsie received word of the capture of the American intelligence-gathering vessel . On the following day, Wiltsie and King sailed for SAR station to relieve De Haven and Reeves a day early.
When the SAR station was shifted south, Wiltsie, King, and the PIRAZ station ship conducted joint patrols in the heavy weather hanging over the station. Wiltsies SAR tour was largely uneventful, as monsoon activity curtailed American air strikes over the north, and no opportunities presented themselves to pick up airmen.
Relieved by on station on 17 February, Wiltsie sailed to Subic Bay where she offloaded part of her ammunition in preparation for the cruise home. Departing there on 22 February in company with Buck and King, Wiltsie and her consorts made a fuel stop at Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
and visited Brisbane from 2 March to 7 March before proceeding on to the west coast of the United States.
Following stops at Pago Pago, American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
, and Pearl Harbor, for fuel, Wiltsie moored at San Diego on 23 March and remained there into May. On 22 May, she became schoolship for an engineering officers' course and performed this duty until 9 June Assigned plane guard duties for during that ship's carrier qualification evolution from 10 June to 22 June, Wiltsie put her own motor whaleboat in the water on one occasion when one of the carrier's F-8 Crusader
F-8 Crusader
The Vought F-8 Crusader was a single-engine, supersonic, carrier-based air superiority jet aircraft built by Vought for the United States Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps, replacing the Vought F7U Cutlass...
s went into the water immediately after takeoff. However, Hancock's rescue helo effected the rescue before the destroyer's boat arrived.
On the 26th, Wiltsie sailed for San Francisco Bay to undergo an overhaul at the naval shipyard at Vallejo, California
Vallejo, California
Vallejo is the largest city in Solano County, California, United States. The population was 115,942 at the 2010 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area on the northeastern shore of San Pablo Bay...
. Emerging from the yard on 6 November, Wiltsie spent the remainder of 1968 in refresher training which continued into the spring of 1969.
Departing San Diego on 16 April 1969, in company with the remainder of DesDiv 72—Buck, , and —Wiltsie participated in type training evolutions with Oriskany before arriving at Pearl Harbor on 24 April. Underway again soon afterwards, bound for the ship's WestPac deployment, Wiltsie refueled at Midway
Midway Atoll
Midway Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago, about one-third of the way between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Tokyo, Japan. Unique among the Hawaiian islands, Midway observes UTC-11 , eleven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time and one hour...
, steamed on picket station ahead of Oriskany, and arrived at Subic Bay on 10 May.
Underway for Yankee Station soon afterwards, Wiltsie arrived there on 16 May and was soon shuffled between three carriers—Oriskany, , and —within a 24-hour span, serving successively as plane guard for each. Returning to Subic Bay in company with Ticonderoga on 20 May, Wiltsie underwent a tender upkeep alongside before being shifted to Sasebo, Japan. At Sasebo from 29 May to 6 June, Wiltsie then deployed to Yankee Station to provide "shotgun" services for . When Wiltsies evaporators broke down on the 10th, the destroyer was relieved by and headed back to Sasebo for repairs.
She subsequently operated in the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
escorting for three weeks before returning to Sasebo on 13 July. Eleven days later, the destroyer departed Japanese waters, bound for the Vietnam war zone.
Wiltsie provided plane guard services for Bonhomme Richard until detached to join and on the south SAR station. After conducting antisubmarine warfare exercises en route, Wiltsie spent from 7 August to 10 August on south SAR before deploying to the PIRAZ station with King on the 10th, llth, and 12th. Returning to south SAR on the 13th, she remained at sea there for the remainder of August.
After rejoining Bonhomme Richard, Wiltsie escorted the carrier to Sasebo, Japan, from 2 September to 4 September. Following a period of upkeep and recreation there, the destroyer visited Hong Kong en route to her final commitment in the yietnamese war zone. She was deployed on Yankee Station for the remainder of September, and the destroyer then shifted to Subic Bay. There, she prepared for a gunnery exercise and proceeded to sea on 10 October for operations with and . On that day, Wiltsie participated in sinking the after section of the hull of , the destroyer that had been cut in two during a collision with Australian aircraft carrier the previous 3 June.
Rendezvousing with Bonhomme Richard soon afterwards, Wiltsie and the carrier steamed to Japan, arriving at Yokosuka on 15 October. Two days later, with ComDesDiv 72 embarked, Wiltsie got underway with the remainder of her division to escort Bonhomme Richard back to the United States and arrived at San Diego at the end of a fortnight's voyage. For the remainder of 1969, the destroyer remained in her home port.
Wiltsie conducted an ASW training operation early in January 1970 and returned to San Diego on the 8th. Between that day and 15 April, Wiltsie remained in port. During this time, she suffered hull damage while moored alongside John W. Thomason. "Exceptionally high winds" buffeted the ships together when a mooring camel between the two ships overturned, opening riveted seams in Wiltsie's hull. On 13 March 1970, Wiltsie was drydocked at the San Diego Marine and Shipbuilding Co. and was under repairs there until 7 April.
1970-1977
After operating locally out of San Diego into the summer, Wiltsie departed her home port on 27 July 1970. Following stops at Pearl Harbor, Midway, and Guam, she arrived at Subic Bay on 18 August. There, she took on additional .50-caliber machine guns and flak jackets before getting underway on 21 August for the Gulf of TonkinGulf of Tonkin
The Gulf of Tonkin is an arm of the South China Sea, lying off the coast of northeastern Vietnam.-Etymology:The name Tonkin, written "東京" in Hán tự and Đông Kinh in romanised Vietnamese, means "Eastern Capital", and is the former toponym for Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam...
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Relieving three days later as picket for on TF 77's northern SAR/ PIRAZ station, Wiltsie operated on station until 9 September. During that assignment, the ship provided in-flight refueling services to ship and shore-based helicopters standing ready to rescue downed aircrews. Although the ship originally headed for 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...
for upkeep, the track of Typhoon Georgia resulted in a re-routing to Subic Bay.
Departing Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
on 18 September, Wiltsie sailed for regions II and III of South Vietnam to perform 22 days of gunfire support duty to assist operations of the United States 1st Air Cavalry Division; the 1st Australian Task Force, South; and an ARVN battalion. During the deployment on the "gun line"—her first since 1967—Wiltsie fired 3,365 rounds of 5-inch ammunition before she departed the station on 11 October and headed for Taiwan for rest and recreation at Keelung
Keelung
Keelung City is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. It borders New Taipei and forms the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area, along with the Taipei and New Taipei. Nicknamed the Rainy Port for its frequent rain and maritime role, the city is Taiwan's second largest seaport...
.
While there, Wiltsie was preparing to move on to Japan when urgent orders arrived on the evening of 19 October to report back to the "gun line." Typhoon "Joan" had damaged another destroyer severely enough to limit her ability to fight, so Wiltsie was substituted. Arriving at her station in the Gulf of Thailand
Gulf of Thailand
The Gulf of Thailand , also known in to Malays as Teluk Siam literally meant Gulf of Siam, is a shallow arm of the South China Sea.-Geography:...
on the morning of 23 October, Wiltsie supported the ARVN 21st Division with gunfire, shelling communist troop concentrations, gun positions, and supply lines for five days, expending 485 rounds of 5-inch projectiles.
Returning 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...
, she offloaded the special equipment taken on board for the "gunline" deployments—flak jackets, .50-caliber machine guns (for use against possible sappers or small boats), and "pool radio equipment"—and departed the Philippines on 20 January, bound for the United States. After stopping en route at Guam, Midway, and Pearl Harbor, Wiltsie arrived at San Diego on 11 February.
During the ensuing year, Wiltsie remained on the coast of southern California, for the most part at San Diego. In March and April, she served plane guard duty for Oriskany and ; and, in June, she entered the Long Beach Naval Shipyard
Long Beach Naval Shipyard
thumb|right|300px|Long Beach Naval Shipyard in 1993The Long Beach Naval Shipyard, which closed in 1997, was located at Terminal Island between the city of Long Beach and the San Pedro district of Los Angeles and approximately 23 miles south of the Los Angeles International Airport.The Long Beach...
for an overhaul which lasted until mid-November 1971.
On 19 February 1972, the destroyer was notified that, effective 1 July, she would be assigned to the Naval Reserve Force and based at San Francisco for training duty. While she was in the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard preparing for her new role, however, she received word on 22 May that—instead of beginning reserve duty in July—she would head back to the Far East for her 19th deployment in the western Pacific.
On 25 July, Wiltsie sailed for the Orient in company with and and touched at Pearl Harbor, Midway, and Guam before arriving at Subic Bay on 16 August.
Refueling and rearming from on the 29th, Wiltsie headed north, for Japan, sidestepping Typhoon "Kate" en route. She reduced her speed to 12 knots (23.5 km/h) in the worsening weather conditions before putting into Buckner Bay, Okinawa, to refuel on 2 November before again setting out for Sasebo. The next morning, while underway and approaching the coast of Kyushu, Fire Control Technician 3d Class Bernhardt L. Olsen was swept over the side. Wiltsie, joined by Richard B. Anderson, and the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force vessels Asagunmo, Makiguma, and Hic-kugo, conducted a day-long search for her missingsailor but came away empty-handed. A few days later, his body was discovered washed up on a nearby island.
Later departing Sasebo on 6 November, she served as screen for King as a Peacetime Aerial Reconnaissance Program (PARPRO) picket in the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
from the 8th to the 10th, before returning to Sasebo. Shifting to Korean waters for a port visit to Pusan, South Korea, from 27 November to 30 November, and replenishing at Sasebo, Wiltsie served a second tour as PARPRO picket ship for from 30 November to 6 December.
Subsequently returning again to Sasebo to replenish, Wiltsie refueled at Keelung and spent Christmas at Hong Kong before shifting to the Philippines where she spent the remainder of 1970. Early in 1971, the destroyer returned to Vietnamese coastal waters to render gunfire support for South Vietnamese army units between 4 January and 18 January 1971.
Undergoing four days of upkeep and repairs alongside , Wiltsie prepared for another "gun line" mission off the Vietnamese coast. The destroyer loaded the extra equipment necessary for her specialized support role—flak jackets for exposed personnel, .50-caliber machine guns, and special radio equipment for contacting shore units calling for gunfire support. Wiltsie departed Subic Bay on 21 August.
On 23 August, Wiltsie became part of TG 75.9, operating off the Northern Military Region I. While providing gunfire support for Operation "Lam Son 72", the destroyer fired some 1,803 rounds of 5-inch shells to support the ARVN 147th Brigade in efforts to destroy enemy forces in their area. Typhoon "Elsie", which was approaching near the DMZ, temporarily suspended Wiltsie's gunfire support operations while she sidestepped the tropical disturbance by moving to safer waters. Resuming her operations after three days of typhoon evasion, Wiltsie returned to the "gun line" and supported ARVN operations around Quang Tri City. Ordered to proceed south on 6 September, Wiltsie departed the waters off northern South Vietnam to fire gunnery missions supporting the 2d ARVN Division in the vicinity of Chu Lai.
Terminating her operations supporting the 2d ARVN Division to shift to interdiction of waterborne logistics craft and surveillance of merchant ships in the Hon La anchorage in North Vietnam, Wiltsie found diversified operations and hostile fire in store for her. Her 5-inch guns wreaked havoc on storage dumps, coastal defense sites, radar installations, and supply routes. On 14 September, she spotted a crippled A-7 Corsair plunging into the Gulf of Tonkin and rescued the pilot from the water.
Two days later, she conducted a single-ship raid against a bridge on a major North Vietnamese supply route. During the action, she came under fire from North Vietnamese shore batteries that fired some 70 rounds at the destroyer. This was the only time that the ship came under hostile fire in Vietnam. The next day, Wiltsie and two other ships conducted a "reactive strike" on the coastal defense site, pounding it with 5-inch gunfire. Supply route and waterborne supply interdiction continued thereafter until Wiltsie, relieved by , departed the area on the 20th.
Returning to Subic Bay for upkeep on the 21st, the destroyer remained in port until 27 September when she sailed for the Gulf of Thailand for gunnery support duties off the west coast of Vietnam. Between late September and early November, Wiltsie operated on station in the Gulf of Thailand. During the gunfire operations, she expended 1,940 rounds of 5-inch into the U Minh forest, supporting the ARVN 21st Division. Gunfire direction was provided by air spotting, but the dense foliage of the U Minh forest often prevented assessment of results.
In addition to her gunfire support duties, Wiltsie was given the task of detecting and tracking waterborne supply traffic. Supported in this operation by P-3 Orion
P-3 Orion
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engine turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. Lockheed based it on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner. The aircraft is easily recognizable by its distinctive tail stinger or...
patrol planes, Wiltsie discouraged the enemy from attempting supply by sea along the western coastline of South Vietnam. Henry W. Tucker relieved Wiltsie on 2 November.
After a week of upkeep at Singapore, Wiltsie resumed gunfire support operations in Military Region I near the DMZ. She spent a week firing round-the-clock gunfire support missions before joining with TU 72.0.1, as plane-guard destroyer. Between 21 November and 8 December, she escorted the attack carrier as she launched air strikes against enemy forces ashore. In the predawn hours of 28 November, an A-6 Intruder
A-6 Intruder
The Grumman A-6 Intruder was an American, twin jet-engine, mid-wing attack aircraft built by Grumman Aerospace. In service with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps between 1963 and 1997, the Intruder was designed as an all-weather medium attack aircraft to replace the piston-engined A-1 Skyraider...
crashed upon takeoff; and Wiltsie proceeded to the scene of the accident, pinpointing the location and vectoring rescue helicopters from Saratoga to the point. One of the aircraft's crew was rescued quickly and returned to his carrier, but the other pilot, despite the combined efforts of Bainbridge and helicopters from , was never found.
Wiltsie proceeded to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
for rest and recreation and to Kaohsiung for an upkeep alongside . During this availability, all four of her 5-inch guns were rebarreled due to the excessive wear experienced during her gunfire support deployments. The ship departed Taiwan on 27 December to return to the "gun line."
Arriving on station two days later, she resumed her operations off Quang Tri City, south of the DMZ, and continued these operations until 22 January 1973, when she was detached from TG 75.9 to proceed to Yokosuka. Prom there, the ship sailed for home, arriving at her new home port, San Francisco, on 16 February.
However, Wiltsie's time on the west coast was comparatively brief for—following a yard period at Willamette Shipyard, Richmond, California
Richmond, California
Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. It is located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a residential inner suburb of San Francisco, as well as the site of heavy industry, which has been...
—she got underway again for WestPac on 16 June 1973. Arriving at Yokosuka, via Adak, Alaska
Adak, Alaska
Adak , formerly Adak Station, is a city in the Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 326. It is the westernmost municipality in the United States and the southernmost city in Alaska. The city is the former location of the Adak Army Base and Adak...
, on 28 June, the destroyer shifted to Kure before conducting ASWEX 7-73 with Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force units from 9 July to 12 July. Moving to Kaohsiung on 22 July, the ship participated in Exercise "Sharkhunt II" with Chinese units before spending an in-port period at Keelung from 28 July to 1 August.
Wiltsie returned home via Pearl Harbor, arriving at San Francisco on 30 August. She participated in COMPTUEX 11-73 in October and served as plane guard for Coral Sea in local operations off the California coast in December. The destroyer continued the routine of local operations out of San Francisco for the remainder of her active service, embarking Naval Reserve units for active duty training on cruises off the west coast and to 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...
and, on occasion, serving as escort vessel for submarines on their sea trials out of Mare Island.
Wiltsie (DD-716) received nine battle stars for Korean War service and seven for Vietnam.
As of 2006, no other ship in the United States Navy has been named Wiltsie.
Decommissioning preparations began at Alameda in November 1975, and Wiltsie was decommissioned there on 23 January 1976. Simultaneously struck from the Navy List
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...
, the veteran of Korean War and Vietnam service was transferred, via sale, to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
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Transferred on 29 April 1977, the destroyer was reactivated and overhauled during 1977. Renamed Tariq (D.165), the ship reached Pakistan in mid-1978 to commence her active service with the Pakistani Navy.
Tariq became the flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of Pakistani Navy on 25 January 1990 and renamed Nazim. She was decommissioned by Pakistan Navy and given to Maritime Security Agency for service as MSS nazim, its 'on sea' headquarters. The ship is moored some km away from karachi harbour, painted 'white'. it is non-ops, hasn't been moved in years. it is the flagship of the Maritime security agency (MSA)[Pakistan].