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USS Wiseman (DE-667)
Encyclopedia
USS Wiseman (DE-667) was a Buckley-class
destroyer escort
of the United States Navy
, named in honor of Lieutenant (j.g.) Osborne B. Wiseman
(1915–42), a naval aviator
who was awarded the Navy Cross
posthumously for his heroism in the Battle of Midway
.
Wiseman was laid down on 26 July 1943 at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, by the Dravo Corp.; launched
on 6 November 1943; sponsored by Mrs. June Holton, the widow of Lt.(jg.) Wiseman; and commissioned
at Algiers, Louisiana
, on 4 April 1944, Lt. W. B. McClaran, Jr., USNR, in command.
in the Bermuda
area and post-shakedown availability in the Boston Navy Yard
, Wiseman departed Boston
on 24 May 1944 to rendezvous with Task Force 64 (TF 64) and convoy
UGS-43 on the first of three round-trip convoy escort runs. She escorted convoy GUS-43 from Casablanca
, French Morocco
, to New York
, then left Hampton Roads
with TF-64 and convoy UGS-50 on 3 August, shepherding convoy GUS-50 from Bizerte
to the United States, sailing eastward on 29 August. Following repairs and alterations at Boston (19 September – 5 October), Wiseman conducted work-ups in the waters of Casco Bay, Maine, before resuming convoy escort work as part of TF-64, shepherding UGS-57 from Hampton Roads to Bizerte, returning eastward with TF-64 and GUS-57; passing Gibraltar
on 11 November, the ship returned to Chesapeake Bay
with that portion of GUS-57 on 30 November, before proceeding to Charleston, South Carolina
Subsequently converted to a floating power station — the necessity for ship-to-shore electrical facilities haying been proved during the Pacific war — at the Charleston Navy Yard, Wiseman sailed for the Pacific on 11 January 1945. Reporting to Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet, for duty on 17 January 1945 upon transiting the Panama Canal
, she set course for the Hawaiian Islands
in company with the high speed transport
.
Making port at Pearl Harbor
on 3 February, the destroyer escort operated for a month in the Hawaiian Islands before setting sail for the Philippines
on 3 March. Arriving at Manila
on the 23d, she commenced furnishing power to that nearly demolished city on 13 April and, over the next five and one-half months, provided some 5806000 kilowatt-hours (20,901.6 GJ) of electricity. In addition, Wisemans evaporators furnished 150,000 gallons (570 m³) of drinking water to Army
facilities in the harbor area and to many small craft. Her radios were also utilized to a great extent. Placed at the disposal of the Navy's port director, the ship's communication outfit was used to handle harbor radio traffic until the director's equipment arrived and was installed ashore.
Following her vital service at Manila and projected operations at Ketchikan, Alaska
, shelved, Wiseman shifted to Guam
, arriving on 18 December 1945, where she provided power for the Army dredge
Harris (YM-25). Departing Guam on 26 March 1946, in company with sister ship
, she paused at Eniwetok, in the Marshalls
(28–29 March), then returned to the United States via Pearl Harbor (4–6 April 1946). Decommissioned at San Diego, California
on 31 May 1946, Wiseman was placed in inactivated status on 19 December 1946, then out of commission, in reserve, on 3 February 1947, and moved to Long Beach. Subsequently, the auxiliary ocean tug towed Wiseman from Long Beach back to San Diego (16–17 November 1948).
in the summer of 1950, the Chief of Naval Operations
recommended that Wiseman be "reactivated at the earliest practicable [time] for distant duty including use as [an] Electric Power Supply Ship." Accordingly, Wiseman was recommissioned at San Diego on 11 September 1950, and, under the command of Lt.Comdr. Jay W. Land, rushed to Korea
, reaching the port of Masan
, near the mouth of the Naktong River, at the western anchor-point of the former beachhead at Pusan. As she had done at Manila in 1945, Wiseman supplied electricity to a city unable to generate its own. Later, the ship provided comforts-of-home to units of the 1st Marine Division quartered on the nearby pier
, providing hot showers, cigarette
s, and hot meals cooked in the ship's galley
. The destroyer escort also provided instruction in seamanship, gunnery, radar
, sonar
, and damage control to 80 midshipmen from the Republic of Korea Naval Academy and 120 ROK Navy
enlisted men.
Late in 1951, Wiseman returned to the United States and underwent an extensive overhaul at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard
, Vallejo, California
, before she conducted refresher training out of San Diego through the spring and summer of 1952. The ship then sailed again for Korean waters, reaching the combat zone that autumn.
In her second Western Pacific (WestPac) deployment since recommissioning, Wiseman screened light carrier task forces off the west coast of Korea; carried out patrol assignments close inshore; blockaded and bombarded segments of the northeastern Korean coast, and provided antisubmarine screen and escort services for replenishment groups. Later in the deployment, she also participated in hunter-killer operations, trained in antisubmarine warfare (ASW) evolutions, and served as division flagship
during a goodwill call at Manila.
Over the next few years, Wiseman conducted four more WestPac deployments and spent the interludes between them in training out of San Diego and upkeep at Mare Island Naval Shipyard or the San Francisco Naval Shipyard
. Upon occasion, she conducted Naval Reserve training cruises — one taking her to the Hawaiian Islands. During the overseas deployments, Wiseman operated with units of SEATO navies — Australian
, New Zealand
, British
, Philippine
, Pakistani
, and Thai
— and visited ports from Australia
to Japan
. Upon completion of her sixth deployment, Wiseman was designated as a Group I Naval Reserve Training (NRT) ship. Accordingly, on 16 May 1959, the ship was decommissioned and turned over to the 11th Naval District. Lt. W. V. Powell was the first officer-in-charge.
For the next two years, Wiseman operated out of San Diego on NRT duties. Every third weekend of the month, a reserve cruise took her to sea for periods of ASW training; and, during the summers, the destroyer escort made two-week reserve cruises.
changed Wisemans routine after the building of the Berlin Wall
heightened tensions in August of that year. President John F. Kennedy
ordered the activation of reserve units — including the Selected Reserve Crew and NRT ships. Recommissioned on 2 October 1961, Lt.Comdr. C. V. Wilhoite, Jr., in command, Wiseman was immediately prepared for duty with the 7th Fleet. Since the repair and overhaul facilities at San Diego were overworked, Wiseman was overhauled at Long Beach
, spending the pre-Christmas holidays in the Bethlehem shipyards there.
Deploying to WestPac again in January 1962, Wiseman conducted patrol operations off the coast of South Vietnam
and participated in the Kennedy Administration's "People to People
" program. She received a "well done" for her performance of duty and in March, while conducting training operations with the South Vietnamese Navy, won commendation for giving medical aid to a fisherman with an infected leg on board a South Vietnamese fishing junk
. Later that spring, the ship also visited Hong Kong
, Subic Bay
, and Japanese ports — including Yokohama, where she hosted celebrations for Armed Forces Day
on 19 and 20 May.
Returning to San Diego on 17 July, via Midway
and Pearl Harbor, Wiseman was decommissioned and placed in service on 1 August, resuming her duties as NRT ship with the Group II Naval Reserve. Before the end of 1962, the ship was assigned to Reserve Destroyer Division 272 of Reserve Destroyer Squadron 27.
Placed in reserve but remaining in service, Wiseman was berthed at San Diego through the remainder of the 1960s as part of the Pacific Fleet's reserve units.
The veteran of World War II
and Korean service was stricken from the Navy list
on 15 April 1973, and sold for scrapping 29 April 1974, to Levin Metals Corp., San Jose, California
for the sum of $65,000. The ship was removed from Navy custody on 22 May 1974.
Wiseman (DE-667) received six battle stars for her Korean War service.
Buckley class destroyer escort
The Buckley class destroyer escorts were 102 destroyer escorts launched in the United States in 1943 - 1944. They served in World War II as convoy escorts and anti-submarine warfare ships. The lead ship was USS Buckley which was launched on 9 January 1943. The ships had General Electric steam...
destroyer escort
Destroyer escort
A destroyer escort is the classification for a smaller, lightly armed warship designed to be used to escort convoys of merchant marine ships, primarily of the United States Merchant Marine in World War II. It is employed primarily for anti-submarine warfare, but also provides some protection...
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 in honor of Lieutenant (j.g.) Osborne B. Wiseman
Osborne B. Wiseman
Osborne Beeman Wiseman was a naval aviator United States Navy during World War II who was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously for his heroism in the Battle of Midway.-Biography:...
(1915–42), a naval aviator
Naval Aviator
A United States Naval Aviator is a qualified pilot in the United States Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard.-Naming Conventions:Most Naval Aviators are Unrestricted Line Officers; however, a small number of Limited Duty Officers and Chief Warrant Officers are also trained as Naval Aviators.Until 1981...
who was awarded the Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
posthumously for his heroism in the Battle of Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
.
Wiseman was laid down on 26 July 1943 at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, by the Dravo Corp.; 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 6 November 1943; sponsored by Mrs. June Holton, the widow of Lt.(jg.) Wiseman; 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...
at Algiers, Louisiana
Algiers, Louisiana
Algiers is a neighborhood within the city of New Orleans. It is the portion of Orleans Parish on the West Bank of the Mississippi River.Algiers is also known as the 15th Ward, one of the 17 Wards of New Orleans.-History:...
, on 4 April 1944, Lt. W. B. McClaran, Jr., USNR, in command.
1944 – 1948
Following shakedownShakedown (testing)
A shakedown is a period of testing or a trial journey undergone by a ship, aircraft or other craft and its crew before being declared operational. Statistically, a proportion of the components will fail after a relatively short period of use, and those that survive this period can be expected to...
in the Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
area and post-shakedown availability in the Boston Navy Yard
Boston Navy Yard
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...
, Wiseman departed Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
on 24 May 1944 to rendezvous with Task Force 64 (TF 64) and convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
UGS-43 on the first of three round-trip convoy escort runs. She escorted convoy GUS-43 from Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
, French Morocco
French Morocco
French Protectorate of Morocco was a French protectorate in Morocco, established by the Treaty of Fez. French Morocco did not include the north of the country, which was a Spanish protectorate...
, to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, then left Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
with TF-64 and convoy UGS-50 on 3 August, shepherding convoy GUS-50 from Bizerte
Bizerte
Bizerte or Benzert , is the capital city of Bizerte Governorate in Tunisia and the northernmost city in Africa. It has a population of 230,879 .-History:...
to the United States, sailing eastward on 29 August. Following repairs and alterations at Boston (19 September – 5 October), Wiseman conducted work-ups in the waters of Casco Bay, Maine, before resuming convoy escort work as part of TF-64, shepherding UGS-57 from Hampton Roads to Bizerte, returning eastward with TF-64 and GUS-57; passing Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
on 11 November, the ship returned to Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
with that portion of GUS-57 on 30 November, before proceeding to Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
Subsequently converted to a floating power station — the necessity for ship-to-shore electrical facilities haying been proved during the Pacific war — at the Charleston Navy Yard, Wiseman sailed for the Pacific on 11 January 1945. Reporting to Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet, for duty on 17 January 1945 upon transiting 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...
, she set course for the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
in company with the high speed transport
High speed transport
High Speed Transports were converted destroyers and destroyer escorts used to support amphibious operations in World War II and afterward. They received the US Hull classification symbol APD; "AP" for transport and "D" for destroyer....
.
Making port 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...
on 3 February, the destroyer escort operated for a month in the Hawaiian Islands before setting sail for the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
on 3 March. Arriving at 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,...
on the 23d, she commenced furnishing power to that nearly demolished city on 13 April and, over the next five and one-half months, provided some 5806000 kilowatt-hours (20,901.6 GJ) of electricity. In addition, Wisemans evaporators furnished 150,000 gallons (570 m³) of drinking water to 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...
facilities in the harbor area and to many small craft. Her radios were also utilized to a great extent. Placed at the disposal of the Navy's port director, the ship's communication outfit was used to handle harbor radio traffic until the director's equipment arrived and was installed ashore.
Following her vital service at Manila and projected operations at Ketchikan, Alaska
Ketchikan, Alaska
Ketchikan is a city in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska, United States, the southeasternmost sizable city in that state. With an estimated population of 7,368 in 2010 within the city limits, it is the fifth most populous city in the state....
, shelved, Wiseman shifted to 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...
, arriving on 18 December 1945, where she provided power for the Army dredge
Dredge
Dredging is an excavation activity or operation usually carried out at least partly underwater, in shallow seas or fresh water areas with the purpose of gathering up bottom sediments and disposing of them at a different location...
Harris (YM-25). Departing Guam on 26 March 1946, in company with sister ship
Sister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class as, or of virtually identical design to, another ship. Such vessels share a near-identical hull and superstructure layout, similar displacement, and roughly comparable features and equipment...
, she paused at Eniwetok, in the Marshalls
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
(28–29 March), then returned to the United States via Pearl Harbor (4–6 April 1946). Decommissioned at San Diego, California
Naval Station San Diego
Naval Base San Diego is the largest base of the United States Navy on the west coast of the United States, in San Diego, California. Naval Base San Diego is the principal homeport of the Pacific Fleet, consisting of 54 ships and over 120 tenant commands. The base is composed of 13 piers stretched...
on 31 May 1946, Wiseman was placed in inactivated status on 19 December 1946, then out of commission, in reserve, on 3 February 1947, and moved to Long Beach. Subsequently, the auxiliary ocean tug towed Wiseman from Long Beach back to San Diego (16–17 November 1948).
1950–1961
After the outbreak of hostilities in KoreaKorean 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...
in the summer of 1950, the Chief of Naval Operations
Chief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
recommended that Wiseman be "reactivated at the earliest practicable [time] for distant duty including use as [an] Electric Power Supply Ship." Accordingly, Wiseman was recommissioned at San Diego on 11 September 1950, and, under the command of Lt.Comdr. Jay W. Land, rushed to 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...
, reaching the port of Masan
Masan
Masan was a formerly a municipal city in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. The city was situated on Masan Bay , approximately 35 km west of Busan. It was known for its textile industry, and it was the site of Hite Brewery's production facilities.During the control of the Mongolians, the...
, near the mouth of the Naktong River, at the western anchor-point of the former beachhead at Pusan. As she had done at Manila in 1945, Wiseman supplied electricity to a city unable to generate its own. Later, the ship provided comforts-of-home to units of the 1st Marine Division quartered on the nearby pier
Pier
A pier is a raised structure, including bridge and building supports and walkways, over water, typically supported by widely spread piles or pillars...
, providing hot showers, cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
s, and hot meals cooked in the ship's galley
Galley (kitchen)
The galley is the compartment of a ship, train or aircraft where food is cooked and prepared. It can also refer to a land based kitchen on a naval base or a particular formed household kitchen.-Ship's kitchen:...
. The destroyer escort also provided instruction in seamanship, gunnery, radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
, sonar
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
, and damage control to 80 midshipmen from the Republic of Korea Naval Academy and 120 ROK Navy
Republic of Korea Navy
The Republic of Korea Navy or the ROK Navy is the branch of the South Korean armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations and amphibious landing operations. The ROK Navy includes the Republic of Korea Marine Corps, which is a quasi-autonomous organization...
enlisted men.
Late in 1951, Wiseman returned to the United States and underwent an extensive overhaul 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...
, before she conducted refresher training out of San Diego through the spring and summer of 1952. The ship then sailed again for Korean waters, reaching the combat zone that autumn.
In her second Western Pacific (WestPac) deployment since recommissioning, Wiseman screened light carrier task forces off the west coast of Korea; carried out patrol assignments close inshore; blockaded and bombarded segments of the northeastern Korean coast, and provided antisubmarine screen and escort services for replenishment groups. Later in the deployment, she also participated in hunter-killer operations, trained in antisubmarine warfare (ASW) evolutions, and served as division 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...
during a goodwill call at Manila.
Over the next few years, Wiseman conducted four more WestPac deployments and spent the interludes between them in training out of San Diego and upkeep at Mare Island Naval Shipyard or the San Francisco Naval Shipyard
San Francisco Naval Shipyard
The San Francisco Naval Shipyard was a United States Navy shipyard in San Francisco, California, located on of waterfront at Hunters Point in the southeast corner of the city...
. Upon occasion, she conducted Naval Reserve training cruises — one taking her to the Hawaiian Islands. During the overseas deployments, Wiseman operated with units of SEATO navies — Australian
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
, New Zealand
Royal New Zealand Navy
The Royal New Zealand Navy is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...
, British
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, Philippine
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"....
, Pakistani
Pakistan Navy
The Pakistan Navy is the naval warfare/service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. Pakistan's Navy is responsible for Pakistan's coastline along the Arabian Sea and the defense of important civilian harbors and military bases...
, and Thai
Royal Thai Navy
The Royal Thai Navy is the navy of Thailand and part of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, it was established in the late 19th century. Admiral Prince Abhakara Kiartiwongse is "The Father of Royal Thai Navy". Similar to the organizational structure of the United States, the Royal Thai Navy includes the...
— and visited ports from 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...
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...
. Upon completion of her sixth deployment, Wiseman was designated as a Group I Naval Reserve Training (NRT) ship. Accordingly, on 16 May 1959, the ship was decommissioned and turned over to the 11th Naval District. Lt. W. V. Powell was the first officer-in-charge.
For the next two years, Wiseman operated out of San Diego on NRT duties. Every third weekend of the month, a reserve cruise took her to sea for periods of ASW training; and, during the summers, the destroyer escort made two-week reserve cruises.
1961 – 1973
In 1961, however, the crisis in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
changed Wisemans routine after the building of the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
heightened tensions in August of that year. President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
ordered the activation of reserve units — including the Selected Reserve Crew and NRT ships. Recommissioned on 2 October 1961, Lt.Comdr. C. V. Wilhoite, Jr., in command, Wiseman was immediately prepared for duty with the 7th Fleet. Since the repair and overhaul facilities at San Diego were overworked, Wiseman was overhauled at Long Beach
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...
, spending the pre-Christmas holidays in the Bethlehem shipyards there.
Deploying to WestPac again in January 1962, Wiseman conducted patrol operations off the coast of South Vietnam
South 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...
and participated in the Kennedy Administration's "People to People
People to People Student Ambassador Program
The People to People Student Ambassador Program is a travel service based in Spokane, Washington offering domestic and international travel opportunities to middle and high school students. The group was founded in 1956 and reincorporated in 1995. Since its founding, nearly half a million...
" program. She received a "well done" for her performance of duty and in March, while conducting training operations with the South Vietnamese Navy, won commendation for giving medical aid to a fisherman with an infected leg on board a South Vietnamese fishing junk
Junk (ship)
A junk is an ancient Chinese sailing vessel design still in use today. Junks were developed during the Han Dynasty and were used as sea-going vessels as early as the 2nd century AD. They evolved in the later dynasties, and were used throughout Asia for extensive ocean voyages...
. Later that spring, the ship also 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...
, 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...
, and Japanese ports — including Yokohama, where she hosted celebrations for Armed Forces Day
Armed Forces Day
Several nations of the world hold an annual Armed Forces Day in honor of their military forces. - Armenia :Բանակի օր is celebrated on 28 January to commemorate the formation of the armed forces of the newly independent Republic of Armenia in 1992....
on 19 and 20 May.
Returning to San Diego on 17 July, via 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...
and Pearl Harbor, Wiseman was decommissioned and placed in service on 1 August, resuming her duties as NRT ship with the Group II Naval Reserve. Before the end of 1962, the ship was assigned to Reserve Destroyer Division 272 of Reserve Destroyer Squadron 27.
Placed in reserve but remaining in service, Wiseman was berthed at San Diego through the remainder of the 1960s as part of the Pacific Fleet's reserve units.
The veteran of 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...
and Korean service was stricken 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...
on 15 April 1973, and sold for scrapping 29 April 1974, to Levin Metals Corp., San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
for the sum of $65,000. The ship was removed from Navy custody on 22 May 1974.
Wiseman (DE-667) received six battle stars for her Korean War service.
External links
- history.navy.mil: USS Wiseman, (revised 2006, by Robert J. Cressman)
- navsource.org: USS Wiseman
- hazegray.org: USS Wiseman
- Wiseman veterans' website