HotDog Express for AOL Hometown Document
USS Waller DD/DDE 466 Biography
by Ted Allen
I was laid down on February 12, 1942 at Kearny New Jersey. I was launched on 15 August 1942 and commissioned the 1st of October 1942. Lt. Commander Lawrence H. Frost was my first commanding officer. On the 31st of November 1942, I headed out for the Pacific via the Panama Canal and Pearl Harbor. (The water was much warmer there) I arrived at my destination on the 21st of January 1943. On or about the 29th of January I saw my first real action. Torpedo carrying "Betty" bombers came in low from the East. I came under machine gun fire from the "Betty" as they bore in on the attack. We responded with heavy fire toward the 2 planes. They went down in a brilliant fireball. Unfortunately the Chicago (CA29) sustained heavy damage. And the fighting went on and on. I had more than one opportunity to lead the squadron into battle. I remember one time the radar detected 2 ships. They were Japanese destroyers. We opened fire and with help from some of the other Destroyers we reduced them to rubble in short order. I continued to support the war effort and distinguish myself, as was said by many, as a great fighting ship. OK, there was that one time when I open fire on 3 of our PT boats, however I didn't hit any of them. After many months of escort duty and engaging the enemy, I was returning to Shanghai on 9 October 1945, I hit Japanese mine. Three Officers and 22 men were wounded.
I thought it was all over for all of us but we survived. After the war was over (we won of course), I was sent to Charleston S.C. and put out of commission. I stayed there until the onset of the Korean War. I was recommissioned and converted to an escort and was redesignated as DDE 466 on the 26th of March 1949. On 14 May 1951, I headed for Korea and joined the Task Force 95. We did mostly shore bombardment. After relatively short tour I returned to the United States. From 1951 to 1956 I participated in ASW exercises on the East Coast. In 1956 I was again modified this time with extensive alterations in my ASW battery. I rejoined the Fleet and went on a Mediterranean Cruise in 1957 and joined DesRon 28 as a unit of ASW Task Force "Alpha". In early 1958, I ran aground not far out of Norfolk (obviously uncharted waters) and destroyed the sonar dome. I returned to Portsmouth and went in to dry docks for repairs. Later that same year I decided to tangle with an aircraft carrier, the USS Valley Forge, and the Valley Forge won. My 01 level was caved in and I lost my port anchor and there was a large hole in the port side. I returned to Portsmouth ship yard and went back to dry dock for repairs. The crew didn't mind. Then it was back to sea. In 1960, Walter Cronkite made a documentary on ASW ships at sea. The documentary was called Sub Killers and of course I was the star. In July 1964, I joined DesRon 36. We took several Med. Cruise over the next four years. On 6 September 1968, I departed Norfolk with Des Div 32 for Vietnamese waters. My brave crew and I had the opportunity to distinguish our selves one more time. We did so for 109 consecutive days, and then on 2 March 1969 we started home. After arriving in the States, I had a brief tour as a Naval Reserve training ship on the East Coast. Then I was decommissioned and struck from the Navy list of ships on 15 July 1969. I am not bragging but I received 12 battle stars in World War II, 2 battle stars in Korea and 2 battle stars for Vietnam. Yes, for a total of 16 battle stars. But then the Navy in their infinite wisdom decided to make me a hotel for fish and other sea life at the bottom of the Atlantic, where I rest today, gone but not forgotten. You see the way I see it, as long as there is one sailor who can remember walking my decks, sleeping in my bunks or eating in my mess decks, I will continue to sail.
 
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