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USS John W. Thomason (DD-760)

Please see below for item level images and donated collections containing photographs of USS John W. Thomason (DD-760)

USS John W. Thomason (DD-760) was launched by Bethlehem Steel Co., San Francisco, Calif., 30 September 1944; sponsored by Mrs. John W. Thomason, widow of Colonel Thomason; and commissioned 11 October 1945, Comdr. W. L. Tagg in command.

The new destroyer conducted shakedown training out of San Diego, followed by a series of Naval Reserve training cruises from Seattle and San Francisco. From November 1947 to December 1948 the ship carried out training maneuvers. She sailed 5 December 1948 for her first deployment to the Far East, arriving Tsingtao 1 January 1949 for operations supporting the Marines ashore in China. Departing 24 May 1949, USS John W. Thomason (DD-760) returned via Okinawa to San Diego 23 June 1949 and spent the remainder of the year training.

USS John W. Thomason (DD-760) returned to the Far East in early 1950, arriving Yokosuka 29 January. She arrived Wonsan 9 November to patrol and bombard during the campaign against that port. Antisubmarine exercises took her to Pearl Harbor January-March 1951, but USS John W. Thomason (DD-760) arrived off Korea again 26 March to operate with USS Boxer (CV-21) and USS Princeton (CV-37) during air strikes. Two weeks in April were spent on the important Formosa Patrol, after which she returned to the carrier task force. With battleship USS New Jersey and another destroyer, USS John W. Thomason (DD-760) moved close in 24 May 1951 for gun bombardment of Yang Yang. The veteran ship returned to San Diego from this deployment 2 July 1951.

USS John W. Thomason (DD-760) operated off the California coast for the remainder of 1952, then sailed once more for Korea 21 February 1953. Formosa Patrol duty alternated with carrier task force operations off North Korea. USS John W. Thomason (DD-760) arrived Wonsan harbor 2 July; while firing at shore targets five days later, she received numerous shrapnel hits in a duel with enemy batteries. Extensive conversion and installation of new sonar equipment at Long Beach occupied the ship until July 1962. In December USS John W. Thomason (DD-760) took part in a massive antiaircraft exercise with units of the 1st Fleet off California. She sailed again for the Far East, a part of the ready-hunter-killer group. 

After returning to the West Coast, USS John W. Thomason (DD-760) departed San Diego for the Far East 22 March 1966 and reached Danang 19 April and the same day took station a few miles south of Chu Lai. At the end of April she supported Operation "Osage," and landed north of Danang. After visiting Guam and Japan, USS John W. Thomason (DD-760) headed home 9 September, reached San Diego on the 24th and operated off the West Coast until the end of the year and into 1967 preparing for further action in the defense of freedom.

For a complete history of USS John W. Thomason (DD-760) please see its DANFS page.