USS Beale (DD:DDE-471)

• Namesake: USS Beale (DD/DDE-471) was named after Edward Fitzgerald Beale, a 19th-century naval officer, explorer, and frontiersman. • Class and Commission: She was a Fletcher-class destroyer, commissioned on 23 December 1942. • World War II Service: Beale served extensively in the Pacific Theater, participating in campaigns such as the Aleutian Islands, Gilbert and Marshall Islands, and the invasions of Leyte, Luzon, and Okinawa. • Kamikaze Attack: On 1 January 1945, Beale was struck by a Japanese kamikaze off Luzon, suffering casualties and damage but remaining operational. • Battle Stars: For her World War II service, USS Beale earned seven battle stars. • Korean War and Cold War Duties: After World War II, Beale was converted to a destroyer escort (DDE-471) and served in the Korean War and Cold War anti-submarine operations. • Cuban Missile Crisis: Beale participated in the Cuban Missile Crisis quarantine operations in October 1962 as part of the US naval blockade. • Presidential Escort: In 1963, Beale served as an escort to the yacht of President John F. Kennedy during the America’s Cup races off Newport, Rhode Island. • Decommissioning: USS Beale was decommissioned on 30 September 1968 after more than 25 years of service. • Fate: The ship was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register and sold for scrap in 1972, ending her long and decorated career.