USS FRED T. BERRY (DD-858)

• Namesake: USS Fred T. Berry (DD-858) was named in honor of Lieutenant Commander Fred Thomas Berry, a U.S. Navy officer and submarine commander who was lost aboard USS S-28 (SS-133) in 1944. • Class and Type: She was a Gearing-class destroyer, the most numerous class of destroyers built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. • Launch and Commission: The ship was launched on 28 January 1945 by Bethlehem Steel Company in San Pedro, California, and commissioned on 12 May 1945. • World War II Service: Although commissioned too late to see combat in World War II, she participated in postwar occupation duties in the Far East, including Japan and China. • Korean War Operations: The Fred T. Berry saw active service during the Korean War, performing escort, patrol, and bombardment duties off the Korean peninsula. • FRAM Overhaul: She underwent the Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) program in the early 1960s, receiving updated anti-submarine warfare capabilities, including new torpedo systems and a helicopter deck. • Cold War Deployments: The destroyer took part in many Cold War operations, including NATO exercises in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, and patrolled during the tense periods of the Berlin and Cuban Missile Crises. • Rescue Missions: USS Fred T. Berry was involved in rescue and assistance missions, including saving the crew of a sinking merchant ship in the Atlantic. • Decommissioning: The ship was decommissioned on 15 September 1970 after 25 years of service and was subsequently struck from the Naval Vessel Register. • Final Fate - Artificial Reef: In a unique end, the Fred T. Berry was sunk in 1972 off the coast of Key West, Florida, to serve as an artificial reef, where she remains a popular site for divers and marine life.