USS Harold J. Ellison (DD-864)

• Namesake: USS Harold J. Ellison (DD-864) was named after Ensign Harold John Ellison, a U.S. Navy aviator who was killed in action during the Battle of Midway in 1942. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. • Class and Commissioning: The ship was a Gearing-class destroyer, commissioned on 23 June 1945, just months before the end of World War II. • Post-WWII Service: Although too late to see combat in WWII, USS Harold J. Ellison participated in occupation duties in Japan and China following the war. • Korean War Operations: The destroyer served with the U.S. 7th Fleet during the Korean War, performing patrol, screening, and gunfire support missions. • Cuban Missile Crisis: In October 1962, USS Harold J. Ellison was part of the naval blockade during the Cuban Missile Crisis, enforcing the quarantine of Cuba. • FRAM Modernization: In the early 1960s, the ship underwent Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM I) upgrades, receiving improved anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities, including the ASROC system. • Vietnam War Service: The destroyer deployed to the waters off Vietnam, providing naval gunfire support and serving as a plane guard for aircraft carriers on Yankee Station. • Arctic Operations: In 1957, Harold J. Ellison participated in Operation Strikeback, a major NATO exercise in the North Atlantic, operating above the Arctic Circle. • Rescue Missions: The ship assisted in several rescue operations at sea during its career, including aiding distressed merchant vessels and recovering downed pilots. • Decommissioning and Turkish Service: Decommissioned from the U.S. Navy on 1 October 1983, she was transferred to the Turkish Navy, where she served as TCG Piyalepasa (D350) until 1994.