USS JOHN WILLIS (DE-1027)

USS JOHN WILLIS (DE-1027) was a Dealey-class destroyer escort commissioned by the United States Navy in 1957. Named after Pharmacist’s Mate First Class John H. Willis, a Medal of Honor recipient, the ship specialized in anti-submarine warfare during the height of the Cold War. Throughout her service, JOHN WILLIS participated in numerous training exercises and NATO operations in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, enhancing U.S. and allied naval capabilities. She was decommissioned in 1972 after a distinguished career and subsequently struck from the Naval Vessel Register.