USS Swanson

When in doubt, do right!

Commissioning the USS Swanson

On July 10, 1939, the day of Secretary Swanson's funeral, the Navy Department announced that destroyer Number DD443 would be named for the Secretary. The ship was allocated for construction at Charleston Navy Yard and was expected to be completed in late 1941. In fact the ship was launched November 2, 1940 and commissioned May 29, 1941.
During the war, the ship served in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters and was awarded eight battle stars. The USS Swanson was decommissioned on December 10, 1945; she was struck from the Navy list on March 1, 1971.

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Commissioning of the USS Swanson

Above photographs are offical U.S. Navy pictures.

To learn about the history of the USS Swanson
and the honors it earned during World War II,
please visit the web site of the ship's company:

http://ussjpkennedyjr.org/swanson443/swanmen.html

There is a display of USS Swanson items at Battleship Cove
in Fall River, Mass. The battleship Massachusetts as well as
the destroyer Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., are anchored there.

Ship's Crew Reunion, 2002