< Brown DD- 546

Brown DD- 546

 

Brown

George Brown entered the Navy on board the schooner Enterprise as a Seaman, at Malta, 8 July 1803. He took part in the expedition under Lieutenant Stephen Decatur, Jr., which entered the harbor of Tripoli in the ketch Intrepid 16 Februa7ry 1804 and destroyed the frigate Philadelphia. Quartermaster Brown was detached from the Navy 2 March 1805.

(DD-546: dp. 2050; 1. 37615"; b. 39'7"; dr. 17'9"; s. 35.2
k.; cpl. 329; a. 5 5", 10 21" TT.; cl. Fletcher)

Brown (DD-546) was launched 21 February 1943 by Bethlehem Steel Co., San Pedro, Calif.; sponsored by Mrs. Claude 0. Kell, wife of Captain Kell; and commissioned 10 July 1943, Lieutenant Commander T. H. Copeman in command.

On 10 November 1943 Brown departed Pearl Harbor in company with TF 50 enroute to the forward area. During Brown's very active service in the Pacific she screened carriers during the Gilbert Islands invasion (21 November-6 December 1943) ; Kavieng, New Ireland, raids (25 December 1943-4 January 1944) ; Marshall Islands raids (29 January-7 February) ; Truk raid (16-1T February) ; Palau-Yap-Woleai raids (30 March-2 April) ; assault and capture of Hollandia, New Guinea (21-28 April) ; Truk raid (29 April); bombardment of Satawan (30 April) Ponape raids (1 May) ; Marcus Island raid (19-20 May) Wake Island raid (23 May) ; strikes in support of the assault on Saipan (1-26 June) ; Battle of the Philippine Sea, during which she rescued four American pilots (19-20 June) ; bombardment of Iwo Jima (4 July) ; assault on Guam and Tinian (12 July-6 August) ; Yap raids (26-28 July) ; Chichl Jima raids (4-5 August) ; raids on Palau, Mindanao, Talaud, and Morotai, supporting the capture of the southern Palaus and Ulithl (6-15 September) raids against Luzon and the Visavas (21-24 September) raids on Okinawa, Formosa, and huzon (10 19 October) Battle for Leyte Gulf (25 October) ; raids on Manila and the Visayas (5 November) ; and raids against northern and central Philippines in support of the seizing of Mindoro Island (15-16 December).

Task Force 38 was caught in a typhoon (17-18 December) and strikes against Luzon were canceled in order to search for survivors of three missing destroyers. On 21 December Brown recovered 13 survivors of Hull (DD-350) and six survivors of Monaghan (DD-354). Brown then proceeded to Ulithi and received orders to return to Seattle, Wash., for overhaul. Repairs completed on 1 March 1945, she was ready for sea. After a brief stop at Pearl Harbor, Brown headed westward to take part in the Okinawa operation (1 April-,30 June 1945), during which she was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for her service as a radar picket ship; 3d Fleet operations against Japan (30 June-15 July) ; and the minesweeping operations southwest of Okinawa.

With the cessation of hostilities Brown served with the occupation forces in Japan until 28 October 1945. She then departed for San Diego, arriving 17 November 1945. Ordered to duty with the 19th Fleet, she went out of commission In reserve 1 August 1946 at San Diego.

Brown was recommissioned 27 October 1950. She conducted intensive shakedown operations off the west coast and then reported to Commander, Naval Forces, Par East, in March 1951. From March until September she operated with TFs 77 and 95 and participated in the siege of Wonsan Harbor on two occasions. Brown returned to California in October 19.151. Her next Western Pacifle tour was between July 1952 and January 1953 during which time she operated on the Formosan Patrol. Since that time she has made four Par Eastern tours and has operated along the west coast.

Brown received the Navy Unit Commendation, for services rendered during the Okinawa operation, in addition to 13 battle stars for her World War II service. She was awarded two battle stars for her Korean service.