USS McCord DD-534

The USS McCord (DD-534) was a Fletcher-class destroyer named for Cmdr. Frank C. McCord, commander of one of the U.S. Navy's few dirigible airships. The destroyer was laid down on 17 March 1942 in San Francisco and launched 10 January 1943 by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation. She was commissioned 19 August 1943.

World War II Service

The McCord ran through her shakedown cruise and immediately left for the Pacific Theater. Departing San Diego on 27 November 1943, she joined the Pacific Fleet prior to operations in the Marshall Islands. On 30 January 1944, she arrived off Kwajalein as part of Task Force 51 and participated in Operation "Flintlock" as a screen for transports and in a close support fire role. On 15 February all of Task Force 51 left Kwajalein for Eniwetok and began operation "Catchpole," an attempt to clear sea lanes into the Eniwetok lagoon.

By the middle of March, the McCord joined Task Force 39 in the Bismarck Archipelago. She acted in a support role for the landings at Emirau Island on 21 March. She escorted troops to Emirau from Purvis Bay and then returned to Purvis Bay in late April. On 1 May she began escort duties for tankers and engaged in a range of duties including escort, anti-submarine patrol and shelling of a tank installation on New Ireland and enemy positions on Tinian.

On 11 September 1944, the McCord arrived at Peleliu to support the forces that landed on the beach on 15 September. She supported Carrier Division 22 in its assault on the central Philippines and when landings were made on Suluan and Dinagat on 17 October. She continued to operate in the Philippines for the remainder of that campaign.

Beginning on 6 December and continuing through that month, the McCord participated in strikes against Japanese shipping and raids on installations. On 18 February 1944, the destroyer participated in operations against Chichi Jima and on 20 February against Japanese forces on Iwo Jima in support of the American Marines who had landed on the 19th.

In March, the McCord operated in the screen of TG 58.4 as it began to concentrate on Okinawa in preparation of the invasion. She was active in the area through May and operated off the coast of Okinawa for the last two weeks of the battle.

The McCord returned to the Leyte Gulf on 13 June and four days later left for the U.S. west coast for overhaul. She arrived on 8 July and was docked for the overhaul when the surrender was announced. These repairs and refurbishments lasted until 7 September, when the destroyer was moved to San Diego and became part of the inactive reserve fleet on 15 September 1945.

She was decommissioned on 15 January 1947 and remained in dock at San Diego until she was recommissioned on 1 August 1951 as part of the reactivation of naval forces for the Korean conflict.

Service in Korea

The McCord was assigned to the Atlantic Fleet after recommissioning and left the west coast on 1 November 1951 to report to Norfolk. She operated for a year along the east coast between the British West Indies and Halifax, Nova Scotia. On 10 January 1953, the McCord left this duty for the western Pacific. She reached the coast of the Korean Peninsula on 15 February and began operations with Task Force 95. She stayed in the Yellow Sea until the middle of March.

She joined Task Force 77 as it operated off the east coast of Korea, bombarding shore installations and providing fire support. On 5 June, the term of McCord's Korean deployment ended and she departed the region for the U.S. This was the last time she would see the Pacific.

Retirement of the McCord

In the months that followed her Korean deployment, the McCord operated in the Caribbean and off the southeastern coast. She was decommissioned on 9 June 1954 and remained at Norfolk as a part of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet for an extensive period of time. She was finally removed from the naval register on 1 October 1972. The McCord was scrapped in 1974.

Asbestos Risks

The use of asbestos was common on nearly every Navy ship constructed around World War II. Unfortunately, exposure to this toxic substance has been known to result in the development of several asbestos-related diseases, including lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. Exposure to asbestos on Navy vessels often occurred during repairs when asbestos-containing materials were being removed, causing the fibers of asbestos to become airborne.

If you were exposed to asbestos while serving or working on a Navy vessel, you may be at risk of developing an asbestos-related disease. If you have already been diagnosed with an illness related to asbestos, you may have legal options for compensation. For more information about this, treatment options and asbestos exposure, please fill out the request form on this page to receive a complimentary packet.

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Destroyers Index