USS McGowan DD-678

The USS McGowan (DD-678) was laid down by the Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company of Kearny, New Jersey on 30 June 1943 and launched on 14 November of that same year. She was a destroyer in the Fletcher-class and was named for Rear Admiral Samuel McGowan. The McGowan was first commanded by James B. Weller.

History of Service

The McGowan was commissioned on 20 December 1943 and went on her shakedown and training cruise soon after. She completed this cruise in time to participate in the Marianas campaign in the Pacific Theater. She sailed for the Pacific and arrived at Roi in the Kwajalein Atoll on 31 May 1944. On 14 June the destroyer screened bombardment ships in advance of the Saipan invasion. The next day she began fire support for the invading troops until 23 June, when she returned to Eniwetok.

At the end of July, the McGowan returned to Guadalcanal in preparation of the attack on Palaus. The McGowan remained in the area until 17 July when she moved toward Angaur, where she would remain until 22 July. After this, the McGowan prepared for the invasion of Leyte and acted as a fighter-director for aircraft covering the invasion. Within two days, the McGowan sailed for Hollandia and began screening convoys to the Philippines, an assignment that lasted until December.

On 11 January 1945, the McGowan sailed into Lingayen Gulf to take part in the Luzon offensive. Her guns defended against Japanese kamikazes until 14 January when she returned to her work as an escort. The McGowan also supported troops at the landing on Iwo Jima and the fierce fighting that ensued there. Then in March, she moved closer to the Japanese home islands to support strikes on military and industrial targets. The McGowan replenished in the Philippines and continued with the Allied effort to strike at the heart of Japan.

The McGowan detached from Task Force 38 and was ordered to return to the west coast for overhaul. She sailed for Adak, Alaska and was in port there when word came of the Japanese surrender. She was immediately assigned to the 9th fleet and ordered to return to Japan to support occupation duties. On 12 October 1945, the McGowan finally departed for the United States, arriving in November at San Diego. She was overhauled for several months and on 30 April 1946 was decommissioned and entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet in San Diego.

The Korean War and Further Service

Like so many vessels of the U.S. Navy that were decommissioned after World War II, the McGowan found herself back in action with the outbreak of hostilities on the Korean Peninsula. In an effort to augment the strength of the Navy, older ships were recommissioned and put into various roles during the early 1950s.

The McGowan was recommissioned on 6 July 1951 and by 1952 was in the service of the Atlantic Fleet. In May, she began training for a deployment to the Far East and on 20 October 1952 was in port at Yokosuka, Japan.

The McGowan began operations with Task Force 96 off Okinawa and then joined Task Force 77 in the war zone along the Korean coast. In this capacity, the McGowan provided fire support and bombardment duties until 1953 when she sailed for home. She arrived at Newport after circumnavigating the globe on 11 April 1953.

The McGowan continued in active duty throughout the rest of the 1950s, sailing to the Mediterranean and participating in actions relating to the political tensions in the Middle East and Cyprus in 1958.

The Transfer of the McGowan

The McGowan arrived at Newport on 30 September 1958, where she stayed until October 1960, when she was transferred to the Government of Spain on a renewable five-year loan under the terms of the Military Assistance Program. At the port of Barcelona on 30 November 1960, the McGowan was decommissioned and on the next day recommissioned in the Spanish Navy as SPS Jorge Juan (D-45). She was later redesignated as D-25. The ship formerly known as McGowan remained in service with the Spanish Navy for many years, finally being stricken from their list of ships on 15 November 1988 and sold for scrap.

Asbestos Risks

The mineral asbestos was widely installed for insulation and as fire control in each U.S. Navy destroyer through both world wars. While nearly every part of a ship like the USS McGowan offered at least some asbestos exposure, the vessel's boilers and engineering compartments were the workspaces where sailors and shipyard workers were apt to be in danger of inhaling asbestos fibers.

When dealing with asbestos, the highest level of danger to human health happens in situations where items containing the mineral become damaged and breakable, because if the asbestos filaments escape into the air, the particles can be inhaled by those near the hazard. Numerous studies have shown that dangerous medical conditions such as mesothelioma are caused by even modest levels of asbestos exposure. Naval veterans with a history of exposure to this mineral should immediately tell their primary physician as related conditions can often be misdiagnosed.

If you have already been diagnosed with an illness related to asbestos exposure, you may have legal options for compensation. Many have received financial assistance to help pay for medical expenses and lost income. If you would like to learn more about this and treatment options, please fill out the request form on this page to receive a complimentary packet.

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Destroyers Index