Leonard Mason (DD 852) - Naval Cruise Book

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LIFE Since her inception the MASON has led a colorful and distinguished life Her keel was laid on August 6 1945 at Quincy Massachusetts She was launched on December 15 1945 and christened by Mrs Hillery Mason mother of Leonard F Mason The MASON was commissioned at Boston Naval Shipyard on June 28 1946. 1 After her shakedown cruise in the Caribbean she steamed thru the Panama Canal to join Destroyer Squadron Three as an element of the Pacific Fleet From 1947 to 1951 she com- pleted two Western Pacific cruises and an overhaul period in the U S The MASON participated in the seige of Wonsan shore bombardment and blockade duties with a British Carrier Force During the Middle East Crises of 56 the ship was an element of Fast Carrier Task Force 11 From February of 1963 until January of 1964 she underwent Fram MK1 conversion at the Boston Naval Shipyard There she received increased radar and communications equipment rehabilited living spaces and Asroc She gained a new profile with her new superstructure , . 1 7 ' 7 . , . . 1 1 1 1 - 11 77 . 1 ' 1 1 ' -

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N PVT. IST cl.Ass LEONARD F. MASON, uslvlc Leonard F. Mason was under fire from two enemy machine guns on July 22, 1944. Mason, an automatic rifleman with the 2nd Battalion of the 3rd Marines, was fighting on the Island of Guam during World War ll. PFC Mason charged out of the trench he was in and ran parallel to it, toward the rear of the enemy position. He was fired on and repeatedly wounded by enemy riflemen. Wounds in the arm and shoulder did nothing to deter him and 'Mason continued to charge forward without regard for his own life. He destroyed the enemy machine gun emplace- ment and killed five and wounded another. Mason then returned to his platoon to inform his supenors of the resuhs oflns achons. g The severely wounded young man was evacuated and later died. Private First Class Leonard F. Mason was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for action abovef and beyond the call of duty.

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On March 17, 1966, MASON recovered the Gemini 8 capsule and astronauts David Scott and Neil Armstrong. In September 1967 the MASON again deployed for West Pac and provided shore bombardment and was a rescue destroyer for Task Force 77 until March 1968 when she returned to Long Beach. ln August 1968, MASON changed home ports to Yokosuka, Japan for a two year tour. She has been assigned shore bombardment, rescue destroyer, search and rescue and radar picket missions. She returned to San Diego in August of 1970. 9