James C Owens (DD 776) - Naval Cruise Book

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' X One of the' gaillant'W0,rl,d.iW'arA II pilots who did much to turn the tide in the Pacific in our favor was Lieuten.ant james C. Owens, jrifljle lost his life in the Battle of Midway, 3 - 6 June 1942, while attacking a force ofienemy carriers. To thegawards of the Navy Cross and the Presidential Unit Citation, held by Lieutenant Owens was added theghonor of having a ship named after him. This, October 1944-,I at the 2-ethlehem Steel Company's San Pedro, California Shipyards the USS JAMFTSC. OWENS was christeneiafxd in February 1945, she was commissioned. OnEQ105iMay 1945, the OWENS, escorting the Battleship California steamed to Pearl Harbor. OWENS joined Destroyer Squadron 24 andiiproeeeded to Leyte, Philippine Islands where a fast carrier striking force was formed, consisting of light and heavy cruisers. Upon cessation of hostilities, the j.C. OWENS took part in the occupation offwakayama, Japan. Departing the Far East in the fall of 1945, OWENS steamed east through the Panama Canal to her homeport, Newport, Rhode Island. In june 1948 the OWENS made her second Mediterranean cruise. It was on this cruise that she first operated under the flag of the United Nations in patrolling the waters off Palestine. Shortly after her return home early in 1950, she was plucked from the fleet, inactivated and left idle at Charleston, South Carolina, in the ' 'Mothball Fleet . In September 1950, however, she was recommissioned for the Korean Conflict, proceeded to duty in the Far East, and once again operated under the flag of the United Nations. During her tour of duty in the Far East in 1952, while acting as commander of the task element bom- barding Sonjin, OWENS received counter battery fire from enemy shore installations which damaged the forward superstructure and resulted in several personnel casualties. Upon completion of her tour of duty in the Far East in 1952 OWENS returned to the United States via the Mediterranean in company with Destroyer Squadron 22, making a good will tour enroute. The ship arrived in Norfolk, Virginia on 19 August 1952. From September 1953 until March 1954 she served in the Far East under the U.N. Flag for the third time. The OWENS operated out of Norfolk for the next three years as part of the Anti-Submarine Force of the Atlantic Fleet. She was deployed to the Mediterranean again from February to May 1957, On 1 April 1958, the j.C. OWENS was officially transferred to Destroyer Squadron 32, becoming the flagship of Commander Destroyer Division 322. From April 1958 to january 1962, the OWENS made tw Cruise to ports in Northern Europe. On 15 january 1962, OWENS had her homeport changed to Charleston, South Carolina, where she commenced a FRAM II C nver ' h Ch ' - o sion at t e arleston Naval Shipyard on 1 February, The conversion was Was Comlflefed OH 5 OC!I0ber at a Cost of over five million dollars, and the ship was transferred to De- stroyer Squadron 4. o seven month Med cruises and one Midshipman