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Commissioned to Honor Ensign Richard A. Jaccard,
USS
Jaccard DE 355
JACCARD (DE-355) was launched by Consolidated Steel Corp., Ltd., Orange, Tex., 18 March 1944; sponsored by Mrs. C. R. Jaccard, mother of Ensign Jaccard; and commissioned 26 July 1944, Lt. Comdr. C. R. Hamilton in command.
Following shakedown training out of Bermuda, the new destroyer escort sailed to Boston for the installation of new electronic equipment. She departed 29 September for Norfolk to join her escort division and after a battle problem off the Virginia Capes escorted a convoy back into Hampton Roads.
JACCARD then sailed 21 October, transited the Panama Canal, and touched at many of the Navy's south Pacific bases before arriving Hollandia 28 November 1944.
After several days of anti-submarine training, she steamed to Leyte, arriving 21 December, and there underwent her first air attack.
In the months that followed the destroyer escort operated as a convoy escort from Hollandia, Manus, and the Palaus to Leyte as Allied forces pressed forward in the conquest of the Philippines. JACCARD remained on this duty, escorting a total of eleven convoys of vitally needed supplies, until joining a hunter-killer group 18 March 1945, west of the Philippines.
During the next 2 months she also escorted American submarines to and from Subic Bay.
In May JACCARD returned to escort duty out of Leyte Gulf, but steamed back to the waters off Manila 22 June to patrol and escort submarines.
She remained on this duty until after the end of organized fighting, and then began escort duty between Manila and Okinawa 30 August 1945.
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Early in 1946 the veteran ship began operating as escort and mail ship between the Philippines and ports in China and Korea in support of American troops remaining in these strategic countries to preserve stability.
She sailed 26 April 1946 for the United States, and arrived 16 June.
After a period of training operations off the West Coast, JACCARD decommissioned at Puget Sound Navy Yard 30 September 1946, and joined the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Bremerton, Wash., where she remains. *
* The JACCARD was later struck...
Asia-Pacific Campaign Medal
JACCARD received one battle
star 
for World War II service.
From:
Dictionary of American Fighting Ships, Vol. III, 1968,
Navy Department, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations,
Naval History Division,
Washington, D.C.Specs:
Displacement: 1,350 tons
Length: 306'
Beam: 36' 8"
Draft: 9' 5"
S. 24 k.Class: John C. Butler
Ship's complement: 186 Officers and men
Gunnery: 2 - 5". 4 -40-mm., 10 - 20-mm., 2 dct., 8 dcp., 1 dcp. (h.h.)
Last Commanding: JOHN C. BUTLERAddendum to the Dictionary of American Fighting Ships, Vol. III, 1968...
USS JACCARD (DE355) was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 November 1967 and later sunk as a target by United States Navy units on 4 October 1968. A sad end to Proud ship. Anyone who has served on this ship, please send me Email ASAP. Thank you!
Addendum - November 16, 1998
I received a message from Pat Stephens, Webmaster of her tribute site to her father, William Edward Northcutt, who sailed on the USS Doyle C. Barnes DE-353.
Her Email to me was due to her reading this page about cousin Richard, and the ship named for him.. I am including it here as it has some reference to the Jaccard that might be of interest to former shipmates on either ships...
"Hi Jake,
Gosh, I think I hear the song from The Twilight Zone playing! Boy, it IS a small world! Who would have thought that you and I would have this "connection". I am sad to say that the only reason I know about the Jaccard is from info sent to me by RADM Ingle, Barnes Commander. He published an article, "A Melange of Our Meaningful Memories Together", in the DESA news, many years ago. It was written to wish CDR Jennings a happy 80th birthday. In this article, Ingle's says:
"Crossing the Pacific with daily division tactics, flag hoist drills, and (at any hour) gun readiness exercises. Air attack on convoy thwarted. Working with subs at Subic and Commendation for ADM Fife, shore bombardment of Jap stronghold at Miri and Commendation from COMDESPAC. Your role as Sr. Naval Officer present at Brunei Bay, working with Australian Army and your Commendation by Gen Wootten. Jap surrender ceremony at Kuching and transporting prison survivors back to civilization. Seas we have known: Caribbean, Bismark, Coral, Mindanao, Sibuyan, Sulu, and South China. Transits: Panama Canal, Int'l date line, and 10 times (with ceremonies) the equator. Remote Ports:
Cristobal, C.Z.,; Galapagos Island, Bora Bora, Society Islands; Espiritu Santos, New Hebrides; Hollandia, New Guinea; Mios Woendi, Padaido Island Dutch New Guinea; Brunei Bay, British North Borneo; and in The Philippines Tacloban and Tolosa, Leyte; Mangarin Bay, Mindoro; Subic Bay and Manila, Luzon; Zamboanaga, Mindanao and Calicoan, Samar. Mix together with many miles (56,713 nautical miles the ship's first year alone), from mirror seas with flying fish to typhoons with seasickness, fears, and prayers, friendships all deepen. Your legion of Merit with Combat V and impressive citation was eminently well deserved".
I typed the info just as it is in the article. The punctuation is confusing to me. Since the Jaccard was with the Barnes, this should give you an idea of where the ships traveled. I'm not sure when Division 82 "separated". So, I don't know how many of the ports mentioned above were visited by the Jaccard. Hope this info is of some help to you in tracing her history. If it had not been for finding RADM Ingle, I would have very little info on the Barnes. I am sure he would love to talk with you if you have any questions. I'll send you his telephone number, if you like. Let me know.
Hope this helps!
Warmly,
PatFurther coms from Pat:
Hi Again, Jake
Forgot to tell you this. Got too carried away with my "story" :) I found another of daddy's shipmates, Mr. Saul Weisman, who told me the following:
"Barnes took part in the Battle of Luzon, Jan. 4-13, 1945. The Barnes was the second ship to arrive in Manila, arriving on the 2nd or 3rd day of the invasion of the Philippines.
Also, RADM Ingle sent me some info on the Liberation of Borneo. The Barnes, and perhaps the Jaccard, was present for Kuching's surrender on Sept 10, 1945. The info is entitled, 'Kuching Surrender, an eyewitness account' by Lt. Herbert H. Toder, USNR, First Lieutenant of USS Doyle C. Barnes, with collateral duties as the ship's Public Relations Officer".
I plan to add this article to my website. My daddy told my mother about his arriving on the island and escorting the Australian POW's from the camps.
Hope this helps.
Warmly,
Pat
Note: Any former shipmates who served on any of the above mentioned ships, or other ships in Task Group 82 , ComDesPac, at this time, please send Pat Stephens - pnscrnp@dbtech.net (Pat Stephens) - and me Email ~ Jake
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