>From the “Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships,” (1969) Vol. 4, p.129. LLOYD E. ACREE Lloyd Edgar Acree, born 31 July 1920 in Beggs, Okla., enlisted in the Navy 17 October 1940. After training at San Diego, Calif., he was assigned to heavy cruiser SALT LAKE CITY (CA-25) 10 December 1940, and became aviation ordnanceman third class 1 August. During the grim months after Pearl Harbor, SALT LAKE CITY, against desperate odds, helped stem the tide of Japanese expansion. Following the American invasion of Guadalcanal 7 August 1942, Acree participated in the grim struggle for control of the Solomons. During the night of 11 to 12 October 1942, an American cruiser-destroyer force under Rear Adm. Norman Scott intercepted a cruiser-destroyer bombardment group off Cape Esperance and repulsed the enemy after a furious night battle. Early in the action, an enemy shell burst close aboard to starboard and sprayed the cruiser with shell fragments. Acree, who was holding a 5-inch shell loading into No. 3 gun, fell to the deck, seriously wounded in the abdomen. Although in intense pain, he gallantly clung to the shell to prevent its explosion. He died a short time later while undergoing emergency surgery. For his great courage and outstanding devotion to duty, Acree was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously. DE-356 Displacement: 1,350 t. Length: 306’ Beam: 36’8” Draft: 9’5” Speed: 24 k. Complement: 186 Armament: 2 5”; 4 40mm; 10 20mm; 3 21” torpedo tubes; 8 depth charge projectors; 2 depth charge tracks; 1 hedge hog Class: JOHN C. BUTLER LLOYD E. ACREE (DE-356) was laid down by Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, Tex., 24 January 1944; launched 21 March 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Ora A. Acree; and commissioned 1 August 1944, Lt. Comdr. John E. Greenbacker in command. After shakedown out of Bermuda and convoy operations, LLOYD E. ACREE was assigned to CortDiv 82 and departed Norfolk for the South Pacific 21 October. Steaming via the Panama Canal, the Societies, and the New Hebrides, she reached Hollandia, New Guinea, 28 November for duty with the 7th Fleet. Following ASW training off New Guinea, LLOYD E. ACREE sailed 13 December as escort for a 44-ship convoy bound for Leyte, Philippines. She arrived San Pedro Bay 21 December and after an escort run to the Palaus and back, she returned to Hollandia as convoy escort 13 January 1945. During the first 3 months of 1945, she continued to escort the vital troop and supply convoys which were important to the success of the Allied offensive in Luzon. The destroyer escort arrived Mangarin Bay, Mindoro, 18 March and began ASW patrol duty in the South China Sea. During the next 4 months she cruised in search of enemy submarines from Mindoro to Subic Bay. While on patrol off Mindoro 8 April, she rescued survivors of a Liberator which had exploded en route to a bombing mission over Formosa. In addition she supported the training of 7th Fleet submarines off the Philippines. LLOYD E. ACREE resumed convoy escort duty in the closing weeks of the war. She departed Subic Bay 12 July as escort for a convoy bound for Okinawa. She continued operating between the Philippines and the Ryukyus until 12 September when she began weather patrols off the Philippines. For more than 5 months she operated out of various Philippine ports from Manila, Luzon, to Guiuan, Samar, while gathering important weather information in the Philippine Sea. Departing Manila 15 February 1946, LLOYD E. ACREE steamed to the coast of China and arrived Tsingtao 20 February. For almost 2 months she operated in the Yellow and East China Seas in ASW training and supporting Chinese Nationalists during their struggle with Chinese Communists. On 15 April she departed Tsingtao via the Marianas, Marshalls, and Pearl Harbor, and reached San Pedro 11 May. There she decommissioned 10 October, was inactivated at San Diego 20 November, and joined the Pacific Reserve Fleet. At present she is berthed at Mare Island, Calif. [Stricken from the Navy Register on 15 January 1972, LLOYD E. ACREE was sold on 13 June 1973. K. Jack Bauer and Stephen S. Roberts, “Register of Ships of the U. S. Navy, 1775-1990,” p.236.] Transcribed by Michael Hansen mhansen2@home.com