USS Wiltsie (DD-716) - 1961-1964

1961-1964

In November 1961, Wiltsie began a 10-month scheduled overhaul at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, Pearl Harbor, in which she underwent Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) alterations. She received an enclosed bridge; a helicopter hangar and landing platform; triple-mounted Mk. 32 torpedo tubes; an ASROC launcher; and late model radar and sonar. She also received many improvements in accommodations for both officers and enlisted men. Following this "face lift", Wiltsie conducted refresher training and upkeep before becoming flagship of DesDiv 72, home-ported in San Diego.

Following sonar calibrations at Puget Sound, Wiltsie spent one week off southern California, participating in exercises. After the conclusion of this maneuver, Wiltsie departed the west coast for the Far East, leaving San Diego on 18 May 1963. Arriving at Yokosuka on 6 June, via Pearl Harbor and Midway, Wiltsie soon got underway for a 30-day Taiwan Strait mission. During this time, she visited Keelung and Kaohsiung, Formosa. Her scheduled rest period at Hong Kong at the end of the assignment had to be cancelled because of a typhoon.

Returning to Yokosuka for upkeep on 30 July, Wiltsie departed in early August for participation in Exercise "Tire Iron."

Wiltsie subsequently operated out of Sasebo and Yokosuka into the fall of 1963; she departed Sasebo on 29 October and operated briefly with TG 77.6 until 10 November, when she was detached to return home. After a stop at Pearl Harbor, the destroyer made port at San Diego on 24 November.

In January 1964, Wiltsie joined Ticonderoga (CVA-14), Theodore E. Chandler, and Henderson (DD-885) in anti-aircraft warfare exercises off the west coast and served as a plane guard for the carrier. She subsequently moved westward to the middle Pacific with Ticonderoga and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 18 February. After completing her exercises in Hawaiian waters, she returned to the west coast in the spring and participated in antisubmarine and antiair warfare training with Yorktown (CV-10) and Coral Sea (CVA-43).

In June, Wiltsie embarked midshipmen for a six-week training program and later underwent 10 days of hull repairs at Long Beach. Later in the month, she participated in exercises in support of Marine Corps units engaged in night reconnaissance and in amphibious and paratroop landing training at San Clemente Island and at Camp Del Mar, California.

Drydocked during August and September for hull and sonar dome repair, Wiltsie put to sea soon afterwards for tests and trials of her DASH (drone antisubmarine helicopter) qualification system which ended successfully on 3 November. The destroyer subsequently participated in Operation "Union Square", an extensive fleet exercise, before returning to San Diego to prepare for the ship's 14th WestPac deployment.