USS John W. Thomason (DD-760) - Korea

Korea

The ship returned to the Far East in early 1950, arriving Yokosuka 29 January. During this critical post-war period, she operated with British ships on training maneuvers off the coast of Indochina and Korea, returning to San Diego 25 April 1950. Two months later, North Korean aggression plunged the United States and the United Nations into the Korean War. John W. Thomason sailed 30 September to join the 7th Fleet, operating in the screen of carrier task groups pounding enemy positions and supply lines. She arrived Wonsan 9 November to patrol and bombard during the campaign against that port. Antisubmarine exercises took her to Pearl Harbor January-March 1951, but John W. Thomason arrived off Korea again 26 March to operate with Boxer and Princeton during air strikes. Two weeks in April were spent on the important Formosa Patrol, after which she returned to the carrier task force. With battleship New Jersey and another destroyer, she moved close in 24 May 1951 for gun bombardment of Yang Yang. The veteran ship returned to San Diego from this deployment 2 July 1951.

John W. Thomason sailed again for Korea 4 January 1952 and resumed operations with Task Force 77 off the coast of North Korea. She fired at railway targets 21 February in the Songjin area. During this period of stalemate on land, Navy strikes made up the bulk of offensive operations. The destroyer returned to Formosa Patrol duty in April. Back at Songjin and Wonsan 26 April, the ship screened larger units, took part in shore bombardment, and patrolled offshore. She was relieved by a British destroyer 21 June and returned to San Diego 11 July 1952.

The destroyer operated off the California coast for the remainder of 1952, then sailed once more for Korea 21 February 1953. Formosa Patrol duty alternated with carrier task force operations off North Korea. John W. Thomason arrived Wonsan harbor 2 July; while firing at shore targets five days later, she received numerous shrapnel hits in a duel with enemy batteries. Maneuvering in the restricted waters, Commander Ratliff skillfully returned the fire until three batteries had been silenced. She continued to operate off Wonsan until the armistice 27 July, and after a brief stay in Japan arrived San Diego 22 September 1953.