USS Lester (DE-1022) - 1960s

1960s

January 1960 found Lester participating in operation "Springboard" in the Caribbean. The following months were spent in convoy and individual exercises developing ASW tactics. During September and October, the ship steamed to northern Europe to take part in NATO fall convoy exercises, after which she returned to Newport to prepare for the 1961 operation "Springboard". After a brief operation in the North Atlantic, Lester overhauled at Boston from September to 20 November, then cruised to Guantanamo Bay for refresher training.

For the next two years, Lester continued similar operations. A highlight was UNITAS III on ASW exercises with South American navies. Departing on 16 August 1962, she steamed over 18,000 miles and received more than 20,000 visitors. Lester entered Boston Naval Shipyard on 12 September for a major conversion to improve her ASW capabilities.

Lester resumed operations from Newport on 22 January 1964. These included a joint United States-Canadian ASW operation in May and another in September following her assignment to newly formed Escort Squadron 8. In late January 1965, Lester left for Key West, Florida, for surveillance duty and to provide school services for the Fleet Sonar School. She returned to Newport in late February, and on 16 March, departed for operation "Springboard". She joined a United States-Canadian exercise in May, and again in June for operation "Pole Star." After a brief operation in July, the vessel entered Boston Naval Shipyard for a restricted availability period. On the day before Thanksgiving, Lester returned to Newport to resume her vital peacetime training mission.

On 31 January 1966, Lester began seven months of participation in the Destroyer Escort Petty Officer Training Program, better preparing over one hundred non-rated men for their eventual advancement to petty officer. In June, she also demonstrated the Navy's capabilities to cadets from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. On 15 October, she again entered Boston Naval Shipyard for overhaul.

The overhaul was completed on 24 January 1967, and Lester operated locally until sailing south in March. She served as Sonar School Ship, Key West, Florida, prior to refresher training out of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, through April. Spending May in Newport, Lester departed on 29 January for deployment to northern Europe and the Mediterranean. She returned late in September and spent the remainder of the year in local operations out of Newport. February through June 1968 saw another voyage to north European and Mediterranean waters. Into 1969, Lester continued her vital peacekeeping operations and readiness exercises out of her home port, Newport.