1950

Upon the opening of the Korean hostilities, the OZBOURN joined TASK Force 77. She participated in the invasion of Inchon and conducted air operations off the Korean coast where she twice won the Korean Presidential Citation. On 19 September 1950 Commander FREEMAN was relieved as Commanding Officer by Commander Charles O. Akers. In February 1951 the OZBOURN received two direct hits and several near hits while under Communists shore battery fire off the Northern coast. On the same day the OZBOURN sent out a motor whale boat to rescue a downed pilot from the carrier USS VALLEY FORGE. The downed pilot while fourteen miles from the OZBOURN was floating in an enemy mine field. The boat officer received a Bronze Star and the crew members received Letters at Commendation with combat distinguishing devices for their parts in the rescue. The OZBOURN remained on the firing line until March 1951.

OZBOURN returned to San Diego in April 1951, and after undergoing repairs and overhaul, she left again for Korea. During this time Commander Akers was relieved as commanding officer by Commander William B. Fargo. Upon arrival at the Wonsan area the OZBOURN was assigned to Task Force 77. Entering Wonsan Harbor she blasted the Communists with her guns, destroying railroad cars, trucks, sampans and coastal gun emplacements.

Returning to Task Force 77 in July 1952 the OZBOURN rescued 18 men from the carrier USS BOXER who had jumped from the ship to avoid a menacing fire. On the following day the OZBOURN rescued three downed airmen from the carrier USS ESSEX.

In early October 1952 the OZBOURN steamed south to Formosa to train Chinese Nationalist Naval Officers in operation and upkeep of shipboard equipment. Later in October the ship returned to Task Force 77 and conducted a special firing mission on Wonsan and Suwon Don, Korea, The OZBOURN then returned to San Diego.

During the next two years the OZBOURN made regular tours to the far East for duty with the Seventh Fleet, and the rest of the time was spent conducting routine training operations in the San Diego area. On 1 April 1954 Commander FARGO was relieved as Commanding Officer by Commander Howard T. Scott, Jr.

In February 1955 the OZBOURN played an important role in the evacuation of the Chinese Nationalist Forces from the Tachen Islands off the coast of China. The ship followed the minesweepers in on the first day and remained within easy firing range of the unfriendly islands for the entire operation. On 17 November 1955 Commander SCOTT was relieved as Commanding Officer by Commander A. J. TOULON, Jr.

1955

In December 1955 while en route to Yokosuka, Japan for duty in the Far East, the OZBOURN was diverted by Commander Naval Forces, Far East to search for survivors of a Japanese fishing vessel reported sunk during a typhoon 100 mines west of Chashi, Japan. The OZBOURN received severe damage due to the heavy weather including the loss of the forward five inch gun mount. The following morning an Air Force Search plane sighted three men on a raft and the OZBOURN vectored to the scene. These men proved to be the only survivors of a crew of 24 from the fishing vessel capsized by the typhoon. The OZBOURN took the Survivors to Yokosuka.

1956  >>