On Wed, 26 Nov 1997 Joe Claytor Email address wrote: Was wondering why Keppler dde 765 not listed on list of ships. We were there, left Newport week after war started and after being in the Formosa Straits for a few months, went to Korea waters. We were there when the Chinese came swarming across the river. The Keppler was among the first ones there. we esacorted the cruisers and carriers that participated in the inchon invasion. Us and three other Destroyers patrolled the Formosa Straits for a few months and back to Korea. We picked up a pilot that had to bail out over water after being hit. Can't remember his name or date that we picked him up. Can't remember the name of the Destroyer that hit the floating mine, (USS Walke - ed note) we were lucky enough to sight them before we hit one. Blew up two, one foolishly with M-1's and one with 20 millimeters. Mighty glad I had joined the Navy. Good Site.
The Keppler was in Destroyer escort division 61, the Fred T. Berry was the division leader. After a bad weekend in Newport, R. I., several of us were transferred from the Harwood to the Keppler on Monday after the Korean War started. We went to Norfolk where we joined up with several other ships and left a few days for the far East. After going through the Suez Canal, etc., our next shore leave was in Colomba, Ceylon. The local paper printed a picture of two of the destroyers and an article protesting about us being there enroute to Korea. Ship names: Berry, Keppler, McCaffery and Norris, Cruiser-Worcester. I did not keep a log of our activities but the best I can remmember, we helped transport the Marines to Inchon and then went to Keelung, Formosa for a few months. Two of the Destroyers would go out for about a Week of patrolling the Formosa Straits and then change off with the other two Destroyers. It was rather a monotous time (Chiang had set up on Formosa, and we were there to prevent the Communists from invading Formosa). Joe Claytor