USS Hoel (DDG-13) - 1960s

1960s

After fitting out at Boston, Hoel got underway for her first homeport, San Diego, putting in at Norfolk; May-port and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Guantanamo Bay; Cartagena, Colombia; Canal Zone; and Acapuloo, Mexico, during the voyage. During the passage from Cartagena to the Canal Zone she came upon sailing yacht Stardrift becalmed and adrift en route to Sidney, Australia, from London. Hoel towed the 36-foot craft 100 miles (161 km) to safety in Panama.

Hoel arrived San Diego 11 September 1962 and spent the ensuing months completing the various inspections, tests, and trials by the Board of Inspection and Survey. When successful firing of ASROC and TARTAR missiles completed her qualification and acceptance trials, Hoel joined the ready 1st Fleet.

After a 3-week cruise to Esquimalt, Canada, Hoel spent April and May 1963 in Pearl Harbor conducting special exercises. She then returned to waters off San Diego to participate in the Presidential Demonstration held for President Kennedy.

The months of July, August, and part of September were spent at Long Beach Naval Shipyard for the post-shakedown availability assigned each new ship approximately 1 year after commissioning. At this time improved fire-control radars were installed and tested by successful missile firings. Hoel departed Long Beach 17 October 1963 for duty in the Western Pacific to serve as the flagship of Commander Destroyer Division 12.

In ensuing years she alternated deployments in the Far East with operations off the West Coast. Her 1966 deployment to the Western Pacific began when she departed San Diego 28 July. On September she was on search and rescue patrol off Da Nang, Vietnam. On 8 December the guided missile destroyer became naval gunfire support ship in the Corps I area. She fired 2,100 rounds destroying at least 20 enemy structures and two trench networks; damaging 61 buildings, three bunkers, eight trench networks, and five roads; and killing 24 Viet Cong while wounding seven. Hoel retired to Hong Kong 21 December but headed for Yankee Station the day after Christmas to screen Coral Sea (CV-43). On this patrol she helped to rescue a pilot after his A-4 Sky Hawk had crashed.