Currier DE-700

Currier

Roger Noon Currier, born in Portland, Oreg., 20 April 1913, graduated from the Naval Academy 3 June 1937. He served in Salt Lake City (CA-26) and was assigned to the staff of Admiral Norman Scott as Communications Officer on 20 October 1942. Embarked in Atlanta (CL-61) on this duty he was killed during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on the night of 13 November 1942. He shared posthumously in the Presidential Unit Citation awarded to Atlanta and also received a Purple Heart.

(DE-700: dp. 1,400; 1. 306', b. 36'10". dr. 9'5", s. 24 k.; cgl. 186; a. 3 3", 3 21" tt., 8 dep., 1 dcp., (hh.), 2 dct., cl. Buckley)

Currier (DE-700) was launched 14 October 1943 by Defoe Shipbuilding Co., Bay City, Mich., sponsored by Mrs. R. N. Currier, widow of Lieutenant Currier, and commissioned 1 February 1944, Commander A. L. Lind, USNR, in command.

After a voyage on convoy escort duty to Casablanca from 28 May to 17 June 1944, Currier returned to Oran 10 July to escort convoys passing from Oran to Naples, Bizerte, Palermo, and Gibraltar. On 12 August she cleared Salerno with a convoy of 112 LCI(L)'s and 28 other escorts carrying troops of the 46th Infantry, USA, for the assault landings on southern France 14 August. Currier screened the transports during the landings, then guarded convoys from Oran to the beachheads from 20 August to 4 September. Between 10 and 20 September, she was escort commander of the "Naples Shuttle" providing supplies to the invading troops. Returning to Oran she cleared 28 September for the west coast of the United States, arriving at San Diego 27 October.

Currier departed San Francisco 23 November 1944 for Saipan, arriving 28 December for radar picket duty, patrol, and to escort convoys to Eniwetok Ulithi, Guam, and Iwo Jima. From 29 July until the end of the war she voyaged between Guam and Okinawa on escort duty. On 26 August she joined Osmus (DE-701) to accept the surrender of the Japanese garrison on Rota, then inspected the island.

Currier departed Eniwetok 19 September 1946 for overhaul at San Pedro. In March 1946 she was back in the Far East transporting Japanese prisoners of war from Hong Kong and Shanghai. After calling at Chinese ports she patrolled along the Korean and northern China coast investigating small craft and taking the crew of six of these into custody for trial. She called at Manila for a visit in February 1947, then continued to San Diego, arriving 2 March. Between 1948 and 1952 Currier was on the west coast and in the Hawaiian Islands, concentrating on antisubmarine warfare training. On 19 April 1962 she sailed from San Diego for duty in the western Pacific, patrolling off the east coast of Korea and in the Taiwan Straits and participating in hunter-killer exercises in Japanese waters. Returning to San Diego 6 September she served as sonar school training ship until 20 May 1964 when she began her fourth Far Eastern cruise. Currier returned to San Diego 7 September to resume local operations, primarily with the Fleet Sonar School, until placed out of commission in reserve at San Francisco 4 April 1960.

Carrier received two battle stars for World War II service and one for Korean War service.