Benham III DD- 796

Benham III

(DD-790- dp. 2030, 1. 37G'5''; b. 30'7" - dr. 17'D" - s.
35 k.; cpl. 329; a. 5 5", 10 21" TT.; cl. Fletcher)

The third Benham (DD-796) was launched 30 August 1943 by Bethlehem Steel Co., Staten Island, N. Y., Sponsored by Mrs. H. Benham wife of a grandson of Rear Admiral Benham; and commissioned 20 December 1943 Commander E. V. Dennet in command.

Assigned to the Pacific Fleet, Benham arrived at Pearl Harbor 27 March 1944. Upon completion of training exercises near the Hawaiian Islands, she provided important screening services to CVE's during the landings and occupation of Saipan, Tinian, and Cuam ( 14 June-10 August 1944); fleet carriers during the operations in the southern Palaus (6 September-14 October), Philippine Islands raids (9-24 September); Okinawa raid (10 October); northern Luzon and Formosa raids (13-14 October), Luzon and Visayas raids (15, 17-19, and 21 October, 13-14 and 19-25 November and 14-16 December); Formosa and Luzon raids (3, 6 7, 9, 15, and 21 January 1945); China coast raids (12 and 16 January); Nansei Shoto raid (22 January), invasion and occupation of Iwo Jima (15 February-1 March), Honshu and Nansei Shoto raids (16 and 26 February and 1 March); 3rd and 5th fleet raids in support of the Okinawa campaign (17 March-11 June)- and 3d Fleet raids on the Japanese home islands (22 July 15 August). Following. the Japanese surrender Benham, remained on occupation duty in Japanese waters until departing for the United States 31 October 1945. She remained on the west coast until going out of commission into reserve at San Diego, Calif., 18 October 1946.

Benham was recommissioned 24 March 1951 and joined the Atlantic Fleet. In addition to normal operations along the east coast and in the Caribbean, the destroyer has made one cruise to northern Europe, two to the Mediterranean, and one to the Far East (1 June-18 December 1954) during which she circled the globe.

Benham received eight battle stars during World War II.