sounded; left there after establishing communications and checking switching; manned Air Defense and took over Sky Control (and nearly got strafed en route) and remained there during the entire attack.

After I had him relieved (Mandelkorn was not then on board) Purdy personally fought fires, took charge of the various parties engaged therein, supervised rescue of badly burned and injured personnel, and in general did the usual good work for which he could always be depended upon.

Lieutenant Commander Purdy assisted forecastle personnel to a rescue vessel and then returned to search for an injured man reported to be on the deck behind the gun mount.

Following shakedown off Bermuda and operations in the Caribbean, Purdy departed Trinidad, 7 February 1945 for San Diego, whence she steamed west arriving at Leyte 17 March to rehearse the invasion of Okinawa.

Screening the transports of the Southern Attack Force en route, she arrived 1 April and assumed radar picket station duty off that last Japanese bastion.

Continuing that kamikaze imperiled duty after the initial landings, she fought fires on, and then returned injured survivors from, heavily damaged destroyer Mullany to Kerama Retto on 6 April.

A third, closing Purdy, was splashed but momentum carried it to the destroyer where its bomb broke loose, pierced her plating and exploded to kill 15, seriously wound 25, and cause extensive damage.

In Japanese waters for the next four months, she served as harbor control vessel at Point Bungo, transported passengers and mail, and performed medical and guard duties.

Christmas in Japan and antisubmarine training exercises off Okinawa interrupted combat operations, but in January 1952 she returned to Korean waters and for the next six weeks sailed with TF 77, the fast carrier force.

Purdy was employed with the recovery forces for Project Mercury in the spring of 1961 and in the fall she cruised off the Dominican Republic supporting U.S. efforts to maintain stability in the Caribbean.