In December 5, 1932, Peterson extended his enlistment for three years and he was
transferred to the U.S.S. PRUITT on October 1, 1934. In May, 1935, his rating
changed to Water Tender first class. On December 4, 1935, he was issued an
Honorable Discharge due to expiration of enlistment. He reenlisted on December 5,
1935, for four years as Water Tender first class in the U.S.S. PRUITT. He was
transferred to the U.S.S. NECEIES in October 7, 1939. After reenlisting in
November 18, 1939, Peterson was appointed to Chief Water Tender, acting appointment,
on F~ebruary 29, 1941. On April 8, 1941, he was transferred to the U.S.S. NEOSHO.
His rating was changed to Chief Water Tender (permanent appointment) on
February 28, 1942, and on May 11, 1942, he was received in the U.S.S. HENLEY.

Peterson received the following decorations:

Good Conduct Medal - December 4, 1932.
Good Conduct Pin - December 4, 1932.
Good Conduct Pin - November 17, 1939.
CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR (Posthumously)

CITATION: "For extraordinary courage and conspicuous heroism above
and beyond the call of duty while in charge of a repair party during
an attack on the U.S.S. NEOSHO by enemy Japanese aerial forces on
May 7, 1942. Lacking assistance because of injuries to the other
members of his repair party and severely wounded himself, PETERSON,
with no concern for his own life, closed the bulkhead stop valves
and in so doing received additional bums which resulted in his death.
His spirit of self-sacrifice and loyalty, characteristic of a fine seaman,
were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
He gallantly gave up his life in the service of his country."

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She then shifted her activity to Northern Europe, making ten
voyages to British and French ports. On the first of these voyages,
the PETERSON, with the other escorts of Division 22, steamed from
New York 1 March to screen a fast oiler convoy to Londonderry,
Northern Ireland. On this voyage a submarine sank the LEOPOLD (DE-319).
The PETERSON arrived with the convoy at Londonderry and
returned to New York 28 March where she was joined by the
GANDY (DE-764). Departing New York 15 April with an Ireland-bound
convoy, she was detached the following day to escort two merchant ships, which had collided back to New York. En route to rejoin the convoy later on the same day, the PETERSON joined the
GANDY and the JOYCE (DE-317) in rescuing survivors of the
torpedoed SS PAN PENNSYLVANIA and destroying the attacker. At
1345, the JOYCE reported a hot sound contact and the last survivors scrambled on board the PETERSON just as the JOYCE dropped a pattern of depth charges. The submarine shot to the surface
at 1400. The GANDY opened fire on the U-boat which returned
fire until rammed with a glancing blow by the GANDY two minutes
later. The PETERSON commenced firing at 1404 to lay open the
conning tower, and as she passed alongside the submarine, fired
two shallow-set depth charges at close range from her starboard
"KS" guns. At 1409 the submarine surrendered and the crew
commenced abandoning the sinking boat. The JOYCE picked up the
crew and U-550 slid beneath the waves at 1430. The three escorts
rejoined the convoy and steamed safely to Lisahally, Northern Ireland,
returning to New York 12 May 1944.

The PETERSON made three more convoy voyages to Londonderry and returned.
She then made successive voyages from New York to Plymouth, England (6 October-
5 November 1944); from New York to Cherbourg, France and Plymouth, England
(23 November-24 December); from New York to Liverpool, England (10 January-
9 February 1945); from New York to Le Harve, France and Southampton, England
(27 February29 March); and from Boston to Greenock, Scotland and Liverpool,
England, returning to New York 16 April.

After an overhaul to fit her for extended duty in the Pacific,
the PETERSON departed New York 4 June 1945 with the rest of
Escort Division 22 for exercises at Culebra Island, and at Guantanamo Bay,
Cuba. She transited the Panama Canal 23 June, called at San Diego for
voyage repairs, and arrived Pearl Harbor 16 July. With the end of the war,
she reported to Commander Amphibious Group 8 and Commander Transport
Squadron 18 for duty.

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On the last day of August 1945, she departed Pearl Harbor with an LST convoy.
Calling at Saipan en route, the convoy arrived off Wakayama, Japan,
27 September and the PETERSON assumed patrol in the Inland Sea until
29 October. On that day she set course for the United States, calling at
Pearl Harbor, and arriving San Diego 17 November. She shifted to San Pedro
the following day. She got underway for the east coast, transiting the
Panama Canal 6 December. Three days later off the coast of Florida, a PBM-3D
(Mariner) landed close aboard to ask assistance. The PETERSON towed the
disabled plane to Ponce de Leon Inlet where a crash boat from New Smyrna
took over the tow. She then continued up the coast to Charleston, S.C.,
arriving 10 December 1945.

She sailed for Jacksonville, Florida, 14 January 1946, arriving the following day
to commence her inactivation. She was placed out of commission in reserve
at Green Cove Springs, Florida, 1 May 1946.

The PETERSON recommissioned in the Boston Naval Shipyard, 2 May 1952,
Lt. Comdr. Kay S. Irwin in command. She spent the next five years
operating with Escort Squadron 10 off the east coast of the United States,
from Newport, R.l., to Key West~~ Florida, and in the Caribbean.
During these years she saw considerable duty as Fleet Sonar School Ship
at Key West. In July 1953 she visited Bergen, Norway, and Copenhagen, Denmark.
In October 1954 she conducted simulated convoy escort exercises to
waters off Hamilton Inlet, Labrador. In July 1955 she cruised to Edinburgh,
Scotland, and Copenhagen. In May 1957 while in the Caribbean she tracked
Jupiter missiles fired from Cape Canaveral and in August played a vital
role in the first successful recovery of a missile nose cone, attaching a
buoy-float to the nose cone flotation unit.

With fifteen other warships and eleven auxiliary vessels of Task Force 88.1,
the PETERSON put to sea 3 September 1957, bound for Portland, England.
She reached Portland 14 September and was underway the next day for
strenuous North Atlantic Treaty Organization Maneuvers. She conducted
independent reconnaissance patrol off Sweden until 19 September when she
was joined by the HUSE (DE-145), two Canadian destroyers and a Dutch
cruiser for patrol off southern Sweden, and then to Frederikshaven,
Denmark, where she arrived 23 September. She departed that port in
company with the HUSE the next day for maneuvers in the North Sea and
reached La Havre, France, 30 September. After a visit to Dunkirk,
she returned to Newport 21 October.

She became a unit of the newly created Destroyer Escort Squadron Twelve
1 November and arrived at Key West 24 November for another tour of service
as School Ship for the Fleet Sonar School. The PETERSON departed Key West
23 January 1958 for a Caribbean Training cruise with her squadron.
In May she assisted in the first recovery of a full-size missile nose
cone that had penetrated the atmosphere. She resumed her Fleet Sonar
School Ship duty at Key West 22 May 1958 and got underway 8 August for
competitive exercises off Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. She arrived at Kingston,
Jamaica 14 August 1958 and put to sea within fifteen hours on an
emergency mercy mission to deliver badly needed water to a rescue tug
tending a Greek freighter aground about 150 miles south of Kingston.

The PETERSON resumed School Ship duties at Key West 18 August 1958 and
put to sea 3 January 1959 for waters off the north coast of Cuba, standing
by with other ships of her task force in she event American citizens in
Havana might need her protection. She returned to Key West 6 January
and continued services for the Fleet Sonar School. She departed 24 August
to participate in "Operation Deep Freeze 60." She passed through the
Panama Canal and arrived Dunedin, New Zealand, 22 September. A unit of
Task Force 43, she got underway six days later and steamed to
Ocean Weather Station (latitude 60 degrees south; longitude 170 degrees east).
On that station midway between Antarctica and New Zealand, she acted as
a weather communications and rescue ship for supply flights from Christchurch
to the southernmost continent.

From July 1961 to December 1963 the PETERSON served principally as a training
ship for students of the U.S. Fleet Sonar School, Key West, Florida.
In April 1962 she visited Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Jamaica. During the
second half of 1962 the PETERSON was a movie star, playing the role of a
Japanese destroyer that rammed and sank PT-109. 0n 22 October 1962 she
was bound full speed for quarantine duty off the Cuban coast. She was
ordered-home in time for Christmas. The PETERSON visited Guantanamo Bay
for training in January and July 1963.

January 1964 found the PETERSON patrolling the coasts of Columbia and Venezuela.
She returned to Key West 23- February. For the balance of the year she operated
out of Key West, mainly as Fleet Sonar School Ship. Since 1964 she has
operated with the U.S. Atlantic Fleet.

The PETERSON received one battle star for World War 11 service. During peace time
she at one time held seven separate Battle Efficiency "E"s. A feat any little ship
of her size could be proud of.

In June 1965 the PETERSON was decommissioned for the last time in Norfolk,
Virginia and was laid to rest in the inactive reserve fleet in Portsmouth,
Virginia. On 1 August 1973 she was sold to Aardvark International for
$55,916.00 for scrap. On June 24, 1974 she was towed to sea and sunk as a target ship.

Gone . . .

But not forgotten!