United States Navy — Destroyer
USS Steinaker — service history
This is the full service history. For the vessel's particulars, photograph and specifications, see the entry.
In the words of the US Navy. The account below is reproduced verbatim from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, compiled by the Naval History and Heritage Command — a work of the United States Government, in the public domain, and the only text on this site not written here.
Before commissioning
Donald B. Steinaker was born at Syracuse, N.Y., on 15 September 1922 and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve on 20 March 1941. He served at Parris Island, S.C., and Quantico, Va., before he was sent to the South Pacific.
During the Solomons campaign, Private First Class Steinaker was killed in action at the Matanikau River, Guadalcanal, on 9 October 1942, when his unit was attacked during a heavy Japanese offensive. The small group of Marines fought furiously against the overwhelming enemy forces and exacted a tremendous toll. Steinaker refused to be dislodged from his position and died at his post.
Second World War 1939–1945
1944
Steinaker (DE-452) was laid down by the Federal Shipbuilding- and Drydock Co., Newark, N.J.; but the contract was cancelled on 6 June 1944; and the ship was not completed.
Steinaker (DD-863) was laid down on 1 September 1944 by the Bethlehem Steel Co., Staten Island, N.Y.; launched on 13 February 1945; sponsored by Miss Carol Steinaker; and commissioned on 26 May 1945, Comdr. S. A. McCornock in command.
Steinaker held her shakedown cruise off Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and returned to Norfolk, her home port, where she acted as a training ship for the remainder of the year. Until 1952, the destroyer alternated her operations between the east coast with the Atlantic Fleet and deployment with the 6th Fleet. She was deployed to the Mediterranean in 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, and the first five months of 1952.
Korean War period 1950–1953
1952
Steinaker entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard on 1 July 1952 for conversion to a radar picket destroyer and was classified as DDR-863. The work was completed on 28 February 1953 and shakedown at Guantanamo Bay followed. She made her first deployment to the 6th Fleet as a picket destroyer from 16 September to 3 February 1954. She also served with the 6th Fleet for portions of 1955, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, and 1965. In 1964, the destroyer was converted under the FRAM program and given modern antisubmarine weapons and detection equipment. On 1 July of that year, she resumed the designation, DD-863.
Vietnam War period 1964–1975
1968
Steinaker was in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean for two months in 1967 as a unit of the Middle East Force. On 26 March 1968, she stood out of Norfolk headed for her first tour in the western Pacific. She transited the Panama Canal on 31 March and (after calling briefly at San Diego, Pearl Harbor, Midway, Guam, and the Philippine Islands)arrived off Vietnam.
Steinaker was assigned to the 7th Fleet from 20 May trough 1 October and participated in naval gunfire support operations off Binh Thuan and Phu Yen Provinces; "Sea Dragon" operations off the coast of North Vietnam to interdict seaborne infiltration of Communist forces into South Vietnam; and antiaircraft picket duty off the demilitarized zone. She also operated with aircraft carriers conducting strikes against North Vietnam.
Steinaker returned to the east coast of the United States, via Subic Bay, Singapore, Yokosuka, and Okinawa. She arrived at Norfolk on 5 November 1968 and resumed Atlantic Fleet operations until 9 January 1970. At that time, she was assigned to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Standing Naval Force, Atlantic. This tour lasted until 23 July 1970. She made another voyage to the Mediterranean from 23 February to 23 July 1971 and returned to the North Atlantic from 10 July to 18 November 1972.
1973
Steinaker was transferred to Destroyer Squadron 10, Naval Reserve Force, on 1 July 1973 and changed her home port to Baltimore. Into December 1974, she serves as a training ship for reserves.
Other photographs
Held for this vessel, and not tied to any part of the account above.
References
Every work this entry draws on. There are no numbered markers in the text above: what we hold is the provenance of the page — this history, this article, these photographs.
- History Steinaker (DD-863) Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Naval History and Heritage Command. A work of the United States Government, in the public domain — the only text on this site reproduced verbatim.
- Facts USS Steinaker Structured facts only — dates, dimensions, armament and fate. No wording is taken from it. Harvested 1 August 2026.
- Photograph USS Steinaker (DD-863) in the North Atlantic 1951 Don Savercool, USN, CVB-42 photo lab — U.S. Navy photograph [1] from ussfranklindroosevelt.com — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph Amerikaanse torpedobootjager Power en Steinaker, Bestanddeelnr 903-8234 Nationaal Archief — http://proxy.handle.net/10648/a8d4839c-d0b4-102d-bcf8-003048976d84 — CC0 — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph Amerikaanse torpedobootjager Power en Steinaker, Bestanddeelnr 903-8235 Nationaal Archief — http://proxy.handle.net/10648/a8d4845a-d0b4-102d-bcf8-003048976d84 — CC0 — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph USS Elokomin (AO-55) refueling USS Steinaker (DDR-863), in the 1950s Edward H. Cleary — U.S. Navy photo [1] from Navsource.org — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph USS Steinaker (DD-863) in 1945 USN — Official U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships photo 19-N-84244 available at Destroyerhistory.org — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph USS Steinaker (DD-863) in the Gulf of Paria in 1946 U.S. Navy — U.S. Navy All Hands magazine June 1946 , p. 6 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph USS Steinaker (DD-863) insignia, in 1964 (NH 64782-KN) Unknown author — U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command photo NH 64782-KN — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph USS Steinaker (DD-863) transiting Chesapeake Bay, in 1974 Robert Schlehr, ETC, USNR-R (Ret) — U.S. Navy photo [1] from Navsource.org — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph USS Steinaker (DD-863) underway in the Atlantic ocean, in the summer of 1979 Howard P. Thomas ETCS (SS)(SW) USN (Ret), taken from USS Charles P. Cecil (DD-835) — U.S. Navy photo [1] from Navsource.org — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph USS Steinaker (DDR-863) at Genoa, Italy, on 24 May 1962 Carlo Martinelli — Photo [1] from Navsource.org — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph USS Steinaker (DDR-863) at Taranto, Italy, on 21 December 1963 Joe Tucker — U.S. Navy photo [1] from Navsource.org — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph USS Steinaker (DDR-863) underway at sea, in 1958 U.S. Navy — U.S. Navy photo [1] from the USS Leyte (CVS-32) 1958-1959 cruise book available at Navysite.de — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
- Photograph USS Vogelgesang (DD-862) and USS Steinaker (DD-863) before transfer to the Mexican Navy in November 1982 Clark, USN — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons