I stand corrected — he did in fact serve aboard USS Gridley (DLG-21) before going to the swifts.
The Gridley was a Leahy-class guided missile frigate, a double-ended Terrier ship. They’re generally described as “destroyers” even though they were later reclassified as “cruisers” when they were given their CG hull numbers. In a previous life, I served on the same class ship, the Harry E. Yarnell (DLG-17/CG-17).
Thanks for your service Bob. My Dad served in the Navy during WWII in the South Pacific as a Signalman.
He was on a Sub Chaser, a Cruiser and a Heavy Duty Tug that was tasked to pull Landing Craft off the Beaches that were stuck. They did this under fire, but he rarely talks about all the fun he had.
His Older Brother was a Seabee who helped build the Airstrips needed to attack Japan. He got shot at a few times from what I’ve heard.