Named after RADM John R Perry, Former Chief of Civil Engineers of the Navy and Chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docks, Navy Department.
USS John R. Perry (DE-1034) was laid down 4 January 1956 by Avondale Marine Ways, Avondale, La.; launched 29 July 1958; sponsored by Mrs. John R. Perry, widow of Rear Admiral Perry; and commissioned 5 May 1959, Lt. Comdr. W. L. Atkinson in command.
USS John R. Perry (DE-1034) made a shakedown cruise to Northern Europe and Scandinavian countries, thence sailed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. She then became a school ship for the Fleet Sonar School, basing at Key West, Fla., for antisubmarine warfare operations that took her to principal Caribbean and Gulf ports, sailing as far east as the Azores, and up the eastern seaboard to Norfolk. USS John R. Perry (DE-1034) was one of the Atlantic Fleet’s warships responding to the President’s call for a quarantine of Cuba (24 October-20 November 1962), which was being developed as a Soviet offensive base. USS John R. Perry (DE-1034) patrolled off the island to help choke off the flow of military supplies to Cuba and enforce American demands for the withdrawal of Soviet missiles.