Adm. Stephan B. Luce was Born 25 March 1827 in New York, N.Y., Rear Adm. Stephen B. Luce was one of the Navy's outstanding Officers in many fields, including strategy, seamanship, education, and professional development. Entering the naval service 19 October 1841 as a midshipman, he served with the Atlantic coast blockaders during the Civil War, and commanded the monitor Nantucket at the siege of Charleston, S.C. In 1862, while serving as head of the Department of Seamanship at the Naval Academy, he prepared one of the first seamanship textbooks used by the Academy.

After the war, Luce organized the Navy's apprentice training program to prepare seamen and petty officers for fleet duty. From 1878 to 1881 Captain Luce was inspector of training ships and, as commodore, he commanded the U.S. Training Squadron from 1881 to 1884. Based on Luce's urgings and exhaustive reports, the Naval War College at Newport, R.I., was established in October 1884 with Rear Admiral Luce as its first superintendent. He was also instrumental in starting the Naval Institute and its Proceedings. He again served at sea betore retiring 25 March 1889. He returned to the War College in 1901 and died 28 July 1917.

The first Luce (DD-99) was laid down by Fore River Shipbuilding Corp., Quincy, Mass., 9 February 1918 Iaunched 29 June 1918; sponsored by Mrs. Boutelle Noyes daughter of Rear Admiral Luce; and commissioned 11 September 1918, Lt. Comdr. R. C. Parker in command. Luce departed Boston 19 September 1918 and reported to commander Cruiser Force, Atlantic Fleet, in New York 2 days later. She sailed with Troop Convoy 67 for France 23 September. Upon arrival at the Azores 1 October, she was detached and proceeded to Gibraltar 19 October. The ship performed escort and patrol duty in the Mediterranean for the duration of the war. On 26 November she departed for the Adriatic and for 5 months patrolled the area in cooperation with the Food Commission. After voyaging to the eastern Mediterranean, Aegean, and Black Seas in May and June 1919, she returned to Gibraltar 27 June on route to the United States. She arrived New York 10 July and proceeded to Boston for overhaul.

On 29 October she was transferred to Reserve Squadron 1, Atlantic Fleet, and 18 March 1920 was reclassified Light Mine Lager (DM-4). In April she departed Boston for Newport where she operated with the destroyer force until July. On 5 July 1921 she joined Mine Squadron 1, Gloucester, Mass., and participated in tactical exercises until October. After a cruise to the Caribbean in January 1922, Luce arrived Philadelphia where she decommissioned 30 June 1922. Luce recommissioned 19 March 1930 and sailed to Panama 18 April where she operated with submarines of the Canal Zone Control Force until May. She returned to the east coast 4 June and trained with Mine Squadron 1 until steaming to Boston where she decommissioned 31 January 1931. Luce was sold to Schiavone-Bonomo Corp., New York, 29 September 1936 and scrapped 13 November 1936.

The second Luce (DD-522) was laid down by Bethlehem Steel Co., Staten Island, N.Y., 24 August 1942 Iaunched 6 March 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Stephen B.Luce, Jr., wife of Rear Adm. Stephen B. Luce's grandson and commissioned 21 June 1943, Comdr. D. C. Varian in command. Luce departed New York 5 September 1943 and arrived in Bremerton, Wash., 28 October after visiting Trinidad and San Diego en route. She departed 1 November for Pearl Harbor as plane guard for Enterprise, and conducted gunnery training exercises in the Hawaiians until 29 November. She then steamed to Adak Island, Alaska, and from 30 November 1943 to 8 August 1994 engaged in patrol and ASW duties off Attu Island. This duty was interrupted 1 February 1944 when she sailed from Massacre Bay, Attu, to participate in the 3 to 4 February bombardment of Paramushiru, Kurile Islands, with TF 94 of the Northern Pacific Force. Completely surprising the enemy, the attack was successful; Luce destroyed a 2,000-ton enemy freighter in the action. She returned to Attu 4 February and resumed patrol. On 13 June Luce, with TF 94, bombarded Matsuwa, Kurile Islands, and 26 June attacked Paramushiru a second time. On 8 August the ship departed for San Francisco and returned to Pearl Harbor 31 August.

As a unit of the Southern Attack Force., TF 79, Luce sortied from Manus, Admiralty Islands, 11 October. During the assault on Leyte 20 to 23, October, she patrolled outside the LST-transport areas providing air cover. Between 1 November and 12 December, Luce sailed from Manus to New Guinea on escort and ASW patrols, and from 12 to 27 December supported the Houn Gulf, New Guinea, landing operations. On 27 December she got underway to screen transports for the Lingayen attack and landings. She arrived in the operating area 9 January 1945 screening LSTs and transports of TF 78. She fended off all enemy attackers and succeeded in splashing one on the 11th. In company with 40 other ships, Luce departed 11 January and fought her way victoriously to San Pedro Bay 16 January. The ship patrolled this area until 25 January when she departed for the assault on San Antonio, San Felipe area, Luzon. This operation was unopposed, and Luce sailed for Mindoro 30 January. From 2 February to 24 March she escorted resupply convoys between Subic Bay and San Pedro Bay. On 24 March she departed Leyte escorting and screening units of TF 51 which landed heavy artillery on Keise Shima for the support of the main landings on Okinawa. She was detached from this duty 1 April and assigned radar picket duty off Kerama Retto.

About 0740, 4 May, Japanese suicide planes were intercepted by the combat air patrol in the vicinity of Luce. Two enemy planes avoided the interceptors and attacked her from the portside. Luce splashed one, but the explosion from the bomb it carried caused a power failure. Unable to bring her guns to bear in time, she was struck in the after section by the second kamikaze. The port engine was knocked out engineering spaces flooded, and the rudder jammed. At 0814 Luce took a heavy list to starboard and the order to abandon ship was passed. Moments later she slid beneath the surface in a violent explosion carrying 126 of her 312 officers and men with her. Luce received five battle stars for World War II service.
The third Luce (DLG-7) was laid down by Bethlehem Steel Co., Quincy, Mass., 1 October 1957; launched 11 December 1958; sponsored by Mrs. Felix B. Stump; and commissioned 20 May 1961, Comdr. David H. Bagley in command.

Luce departed Mayport,Fla., on her shakedown cruise 14 February 1962. She spent the month of April with the 6th Fleet in her first task force operations, and returned home 11 May where Capt. H. J. Ereckson, Commander Destroyer Division 84, made her his flagship. She departed 3 August to rejoin the 6th Fleet, en route participating in NATO exercises Riptide III with units of the British and French Navies. In the next 7 months she joined in three major NATO exercises before returning home 2 March 1963. During the spring and early summer, the frigate conducted missile tests, trained midshipmen, and engaged in independent exercises along the Atlantic coast.

On 20 August 1963 she steamed to the Caribbean for independent air, surface, and shore bombardment firings and returned Mayport 4 September. She joined TF 23 for intensive ASW and AA exercises 28 October, and after a short operation withEnterprise (CVA(N)-65) was back in Mayport for tender availability.
On 8 February 1964 she again joined the 6th Fleet, and was called upon to stand guard for 3 weeks near the trouble-ridden island of Cyprus to evacuate American citizens if necessary. She hosted the Secretary of the Navy and Commander 6th Fleet 24 April for a missile firing demonstration, and then escorted Shangri-La (CVA-38) on a high-speed Atlantic crossing to Mayport, where she arrived 23 May.
In July the ship steamed to New York City to participate in operation "Sail" with a regatta of sailing craft from all over the world. She returned to Mayport after a 4-month overhaul 28 January 1965. The frigate had won both the Engineering and Battle Efficiency "E"s during 1964.
Luce returned to the Caribbean for intensive refresher training in March 1965. On 29 April she embarked a company of marines at Guantanamo Bay and proceeded to the troubled Dominican Republic 30 April. She patrolled the coast of the politically disturbed island until 8 May. She returned to the Mediterranean in June for 4 months of operations with units of the Spanish, French, Greek, and Italian Navies In September she operated with Correy ( DD-817 ) in the Black Sea, and she returned to the Mediterranean late in 1965. She arrived Mayport 6 November and embarked Commander Destroyer Squadron 8. In December she engaged in missile firing and after a brief time in port in 1966 continued testing and improving missile techniques and carrying out the fleet's widespread peacekeeping activities which guard the free world.
On 13 June 1966 Luce got underway for deployment with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. After participating in various exercises with United States and other Allied ships, and representing the United States at two international trade fairs, she returned to Mayport on 26 October. The first half of 1967 saw Luce operating again with the 2nd Fleet in the Atlantic and Caribbean, and participating in a midshipmen training cruise in June. On 7 August, Luce began a regular overhaul at the U.S. Naval Shipyard, Charleston, S.C. She continued in orerhaul until early 1968, then operated locally and in the Caribbean until departing Mayport 14 September for the Persian Gulf, sailing via Recife, Brazil, and various ports along the west and east coasts of! Africa. She arrived at Bahrein 29 October and continued to stand watch over the troubled Middle East into 1969.

USS Luce DLG 7

Adm. Stephan B. Luce

USS Luce DD 99

USS Luce DD 522

Launching of the USS Luce DLG 7

USS LUCE ( DLG 7) 4May 1961 .Starboard quarter looking forward. Boston Harbor
Bethlehem Steel Co.