The USS Keppler (DD/DDE-765) was a Gearing-class destroyer launched in 1946 by Bethlehem Steel Corporation and commissioned in 1947. After shakedown along the West Coast and training exercises in Hawaiian waters, the destroyer entered San Francisco Navy Yard for conversion to an antisubmarine destroyer in 1949. She resumed operations on the West Coast afterward and departed for duty in the Atlantic. The vessel was reclassified DDE-765 in 1950 and went to the Far East to participate in the Korean War, joining the 7th Fleet. From 1952 to 1957, she continued her ASW exercises in addition to NATO operations with the 6th Fleet. In 1961 the ship entered New York Naval Shipyard for an overhaul with Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) and was reclassified DD-765. From 1963 and 1966, she continued hunter-killer exercises, engaged in Mediterranian NATO exercises, and had another overhaul in Boston Naval Shipyard. The destroyer was assigned naval gunfire support missions, assisting allied troops fighting in South Vietnam. The USS Keppler was decommissioned in 1972 and sold to Turkey. Anyone who has worked onboard this ship or has been involved in her repair should watch out for signs of asbestos-related diseases and consult a doctor immediately if they experience any associated symptoms.
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