USS O'Brien (DD-415) was a World War II-era in the service of the United States Navy, named in honor of Captain Jeremiah O'Brien and his five brothers, Gideon, John, William, Dennis and Joseph, who captured on 12 June 1775 during the American Revolution. O’Brien was laid down at Boston Navy Yard, Boston, Massachusetts, on 31 May 1938; launched on 20 October 1939; sponsored by Miss Josephine O’Brien Campbell, a great-great-great granddaughter of Gideon O’Brien; and commissioned on 2 March 1940. Since this warship was built in a drydock, along with the destroyers , , and , the christening and commissioning ceremonies were combined. Service history Following her commissioning, O'Brien operated along the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. World War II After drydocking and repairs during the fall of 1941, O'Brien left Norfolk, Virginia on 15 January 1942 along with the battleship and the destroyer , and then steamed for the Pacific Ocean. Transiting the Panama Canal on 20 January, the trio of ships arrived in San Francisco, California, on 31 January. O'Brien steamed with a convoy for the Western Pacific on 4 February 1942, but she was forced to return when a collision with the destroyer damaged her port side. Following repairs at the Mare Island Navy Yard, the destroyer steamed out again on 20 February, bound for Pearl Harbor. There Commander Destroyer Division 4 shifted his flag to O’Brien on 5 March 1942. After operating out of Pearl Harbor and patrolling the Hawaiian atoll, French Frigate Shoals, O'Brien called at Midway Island in the latter part of March, escorting the seaplane tender there to evacuate civilians. The two warships returned to Pearl Harbor on 3 April. After an increase and improvement of her antiaircraft batteries, she embarked passengers for transportation to the Naval Air Station at Palmyra Atoll, and then steamed out on 18 April with the destroyers and . The destroyer then joined convoys from San Diego and San Francisco to escort them to American Samoa, arriving at Pago Pago on 28 April. O'Brien was retained at Pago Pago for local escort work. On 26 May, she supported the occupation of Wallis Island, previously taken over by the Free French, and then she joined the auxiliary vessel on 19 June for the return voyage to Pearl Harbor. Operating out of Pearl Harbor, the ship performed escort duty and acted as patrol and plane guard. She got underway