Our Namesake, Frank Greenwood was born 10 January 1915 in the town of Methuen, Massachusetts. He enlisted in the Naval Reserve 17 July, 1940. Later appointed Midshipman, and received training at the Naval Midshipman's School. On 12 December 1940, he was commissioned Lt. jg. While escorting a convoy through the Caribbean, Lt. jg Frank Greenwood was killed when his ship, the USS Erie (PG-50) was torpedoed by U-163. 12 November 1942.

The Fore River Ship Yard, Quincy Massachusetts Launched Hull #1556 on 21 August 1943. She was sponsored by Mrs. Laura Greenwood, mother of Lt. jg Frank Greenwood and commissioned the USS GREENWOOD DE-679 on 25 September 1943. Lt. Commander A.W. Slayden in command. After the shakedown cruise to Bermuda, Commander Slayden was replaced by Lt. Commander David G. Bryce ,till late 1945, then Lt. Commander John R. Cain who commanded her to the end of the war.

The USS GREENWOOD headed out to the Pacific 29 November 1943, through the Panama Canal. Finally reaching her destination of the Island of Samoa 26 December 1944. In early January, 1944, the ship arrived in the Solomon Islands at Guadalcanal. After several months of Escort duties and Anti-sub sweeps, she was given the assignment, a trip to Sydney, Australia escorting the cruiser USS Nashville. She would spend nearly a year in the south Pacific escorting transports and merchant men to Australia, and through the dangerous waters of the Solomon's and the New Hebrides. Still crawling with enemy Subs and aircraft. In December 1944, the USS GREENWOOD sailed from New Guinea to join the 7th Fleet under the command of Admiral Kinkaid at LEYTE GULF . After escorting Merchant men, Troop Transports, and LST's to the Philippines for the initial landings in the Lingayen Gulf section The USS GREENWOOD provided screening support to the fleet. From there she sailed for ULITHI to pick up a convoy of supply and Troop Transports bound for the invasion of Iwo Jima ( Other ships in division were U SS COOLBAUGH DE-217

/ DE-218 USS Darby / DE-? / DE-678 USS Harmon / DE-680 USS Loesser.) There she stayed for almost a month providing Anti Sub patrols, were she was involved in several depth charge attacks against suspected enemy targets. Also, her guns helped to beat back many Jap air strikes, and provided direct fire on the Island in support of the troops, During the Iwo Jima operation she was also assigned as "Illumination" ship. She would fire star shell rounds all during the night to help the Marines spot Jap night attacks and infiltrators. She departed the area on 27 March escorting troop ships with wounded Marines, and sailed to Eniwetok to conduct submarine and antisubmarine training.

After the wars end, the USS GREENWOOD steamed for the states to receive her much needed overhaul. On 4 September 1945 she steamed elegantly under the Golden Gate bridge to finally dock at Mare Island Naval Ship Yard to end 22 months of proud continuous service the Pacific theater of operations.

Following her overhaul at Mare Island were her main battery of open mount 3" 50's were replaced with turreted 5" 38's , she sailed for the East Coast back through the Panama Canal 2 January 1946. After exercises with the Atlantic Fleet, she continued to New London arriving 10 April. For the next 3 years she would function as an escort along the East Coast, from Maine to Key West as part of Destroyer Division 8.

At Key West, on 2 May 1949 she reported for duty as a school ship for the Fleet Sonar School, and remained in that service for 6 years as part of Destroyer Division 601. During that six years she would be involved with a hunter killer group that included the USS Sicily CVE-118 and USS Philippine Sea. These training maneuvers were centered around finding the captured German U-boat, U-505. After tours of escort duty at Norfolk and Newport, 1954-57 she returned to Key West and designated Reserve Training Ship for the 6th Naval District, based at Charleston. Placed out of commission "in service" 2 September 1958, The USS GREENWOOD served as a reserve training ship until 2 October 1961, when she was recommissioned in response to the Berlin Crisis. After training along the Atlantic Coast, she reported back to Key West for further duty with the Fleet Sonar School 7 August 1962. As world tension eased, The Greenwood was decommissioned again on 1 August 1962 but stayed in service. Operating out of St. Petersburg, Fla. she continued to conduct reserve training cruises designed to keep the Navy's fighting strength/edge at their peak for the next five years. Sadly, the USS GREENWOOD was struck from the Navy List 20 February 1967 and sold to Lipsett Inc. for scraping.