Phyllis Hayter Townsend was only a young girl on the morning of December 7, 1941. From her driveway, she and her family watched as the attack on Pearl Harbor unfolded. Her father, Hubert Hayter, was a damage control officer aboard the cruiser USS NEW ORLEANS (CA-32) and was aboard his ship during the attack.
11 months later, Lt. Cmdr. Hayter and his fellow crew battled for their lives after the NEW ORLEANS was torpedoed during the Battle of Tassafaronga on the night of 30 November 1942. As their compartment began filling with asphyxiating gas, Lt. Cmdr. Hayter gave his own gas mask to an injured sailor as they worked to escape. For his selfless act, he was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.
One year later, the Navy saw fit to name one of their newest destroyer escorts in his honor. USS HAYTER (DE-212) went on to serve with honor and distinction for the remainder of the war, culminating in the rescue of survivors from USS FREDERICK C. DAVIS (DE-136) on 23 April 1945.