Robert E. Brister was born on 4 May 1920 in Galveston, Texas. He enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve in 1941 and was commissioned an Ensign in 1942. He was officially reported missing in action 2 May 1942 when USS Cythera, on which he was serving, was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-402 off the coast of North Carolina.
Disposition:
Stricken 23 September 1968. Sold for scrapping to Chi Shun Hua Steel Co., Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 3 November 1971
Between June 1944 and June 1945, Brister made two successful trans-Atlantic escort crossings to Italy and five to the United Kingdom. On 8 June 1945 she departed New York City for the Pacific, arriving at San Diego on 3 July 1945.
On 1 September 1955 Brister commenced conversion to a radar picket escort vessel at Charleston Naval Shipyard. She was recommissioned on 21 July 1956 as DER-327 and reported to the Atlantic Fleet for duty.
