Having been deployed to WESTPAC since August 1967. The first quarter of 1968 found the "Larson" on "Yankee Station", plane guarding and serving from 6 to 10 January as ASW training area coordinator. Hong Kong was a port stop from 15 to 21 January with a passage on 21 January to Kaohsiung, Taiwan. After five days in Kaohsiung, "Larson" was ordered to the Sea of Japan, arriving with the first U.S. units there after USS Pueblo's capture. "Larson" was the first DESRON 23 ship assigned to TF 71 for this operation, remaining from 31 January to 2 March 1968 as part of Operation Formation Star.