The ship began an eight-month distant deployment on 9 April by steaming out of Norfolk for the Western Pacific (WestPac) via the Panama Canal. After stopping at Pearl Harbor and Guam, she reached Subic Bay, Philippine Islands, on 20 May. Five days later, "Wallace L. Lind" headed toward the Gulf of Tonkin acting as screen command for the carrier . Upon arrival, she assumed duty as screen commander and plane guard destroyer for the aircraft carrier , and also joined for more plane guard duty. After a brief period of leave on 1 July she returned to her station in the Gulf of Tonkin and served as plane guard for , relieved the destroyer as southwest anti-air warfare picket, and again operated with "Ticonderoga".