USS Stoddard Alumni Newsletter—January 2017 Page 2
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Website: www.ussstoddard.org USS STODDARD Date: January 15th, 2017 ALUMNI NEWSLETTER USS STODDARD DD566 WWII * Korea * Vietnam 29th Reunion—New Orleans, Louisiana Crowne Plaza 2829 Williams Blvd. September 20th – September 23rd - 2017 Kenner, LA 70062 Hosts: John & Carlene Rauh Email: [email protected] Room Rate: $115.00 Two Days Before & After Reunion We welcome everyone to a place where centuries old architec- Breakfast ture is the backdrop for a culture to arouse your spirit. The city Restaurant of New Orleans is a magical place to explore. Enjoy the history, Free Parking food, and historical sites. Free Internet Airport Shuttle The National WWII Museum is considered one of the top museums Reservation the nation. It tells the story of the American Experience in the war information— that changed the world. The movie see page 8 “Beyond All Boundaries” is a 4D journey through the war narrated by Tom Hanks. Inside this issue: The French Quarter, also known as the Vieuz Carre, is the oldest 2017 New Orleans 2 neighborhood in the city of New Or- leans founded in 1718. Most of the Portland Reunion 3 & 4 historic buildings were constructed Hobson Accident 5 & 6 in the late Tom Davis Poem 7 18th cen- Annual Meeting 8 tury dur- ing the Hotel Info 8 Spanish rule or built during the first Chaplain’s Report 9 half of the 19th century, after U.S. an- Directory Update 9 nexation. The district has been desig- Ship’s Store 10 nated as a National Historic Landmark. USS Stoddard Alumni Newsletter—January 2017 Page 2 NATCHEZ Jazz Dinner Cruise. The Natchez Steamboat makes you feel as if you entered another era. You will pass the French Quarter and through one of the world’s most active ports with terrific views of the city skyline. For all its history and romance, the excitement of riding a steamboat is as real and genuine as it was a century ago. Enjoy a buffet of Louisiana cuisine as you listen to the New Orleans's Jazz. The Houmas Plantation and Gardens, also known as Burnside Plantation, is a historic plantation com- plex in Burnside, LA. It was established in the late 1700s, named after the native Houma people, who originally occupied this area of Louisiana. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in September 1980. It was a working plantation when the US ob- tained the area through the Louisiana Purchase. USS KIDD (DD-661), a Fletcher-class destroyer, (USS Stoddard DD-566, is a Fletcher-class) was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named after Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, who died on the bridge of his flagship USS Arizona during the 1941 Japanese attack. A National Historic Landmark, she is now a museum ship, berthed on the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge, LA. Mardi Gras World was created as a tourist attraction in 1984 to show visitors a behind- the-scenes look at float building. In the 2000s Mardi Gras World tripled in size, ex- panding from 80,000 to 300,000 square feet. To get the feeling of Mardi Gras year-round, visit Mardi Gras World, the largest float de- signing and building facility in the world. Here more than 80 percent of the floats that journey down New Orleans' streets during the Carnival season are de- signed and built. USS Stoddard Alumni Newsletter—January 2017 Page 3 A Big Thank You to Dave & Sandy and their Family for a Great Reunion! Fort Gorges in Casco Bay Calendar Islands—Casco Bay Thanks to John Gerten, Vicky Tristan and Paula Stone for all the reunion pics! USS Stoddard Alumni Newsletter—January 2017 Page 4 Herby Anaya Merci Rentria Mercedes MM2 64-67 John Gerten TM3/TMC 66-67 Glen Balzer ET3 64-66 Don Hummel Shirley Hummel EMFN 51-52 John Bar Jr. Barbara Bar FTG2 64-68 Carl Jones Arvilla Jones MRFN 67-68 Henry Bennage Sheila Bennage YNSN 51-54 Al Jorschumb Lori Jorschumb BTFN 68-69 Cecil Berlin Marilyn Lee Berlin BMSN 52-54 John Laible Cricket Laible LTJG/CAPT 66-68 Marlene Brant Widow of Tommy William Melyan Ulla Melyan DC3 66-67 Chris Bolen Ed Mercier BM3 65-68 Robert Butler Pat Butler BT3 67-69 Stephen Merrill Betty Merrill ET2 65-67 Clint Coneway Greta Coneway CAPT 66-69 Dane Owens Gail Owens MM3 68-69 Nan Coneway Linda Patrick Tom Davis MM3 44-46 Ernesto Perez Dolores Tijerina STG2 65-69 Mark Davis Stephen Petren Janet Petren LTJG 56-59 Lawson Davis Al Plapp Kathy Plapp MME3 65-66 John Halicks Robert Semrad Joy Semrad Jim Day Betty Day LTJG/CAPT 63-64 John Rauh Carlene Rauh SK3 67-68 Millie Derrington Widow of Lester Kelly Rauh Baumer Joseph English Lois English BT1 67-69 Rick Riggs Susan Riggs FTG2 64-68 Robert Fix Sharon Fix SN 66-67 Steve Romack Renee Romack US Army LTC/CW3 Mathew Ofsthun Grayce Sanger Widow of Bill Ralph Frye Jeanne Frye SK2 51-52 Beth Fitzgibbons Michael Green Daisy Green BMSN 69-70 Dave St.Clair Sandy St. Clair BMSN 65-69 Byron Goodwin Linda Goodwin RD2 59-62 Dave St.Clair Jr. Nancy St. Clair John Hansman Jane Hansmann Air Force Colonel Rocco St.Clair Staci St. Clair Loid Hawkins Sandra Hawkins SN 55-56 Jack Hines Lisa Hines Bill LaGoe Cathy LaGoe Kimberly Gilbert. Victor Heath Bonnie Heath RD3 61-62 Garry Stone Sr. Marilyn Stone BT3 62-66 James Honberger Jackie Halsele SN 51-53 Garry Stone Jr. Paula Stone Bob Hopfauf SN 66-67 Diego Tristan Vicky Tristan SF2 65-69 Chris Hurst Widow of Capt. Bill Frank Turo Mary Rose RM3 65-68 Cheri Hurst Dan Withers Roxane Withers ETN3 65-66 Jim Goss Nancy Hurst Goss Robert Wooden Stella Wooden BM3 51-54 Jen Goss USS Stoddard Alumni Newsletter—January 2017 Page 5 USS Wasp CV-18 and USS Hobson DMS-26 Accident In April 1952 USS Stoddard DD-566, USS Braine DD-630 and USS Mullany DD-528 were plane guarding for the USS Wasp CV-18. They were relieved by the USS Hobson DMS-26 and USS Rodman DMS-21. Destroyer, Carrier Crash During Night Practice; 176 Feared Dead Hobson Goes Down In Atlantic; Wasp Hurt, Sailing Home Only 61 Saved From Smaller Ship In Foul Weather Off The Azores; None On Carrier Lost; Craft Collide As Wasp Turns to Receive Planes. Washington, April 27, 1952 (AP) - The USS Hobson, a destroyer - minesweeper, collided with the famous carrier Wasp last night, and plunged to the bottom in mid-Atlantic. The Navy said that 176 men were reported missing, including the craft's skipper. Sixty-one men were snatched to safety out of a windy, rolling sea. In Charleston, S.C., Rear Admiral William V. O'Regan, minesweeper commander at the home base of the Hobson, said there had been 237 men aboard the ship. USS Hobson DD-464/DMS-26 Seven Officers Lost In Washington, the Bureau of Naval Personnel casualty section said it was preparing "reported missing" tel- egrams for families of 176 men, including seven officers and 169 enlisted personnel. The captain of the Hobson was 31- year old Lieut. Comdr. William J. Tierney of Philadelphia. He had risen from the ranks and won his commission in 1941. Full details of the accident were not immediately given by Naval authorities. Earlier in the afternoon Navy headquarters said rescue operations were still on going. That was nearly a full day after the mid-ocean smashup in the wind-lashed darkness. The Wasp's bow was damaged in the colli- sion. The accident was one of the great noncombat disasters the Navy has suffered in recent times. Weather is Bad Hobson rescue efforts were hampered by the dark, and by foul weather. A navy dispatch reported that at 2:00 a.m. (EST) winds were "15 knots southwest, sea rough and confused." That weather report came near- ly 5 hours after the crash. The Wasp suffer a slashing rip for 75 feet along her bow plates, the Navy report- ed. She was headed for New York at reduced speed ten knots. There were no casualties reported aboard the big carrier. Fleet headquarters spotted the scene of the collision as 1,200 miles due east of Boston and 700 miles from the Azores. The time of the crash was given as 1:25 a.m. Sunday, Greenwich Time, which would be 8:25 p.m. Saturday, EST. The spot being well west of the Azores, the theoretic time at the scene was be- fore midnight. The Wasp was on the way to take up a station in the Mediterranean when she collided with the Hobson at latitude 42 degrees 21 minutes north, longitude 44 degrees 15 minutes west. Two Ships In Rear It was announced that the collision occurred when the Wasp Saigon turned into the wind to recover aircraft which were returning from a simulated night strike against other ships in the task group, enroute route to the Mediterranean. The Hobson and another destroyer minesweeper, the Rodman, were trailing the Wasp in plane guard stations - meaning they were a little to the rear in position to pick up men in the event any of the planes were ditched in attempting to land. The skipper of the Wasp is Capt. B. C. McCaffree and the Commanding the Hobson was Lieut. Comdr. W. J. Tierney . USS Wasp CV-18 (Continued on Page 6) USS Stoddard Alumni Newsletter—January 2017 Page 6 (Continued From Page 5) Skipper Changed Ship's Course Just before Crash, Aide Says May 10.