29th Reunion—New Orleans, Louisiana September 20th – September 23rd - 2017

Inside this issue:

USS STODDARD DD566 WWII * Korea * Vietnam

Website:

www.ussstoddard.org

Date:

January 15th, 2017

USS STODDARD

ALUMNI NEWSLETTER

2017 New Orleans 2

Portland Reunion 3 & 4

Hobson Accident 5 & 6

Tom Davis Poem 7

Annual Meeting 8

Hotel Info 8

Chaplain’s Report 9

Directory Update 9

Ship’s Store 10

Crowne Plaza 2829 Williams Blvd. Kenner, LA 70062

Room Rate: $115.00 Two Days Before & After Reunion Breakfast Restaurant Free Parking

Free Internet Airport Shuttle

Reservation information— see page 8

We welcome everyone to a place where centuries old architec-

ture is the backdrop for a culture to arouse your spirit. The city of New Orleans is a magical place to explore. Enjoy the history,

food, and historical sites.

The National WWII Museum is considered one of the top museums the nation. It tells the story of the

American Experience in the war that changed the world. The movie

“Beyond All Boundaries” is a 4D journey through the war narrated

by Tom Hanks.

The French Quarter, also known as the Vieuz Carre, is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Or-

leans founded in 1718. Most of the historic buildings were constructed in the late

18th cen-tury dur-

ing the Spanish rule or built during the first half of the 19th century, after U.S. an-

nexation. The district has been desig-

nated as a National Historic Landmark.

Hosts:

John & Carlene Rauh

Email: cjrauh@LDD.net

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

Fort Gorges in Casco Bay Calendar Islands—Casco Bay Thanks to John Gerten, Vicky Tristan and Paula Stone for all the reunion pics!

A Big Thank You to Dave & Sandy and

their Family for a Great Reunion!

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

Saigon

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.

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

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 .

(Continued on Page 6)

USS Hobson DD-464/DMS-26

USS Wasp CV-18

USS Stoddard Alumni Newsletter—January 2017 Page 6

(Continued From Page 5)

Skipper Changed Ship's Course Just before Crash, Aide Says May 10. - The skipper of the Hobson, who went down with his ship, ordered an abrupt change of course

which brought him directly into the path of the carrier Wasp on the night of April 26, according to testimo-

ny Friday before a court of inquiry investigation the collision of the two ships. The first witness before the

court, sitting at the New York Naval Shipyard annex here, a few hundred feet from the dry-dock where the

crippled carrier is being repaired, was Leiut. William A. Hoefer, Jr., senior surviving officer of the Hobson, which sank with 176 lives lost. Leiut. Hoefer told the court he was junior officer of the deck of the Hobson.

He said: The Hobson was making 25 knots with clear visibility when he first sighted the Wasp off port bow.

Skipper Leaped Off Bridge

Lieut. Commander William J. Tierney, the Hobson's skipper, first called a right turn and then ordered two

successive left turns after the Wasp had signaled it was changing course so planes could land. As the 34,000 ton carrier rushed toward the Hobson at 27-knot speed, Lieut. Hoefer said Commander Tierney or-

dered an "all ahead emergency flank," all engines ahead at full power. Then Lieut. Hoefer said he himself

shouted: "Stand by for collision." About five seconds later, Lieut. Hoefer said, the bow of the Wasp cut the

Hobson in half. Before he was swept overboard by the water, Lieut. Hoefer said, he saw Commander Tier-

ney leap from the bridge. Lieut. Hoefer, who was picked up 45 minutes later by the destroyer- minesweep-

er, Rodman, with the Hobson, had been escorting the Wasp, said the aircraft carrier's communications sec-tion warned that it was making a turn 158 degrees off the Hobson's left bow

Warned of Turn

He said Commander Tierney's first order of "right standard rutter" would have made the Hobson turn in

the same direction as the carrier but at a considerable distance away from the big flat-top.

Less than 2 minutes later Lieut. Hoefer said, Commander Tierney called for "left standard rudder." "I stepped into the wheelhouse to see if it would clear the Wasp" Lieut. Hoefer said, "It appeared she would

pass about 800 yards to port at our closed point of approach." The Wasp was about 1240 yards away when

Commander Tierney again ordered left standard rudder, Lieut. Hoefer said. Then, as the Wasp had nar-

rowed the distance between the two ship to about 750 yards, Commander Tierney called for the "all ahead

emergency flank." Within a few seconds, the Wasp and Hobson

collided. The Hobson crossed the carrier's bow and was struck

amidships. The force of the collision rolled the destroyer-

minesweeper over, breaking her in two. USS Rodman DD-456

and USS Wasp CV-18 rescued many survivors, but the USS

Hobson DMS-26 and 176 of her crew were lost, including Tier-

ney. Some survivors were forced to tread water in the Atlantic

Ocean for up to four hours. The carrier proceeded to Bayonne,

New Jersey, for repairs and, after she entered dry dock there,

the bow of aircraft carrier USS Hornet CV-12—then undergoing

conversion—was removed and floated by barge from Brooklyn,

New York, and fitted into position on Wasp, replacing the badly

shattered forward end of the ship. This remarkable task was

completed in only 10 days, enabling the carrier to get underway

to cross the Atlantic.

USS Wasp CV-18 had many accidents in it’s history— April 1947—USS Wasp runs aground off New Jersey.

April 1952—USS Wasp collides with USS Hobson DMS-26. (176 crewmen lost)

Sept. 1957—USS Wasp fire while in dry dock in Boston.

Aug. 1959—USS Wasp heavily damaged by explosion when helicopter engine explodes while testing.

Nov. 1962—USS Wasp collides with USS Holder DDE-819 refueling near Cuba.

Jan. 1966—USS Wasp suffers structural damage during Caribbean storm.

Mar. 1967—USS Wasp and USS Salamonie AO-26 collide while refueling.

Sept. 1967—USS Wasp suffers fire in CIC while in dry dock in Boston.

June 1968—USS Wasp and USS Truckee AO-147 collide while refueling.

Jan. 1971—USS Wasp and USS Chukawan AO-100 collide while refueling.

USS Wasp in dry dock after collision

USS Stoddard Alumni Newsletter—January 2017 Page 7

Poem by:

Tom “Sprout” Davis MM3/C

USS Stoddard—1943-1946

USS Stoddard Alumni Newsletter—January 2017 Page 8

carlene rauh,

secretary...

USS Stoddard Alumni Association

28th Annual Meeting – 2016

Portland, Maine

October 15th, 2016

President, David St. Clair opened the meet-

ing.

Secretary, Carlene Rauh read the minutes

of the 27th Annual Meeting at Albuquerque,

NM. Upon motion made by Clint Coneway,

seconded by Ed Mercier, the minutes were ap-

proved.

Bill Melyan submitted the treasurer’s re-

port. Beginning balance (1-1-2016) was

$24,923.11 with income of $27,916.00 for a

total of $52,839.11. Expenses to date of

$24,918.62, with an ending balance as of Oc-

tober 3, 2016 of $27,920.49, with outstanding

reunion bills. The 2016 annual accounting will

be published in the January 2017 Newsletter.

Upon motion made by Al Plapp, seconded by

Robert Fix, the treasurer’s report was ap-

proved.

Ship’s Store: Marlene Brant said she had

order blanks available.

Webmasters: Dan and Roxanne Withers

said they are adding cruise books to the web-

site. Dan asked if anyone had a cruise book

older than 1957 to let him know.

Dan Withers reported on Combatant Crafts

of America – not a lot new since last year.

John and Carlene Rauh have volunteered

to host the 29th Reunion in New Orleans, LA

for 2017. Upon motion of Bill Melyan, second-

ed by Dan Withers, the group voted to hold the

2017 reunion in New Orleans, LA September

20th to the 23rd.

Upon motion of Clint Coneway, seconded

by Gary Stone, the following slate of officers

was unanimously elected for 2017:

President, John Rauh

Secretary, Carlene Rauh

Treasurer, Bill Melyan

Email/Database Coordinator, John Rauh

Chaplin, Al Plapp

Storekeeper, Marlene Brant

Webmasters, Dan and Roxane Withers

The following donations were approved for 2016:

a. Tin Can Sailors the sum of $250.00. Upon motion

of John Rauh, seconded by John Gerten and ap-

proved.

b. Combatant Crafts of America $250.00. Upon mo-

tion of John Gerten, seconded by Herby Anaya and

approved.

c. CORE $250.00 – Upon motion of Gary Stone, se-

conded by Clint Coneway and approved.

d. Maine Military Museum $100.00 and Bath Maritime

Museum $150.00. Upon motion of Carlene Rauh, se-

conded by Jim Day and approved.

The June 1965 USS Stoddard Cruise was ap-

proved for Agent Orange benefits. It is suggested that

veterans apply now in the event they need VA benefits

for Agent Orange because of the time it takes to pro-

cess claims.

Upon motion made by John Rauh, seconded by Bill

Melyan, the meeting adjourned to the 29th Annual

Meeting in New Orleans, LA.

Respectfully submitted,

Carlene Rauh

Crowne Plaza Hotel Reservations

Reservations may be made on the following website

https://aws.passkey.com/go/stoddardreunion

or by phone at 800.227.6963 with the code “ZSR”

to reserve the group rate.

Reservations can be made until 09/06/2017 at

the group rate. Room Rate: $115 w/breakfast.

Free parking (includes motor homes) & inter-net. Rates honored 2 days before and 2 days following reunion.

USS Stoddard Alumni Newsletter—January 2017 Page 9

USS STODDARD DD566 WWII * Korea * Vietnam

President: John Rauh

email: cjrauh@LDD.net

Secretary/Newsletter Editor: Carlene Rauh

email: cjrauh@LDD.net

Treasurer: Bill Melyan

email: keystonewillie@verizon.net

Storekeeper: Marlene Brant

email: tmbrant@sbcglobal.net

Chaplain: Al Plapp

email: aplapp@ims-1.com

Webmasters: Dan & Roxane Withers

email: dwithers@rodaxwireless.com

Email/Database Coordinator: John Rauh

email: cjrauh@LDD.net

al plapp,

chaplain…

Babcock, William FP1 51-54 8-5-2016

Ingraham, Dennis FTG2 67-68 7-5-2016

Lichtenberger, Roy “Bill” ICFN 61-62 12-4-2016

Swan, Robert ”Bob” BTC 66-69 1-1-2017

Wachter, Clarence “Bud” MM2 61-63 8-18-2016

May They Rest In Peace

Supplement to Alumni Directory 2013

(Please make the changes to your 2013 Directory)

Babcock, William Deceased 8-5-2016

Bennett, Charles New Address & Email

5461 Via Alvito Drive

Westerville, OH 43082

chuckben@insight.rr.com

Ingraham, Dennis Deceased 7-5-2016

Lichtenberger, Roy Deceased 12-4-2016

Plapp, Allan New Address

76 Kathyrose Taxiway

Yellville, AR 72687

Swan, Robert “Bob” Deceased 1-1-2017

Wachter, Clarence Deceased 8-18-2016

USS Stoddard Alumni Assoc. Financial Statement

January 1, 2016 - December 31, 2016

Beginning Balance 1-1-2016 $24,923.11

INCOME – 2016

Membership Dues $ 1,990.00

Donations/Raffle $ 970.00 Ship’s Store $ 1,248.00

Reunion Registration $ 25,470.00

Reimbursed Bank Fee $ 20.00

Reimbursed Reunion Bank $ 300.00

Reunion Venue Refunds $ 1,520.00

(overpayments)

Total Income + $31,518.00

Total $56,441.11

EXPENSES – 2016 Newsletter Costs $ 1,619.56

Adm. expenses

(Supplies, postage, etc.) $ 287.16

Ship’s Store – Merchandise $ 683.98

Ship’s Store – Postage $ 170.76

2016 Reunion expenses $ 23,512.12 Bank, Fees & Ret. Check $ 832.58

2016 Refunds (to members) $ 625.00

Donations $ 1,000.00

Store Refund $ 23.00

Total Expenses: -$ 28,754.16

Ending Balance 12/31/2016 $ 27,686.95

Respectfully submitted,

William Melyan, Treasurer

USS Stoddard Alumni Association

4337 S Hwy 51

Perryville, MO 63775

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